Become a certified and registered practitioner in equine-assisted support© practice and join the academy!
Find a practitioner in your area by scrolling down to the register!
REGISTRATION AND SCHEDULE FOR 2023 COMING SOON!

If you a) have a professional background in a health related field, education, energy work, or another listed occupation from the complete list (see below), b) have your own horse or have a confirmed opportunity to work out of a facility with a consistent horse or herd, c) have excellent non-judgmental professional communication skills with clients, d) an idea of which population or clientele to whom you would like to offer equine-assisted support©, then you qualify!
You do not need to bring your horse on-site!
This course is divided into 3 parts:
- Theoretical modules in the first quarter (in-person or zoom)
- Practical modules in the second quarter (in-person only)
- Completion of case studies in the third quarter
- The final certification exam at the end of the 4th quarter (email, in-person, and choice of being on zoom for exam)
*Please note that there is a mandatory in-person requirement for the practical part of the course.
The framework for this course is designed for the applicant to work on developing their program idea throughout the learning modules. For this reason, upon registration, you will be required to briefly describe your idea or intention to develop a specific service or program for your chosen population, field of interest, and/or scope of practice. Your application will then be reviewed for approval.
If you meet the requirements, successful completion of the course automatically enrols you as a registered practitioner with the Canadian Academy of Equine-Assisted Support© for the first year. Fees are included with tuition.
Tuition: $1589, which includes academy registration fees or ($1400 if you choose not to register with the academy). A non-refundable 15% deposit of $238.35 is required upon acceptance to hold your spot. Payment in full will be required before starting the course. Inquire about cancellation and refund policies.
To apply, contact Marianne Disipio directly at info@mariannedisipio.com or 403-828-0242
What sets Marianne’s EAS© program apart from other equine-assisted programs?
*There are many excellent equine-assisted certifications out there! Marianne’s EAS© is now one of them!!
1) Only people with a certain professional background can provide EAS© (see list), as a certain skill set and base of knowledge is required. Depending on the applicant’s educational/professional/background, it is also possible to qualify as an EAS© Life Coach, setting you apart.
2) In order to be accepted, you need to have an idea of the clientele or population you would like to work with in the future. Marianne offers intensive mentorship to help you develop your own service through her base program. This is a very unique feature! Marianne is a strong believer of living out your purpose or dharma, and is dedicated to helping participants fulfill this part of their journey! We all have skills, gifts, and passions. This merges all three!
3) EAS© sessions are always divided into 2 parts (will vary if you work with kids). Participants are taught how to combine life/wellness coaching strategies with the just right equine-assisted activity. Through supportive guidance, clients can also explore soulful self-care practices for coping with new and ongoing challenges.
4) There is a strong and unique soulful/spiritual component to the EAS© sessions. This offers the client a beautiful balance between traditional strategies and more personally meaningful applications. Studies show that this is essential for making lasting change.
5) To maintain your registration with The Canadian Academy of EAS© , practitioners will be required to meet yearly standard requirements for quality assurance. If you would like more information regarding specific requirements, please contact Marianne directly info@mariannedisipio.com.
EAS© is a private service
EAS© on it’s own is a private service offering emotional support. It is not a mental health treatment.
If you are already practicing as a registered and licensed therapist in another profession (for example counselling psychologist, occupational therapist, or physiotherapist, etc.), EAS© may then be included in other therapies/services, and may possibly qualify for funding, however you would have to inquire further on your own.
It is important to note that you cannot call your EAS© service “therapy” unless you are indeed an active therapist and your program is directly related to providing the therapy that falls under the respective college associated with the profession, under provincial law.
What you should know before registering
This course is quite specific in it’s values and may not be compatible for some registrants. Please note that Marianne holds absolutely no judgment on others’ value systems, however wishes only to attract compatible people for the program, in order to stay true to the respective teachings in this particular course.
Marianne’s approach is based in the profound belief and core value that all beings, including animals, have evolving purposes, the gift of choice, and equal rights for a respectful existence. It is reflected in the treatment and approach with the horses. (For this reason, it is ideal for those who are vegetarian or vegan, or considering starting some lifestyle changes).
Although equine-assisted support© fits within the category of alternative approaches/interventions, Marianne recognizes and fully respects the role and place of traditional medicine and therapies. It is important that all registrants accept the biopsychosocial approach (which will be covered in more detail in the course) with the future professional intention for it’s application when appropriate.
Only those with a specific educational/professional background will be considered to include life coaching. This will also be dependant on whether or not the registrant wishes to be registered, and the nature of the future program/service they intend on delivering. This will be done through a review by board members.
Other important considerations to examine before registering include having more of a universal sense of spirituality (versus set beliefs tied to a specific religion), a professional non-judgmental approach to dealing with clients, and excellent ability to hold space for others.
Please note that you will be required to submit 3 character references as well.
List of approved occupations:
Must have a diploma, certification, or professional degree in one of the following occupations (current registration and license not necessary):
Physician
Nurse
Occupational Therapist
Therapy aide assistant
Early childhood education
Kinesiologist
Speech Language Pathologist
Social worker, social services, or social science related
Psychologist or related
Counsellor
Art Therapist
Recreational Therapist
Massage Therapist
Yoga Therapist
Teacher
Educational assistant
Life or Wellness Coach
Midwife or doula
Chiropractor
Acupuncturist
Naturopath
Homeopath
Body Talk Practitioner
Reiki practitioner
Aruveyda specialist
Other!
