Discover the transformative journey of Cindy L. McGinley, LMHC, CCTP, CHt, a resilient soul who overcame adversity through two near-death experiences and a traumatic brain injury. In her insightful MysticMag interview, she shares her profound connection to the spirit world, her passion for horses, and the evolution of SpiritedScience®—a harmonious blend of spirit and science in her healing practice.
Who is Cindy L. McGinley? What can you tell me about yourself and your professional journey?
Hmm, I guess I would say I am someone who has overcome a lot of adversity in my life and learned from it. I’ve had two near-death experiences and a traumatic brain injury that all shifted my perception at the time of occurrence. I’ve always had a connection to the spirit world, and have always been psychic and curious, which drove me to learn as much as I could, especially about matters of spirituality, but also about matters of science. Education has always been very important to me. I developed in my shamanic practice and my connection to the natural world after my second near-death experience and a long illness (that is often the way people are called to shamanism; we call it the “shaman sickness”).
I’ve had much grief, loss, and trauma in my own life, but my own path to healing has made me fairly optimistic that most adversities can be overcome with time and effort. I look at it as a hero’s journey that results in personal growth. And so, I have a drive to help the world be a better place for both people and animals and just work hard to be the Light. I started in equine science because of my love for horses, and then I was trained as a classroom teacher who transitioned into life coaching and a shamanic healing practice.
I then went into mental health because I felt like I was seeing a lot of clients who actually needed the deeper healing work that counseling can provide. I saw that Prescott College was offering a Master’s in Counseling with a post-master’s program in Equine-Assisted Mental Health, and I knew that was the path for me, a path that would help bring all my skills and life experience together into one complete package. (That in itself was quite the journey, some of which I talk about in my blog pages.) And I love animals!
What do horses represent in your life and work and how did you develop such a deep connection with them?
I have always had a deep connection with horses. When I was a child on car rides, I would always grow excited to see horses in a field. I liked horse figurines better than dolls. From a very young age, I used to have a recurring dream where I was running with a herd of wild horses and even though I was human in the dream, I could keep up with them and the herd would circle me to protect me. An elder told me in my teen years that this was a power dream, and that horse was obviously my power animal. Still, even though I rode with friends and later took riding lessons, my first horse didn’t come to me until I was about 20 years old. I saved him from a neglectful situation, but he also saved me.
He gave me a purpose and a direction when I was floundering and couldn’t see my way forward. That is the way it has always been for me – the horses showed me the way. Because I wanted to understand horse behavior and training better after I got my own first horse, I went to college for equine science, which ultimately shaped my life path. So, I feel like I wouldn’t have my life or my work without horses. It’s who I am. Horses are a big part of my identity. They represent my soul and my connection to Spirit, and I’ve built my entire life around them.
What are SpiritedScience® Essential Keys?
The Essential Keys are the many diverse ways that I can help those who would like to walk a healing path, and I often put together 12-week programs that utilize specific keys in a particular pattern. The essential keys are the tools in my toolkit or the medicine in my medicine bundle. I call it SpiritedScience® because I use both Spirit and Science in my work. I am trained and grounded in hypnotherapy, life coaching, and mental health counseling.
I am also a shamanic practitioner and a teacher. I am trained in age regression and past-life regression. I perform various methods of shamanic healing, including soul retrieval and curse/thoughtform unraveling. And, of course, I also provide somatic healing experiences in nature with horses, goats, and wildlife. We may use any or all of these modalities to co-create your healing journey, making the choice in collaboration. In other words, even though we may often sit in an office, we won’t JUST sit in an office! I bring all these things together to help you find your way forward.
How much is working with horses different from working with humans?
In some ways they are very similar, and in other ways, very different. The two different streams of my professional life have finally converged in Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy and Learning (EAP/L). I am a behavioral specialist these days regarding both species, one might say, as both a horse trainer and a mental health counselor. And so there are a lot of similarities in the behavior of both horses and humans. I feel that there really isn’t much difference on a certain level between working with horses and working with humans, except of course for the language barrier. Still, horses communicate well without words; communication happens with them by using body language and what some might call “intuition.” We are both mammals and social animals with families, friends, and emotions.
Horses are more congruent than humans, however, meaning their feelings and actions are authentic and real, so they can help teach humans how to be more authentic in their relationships. And horses are more in touch with the natural world and spirit than most humans are, and are less resistant to spiritual healing, for instance, than some people. I have done soul retrievals and other shamanic healing on horses and humans with good results. But like us, horses are individuals, with their own personalities and likes and dislikes. They might also have trauma histories and the resulting relational issues, the same as humans. So, it’s really all about relationships and unconditional positive regard. To work with either horses or humans, I must help them develop trust in me as a practitioner and confidence in our connection. Putting horses and people together in a controlled environment with a behavioral health specialist can help them both re-learn or develop trust, earn secure attachment, and learn healthy behavioral principles — which can then be transferred to all of their relationships outside of the arena.
What can you tell me about your Walk-And-Talk Counseling?
Some people have a hard time with face-to-face counseling, whether it’s too much eye contact or just too much sitting. Some people find it easier to talk as they are moving and not looking directly at the person they’re talking to. Some people are made uncomfortable by prolonged eye contact, especially trauma survivors. Some people also find it easier to be out in nature and not feel confined in a boxy space. I also use the walk out in nature to help clients become more present in the moment and more observant of their surroundings. It helps bring them into their bodies. When EAP/L clients are working in the arena with the horses, we are also bringing nature into the sessions. For those who don’t want to work with the horses, for whatever reason, I still want to offer the benefits of being connected to nature. Walk-n-Talk Counseling (which we can do either on the farm or in a park) gives my clients another possibility. I actually work in connection with the natural world a lot, for a couple of reasons.
First, I feel that nature is a reflection of the divine, and we can get answers to deep questions from observing the natural world. Second, I believe (and it has been proven) that green space is soothing to the human psyche. If I perform a soul retrieval, for instance, I will then follow up by asking the client to accompany me out to a tree on the property to ask a question about the healing. Or, if I perform a limpia (a ceremonial cleansing), I then ask the client to come with me to make offerings in gratitude. The spirits of nature are always willing to help us and respond well to our gratitude. I’ve had so many experiences of my own in nature where my spirit is lifted by the presence of a certain animal or other omen. I want to share that with my clients.
What would, in your opinion, be the most important advice you would give to someone struggling with trauma?
Don’t give up; there is help for you out there! Find a trauma specialist. The human brain is neuroplastic and our psyches are malleable and adaptable, so we really can learn new ways of being in the world. We can overcome post-traumatic stress and actually enter into posttraumatic growth if we find the right guidance. One size does not fit all, so find someone you are comfortable with, try experiential methods (open yourself to something unconventional), and put in the hard work to change your life.
Also make sure you address all 3 aspects of yourself: body, mind, and spirit. Often, I find that the spiritual aspect of a person is neglected in Western culture, which makes for incomplete healing. Otherwise, people will also fall into spiritual bypassing, where they pretend because they are “all spiritual” that they are healed—and yet they have physical and psychological symptoms that tell me otherwise. We also must delve into the deepest, darkest parts of ourselves, excavating what’s buried in order to bring it to Light. And we must keep our bodies fit and healthy as well. It’s like a 3-legged stool; there is no balance without all 3 legs.
To learn more about Cindy and her work, you can visit www.blackhorsespirit.com
