It takes a team to make a business successful. Chris van den Berg, my husband and life partner of 40+ years, is a key member of The Mane Intent team. We don’t talk a lot about Chris because in his words — he prefers to be the quiet support behind the scenes. Because I could not do what we do without the support of Chris — I am going to shine a light on him and all he does to support the work of The Mane Intent. Chris takes care of all the things I can’t do – tractor and farm stuff like making hay, clearing snow, cleaning paddocks, repairing equipment and harrowing my garden. He does all of this while also holding a very senior level position in automotive manufacturing. (He’s attracted to a different kind of horse power).
Neither of us had any idea where life would lead when I suggested back in 2012, a year after we purchased this farm, I might get a horse (with little previous horse experience). “That’s a good idea,” he said. Who could know that a beautiful palomino named Sunny who stepped off a webpage on Kijiji and into my heart in my 48th year would leave such a legacy of caring and compassion. Sunny and my initially bumpy experience with him was the catalyst for my founding of The Mane Intent a few years later in 2014. Today, we are blessed with a wonderful herd of horses who step up every day to support our clients. We have benefitted from collaborators and co-facilitators who have supported our work.
During the pandemic, I returned to school to gain a Masters in Counselling Psychology thanks to inheritance from the death of my parents. Education was highly valued in our family – my mother could not afford to attend post-secondary school. She returned to school in her 60’s taking computer studies and psychology. My dad earned a degree in Engineering from Queens University and a Masters in Business Administration from Harvard University funded by his service in World War II. “No one can take your education away from you,” my dad said. Inheritance also paid for the construction of a new arena on our farm in 2014. Building upon my training in equine-assisted psychotherapy, I have also completed advanced training in trauma treatment and other treatment modalities.
I became fully registered as a psychotherapist in 2022. That year I closed the doors of The Cactus Group, a management consulting firm specializing in corporate communications and change management I owned for more than 20 years (and a significant source of income for the farm) so I could focus full-time on building a business intended to connect people to possibility using horse power.
Today, The Mane Intent is a specialized psychotherapy practice offering in-person and virtual counselling, as well as equine-assisted psychotherapy, for individuals aged seven and up and for groups of all ages, with a strong focus on building resilience. In 2024, The Mane Intent proudly celebrated its 10th anniversary. Operating from a therapeutic farm just east of Peterborough in Otonabee-South Monaghan Township, our approach includes partnering with horses, donkeys, and goats as part of the healing process, creating a unique and supportive environment for clients. Programming is informed by Building Internal Resilience Through Horses, an innovative, research-backed model developed by The Mane Intent in collaboration with Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre and Trent University funded by Public Health Agency of Canada. Between 2017 and 2021, this program demonstrated lasting improvements in resilience, emotional awareness, and relational skills for young women impacted by violence.
The Mane Intent works closely with numerous social service agencies and, since 2023, has served as a referral source for Victim Services. We are an approved service provider for non-insured health benefits for First Nations and Inuit. The Mane Intent’s impact has been recognized through the Peterborough–Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards, including Health and Wellness Awards in 2017 and 2022, and the Micro Business Award in 2022. I was also the recipient of a Women of Impact Award in 2024 as part of United Way Peterborough’s Women United initiative and earlier this year received a Community Recognition Award from the County of Peterborough.
So here’s to Chris for being the “quiet support” behind the scenes supporting me, the animals and the work of The Mane Intent every step of the way. We couldn’t have achieved any of this without you.