If you have a related profession not listed above, and would like to know if you qualify, please contact Marianne directly info@mariannedisipio.com or 403-828-0242
Schedule
NEXT SESSION BEGINS IN JANUARY 2023! Please stay tuned to find out when registration is open!
The Canadian Academy of EAS©
The profession of equine-assisted support© now has an academy! Both the profession of equine-assisted support© and the academy were developed by Marianne Disipio, and are copyrighted. This means that it is registered with the government of Canada, and all rights are reserved. Only those who complete the certification can call themselves certified EAS© practitioners, and only those who register with the academy can use the designation of EASP© Reg. CA. Those who also qualify as a life coach can add EASLC© Reg. CA (certified equine-assisted support© life coach).
The academy is intended to be a helpful resource for it’s practitioners and to provide quality service to clients. Joining the academy is optional, however it does allow you to use the designation of EASP© Reg. CA or EASLC© Reg. CA. This offers more professional standing in the work you do. If you choose not to register with the academy, you can still use the designation of EASP© (certified equine-assisted support© practitioner), but will not be able to include Reg. CA.
In order to become registered with the academy and use the designation of EASP© or EASLC© Reg. CA, practitioners who have graduated from Marianne’s certification course are required to follow the guidelines set by the academy. The academy is composed of a board of consulting members.
Registered practitioners will be asked to have appropriate insurance for equine-assisted activities on the ground, as well as liability insurance covering them under the profession they wish to offer their services. They will also require a license to work on their property (home-based business license) or out of a facility (speak to your facility to see what you would need depending if you would like to work as an independent contractor or as an employee at the facility). Members will be asked to meet yearly practice hour requirements, show proof of participating in continuing education, meet horse training hours, and agree to a simple yearly review/audit. Marianne and the board of consultants do reserve the right to provide suggestions on how to improve practice guidelines, however there are no legal disciplinary ramifications of not meeting the guidelines other than being asked to make certain helpful improvements before the registration is reissued. Practitioners are all independent and responsible for their own conduct, and the academy does not involve itself in any legal cases of potential malpractice with clients. It is strictly a guiding support.
The details of academy practice guidelines will be presented at the end of the course in more detail, however, if you would like more info before registering or requesting an application, please contact Marianne directly at info@mariannedisipio.com.
The Canadian Academy of EAS© is a private educational body which plays the role of offering practice guidelines. It is not regulated under the Health Act or any laws. Currently, there are no equine-assisted interventions regulated at this level. The Academy of EAS© is strictly intended as a resource for practitioners. It also adds a certain quality assurance to the practice developed by Marianne Disipio.
Being a registered practitioner gives you the following benefits:
1) using the designation of EASP© Reg. CA or EASLC© Reg. CA , offering more of a professional status, as well as some assurance of a certain standard of service delivery to clients
2) accessing a variety of helpful free resources to improve your practice
3) option to attend continuing education rounds at no cost
4) ongoing support as needed and access to the board of consultants
5) being placed on the EAS© practitioner register for your city and province
Membership fee: $189/ year (This fee is already included in the certification fee, however if you decide not to join the academy, it will be either de deducted from your tuition or reimbursed to you at the end of the course).
To apply, contact Marianne Disipio directly at info@mariannedisipio.com or 403-828-0242
Canadian register of equine-assisted support© practitioners (and life coaches)
Alberta
Calgary and surrounding areas
Marianne Disipio, Equine-assisted support© Life Coach, Founder and Director
NW Calgary (Bearspaw)
Scope of practice: supporting moms of children with special needs, social/emotional skills strengthening© for children and teens, mental health recreational groups, seasonal equine activities
Other formal training; Occupational Therapy, Wellness Coaching, Reiki, Equine-assisted Healing, and Yoga Instructor
403-828-0242
Marsha Johnson, PPSAC CA (AB), Soutien assisté par le cheval© (Practicienne provisoire et supervisée)
Nord ouest
Programme d’intégration sociale Marsha et son troupeau! Multiples activités privées et en groupe pour femmes, couples, et enfants, incluant la mise à terre equine© (equigrounding©), offrant un milieu de rencontres pour briser l’isolement des nouveaux arrivants à Calgary.
marshaj7487@gmail.com
403-703-6901
Edmonton
Deb Smith, Equine-assisted support© Life Coach
Scope of practice: supporting women experiencing compassion fatigue related to caring for others professionally and/or personally, as well as those who desire to reconnect with themselves after experiencing an important change/transition, loss, grief, or death.
Other formal training: degree in nursing, certified death Doula, completed shamanic studies, Reiki, Animal Talk practitioner
smithdeb61@gmail.com
780-266-4155
Wainright
Karen Bennett, Equine-assisted support© Life Coach
Scope of practice: supporting children and youth with special needs, adults experiencing coping challenges related to PTSD, as well as providing training/education for human service/resource personnel who work with a variety of populations who might benefit from EAS©.
Other formal training: certified educational assistant, equine-assisted learning facilitator, Roots of Empathy facilitator, Triple P facilitator
kbrespiteservices@gmail.com
780-5063
Manitoba
Pembina Valley and surrounding areas
Taylor Gould, , Equine-assisted support© Life Coach
Scope of practice: supporting women who have experienced the loss of a pregnancy, infant, or child. Emotional and spiritual core strength building for individuals struggling to cope with PTSD or CPTSD.
Other formal training: diploma in social services, certified equine-assisted healing facilitator, certified miscarriage doula, grief coaching
gouldwoodmeadows@gmail.com
431-733-4856