Horseshowtherapist

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Horseshowtherapist

Dr. J | Jenny Swanson, EdD, LICSW, LCSW, CMPC
🧠🐴❤️ After a traumatic accident with her own horse, she used her own expertise to improve her mental game.

A competitive show jumper herself, Jenny she has competed in everything from the ‘Big Eq’ to the AO hunters to the Grand Prixs. While she understands that what worked for her specifically, may not work for everyone, her education and clinical experience allow her to implement interventions that result in change. Jenny is dedicated to helping equestrians improve their overall performance through mental coaching and cognitive behavioral interventions. In small groups or individual therapy, Jenny can help you make small changes that infiltrate success, in and out of the show ring.

10/29/2025

👻Spoiler alert they are not all therapy or self-help related! Sometimes a good laugh or a wholesome and inspiring conversation from people I look up to can be so self soothing! ⤵️

1) Good Hang! Love this podcast with . Any and all episodes are fantastic but the one with Mariska Hargitay most recently was my favorite.

2) I’ve been a long time listener and fan of RealPod and Victoria. Her content around mental health and body image is refreshing, supportive and overall just a great thing to have in your feed everyday!

3) Shrink Chicks is your therapy podcast but not just for therapists! These two amazing ladies talk therapy topics in a fun and relaxed way that anyone can listen to and benefit from. This one is super helpful!

4) Not only am I number #1️⃣ fan and will consume any content she puts out but her having another athlete and all-time favorite of mine on her podcast was just incredible. Check it out!

P.S. I just realized none of these are horse related! Will do another post about horse related podcasts if you are interested drop a 🐴 comment and let me know!🤠

10/24/2025

Anxious riders rise up🙋🏼‍♀️

There is a difference between nervousness and anxiety and how you can help an anxious rider. Lets look ⤵️

🤯Anxiety: A mental health condition characterized by excessive worry, fear, and unease that can interfere with daily life.

😦Nervous: A temporary state of unease or apprehension that is typically caused by a specific situation or event.

🧠 Validating someone’s worries or fears when they are anxious signals safety to the brain. That is why validation and reassurance are the two best ways to support someone with anxious thoughts or feelings.

10/08/2025

One of my tips & tricks for training to prep for performance anxiety if you feel nervousness or tension about others watching you compete, is to invite people to watch you practice! Practicing in adverse situations can help alleviate anxiety when it’s time to perform.

10/06/2025

We don’t run away from anxiety…instead we get to the bottom of it. Ask your anxious self this!

09/29/2025

What qualities make great horse show parents?

One of them is the commitment to becoming educated. Horse sports are very complex, and competition can be baffling. Great parents educate themselves about the challenges and have a deep appreciation for the process. They understand what constitutes a success for their child and their horse at this moment in time, and they applaud those accomplishments.

Connect with performance psychologist, Dr. Darby Bonomi, PhD ➡ https://www.darbybonomi.com/

Sponsored post

09/25/2025

Blacking out at Harrisburg!

Indoor season is upon us and my latest blog post is here. I share my story of how I blacked out at Harrisburg, how I regrouped, and ended up walking away with a ribbon in a huge class!

“Blacking out” or having your mind go blank because of nerves, anxiety, or fear happens more often than you may think… read more⤵️

🔗jennyswansonlicsw.com/blog

09/23/2025

Which one is your favorite?!

07/15/2025

As a rider with anxiety, I’ve learned a few things that changed the way I manage how I feel!

🐴🧠❤️

06/18/2025

Grief can come in lots of forms. It can be the loss of a horse by death, unexpected retirement, injury, or sale/lease. All can bring up a lot of different feelings and all of them are valid. Take your time. Grief is messy and complicated and it sucks but you can keep going💓

06/04/2025

Screen shot, copy, paste, repeat! Take note!!!📝📝📝

05/22/2025

‼️⚠️Safety!! Your brain is primed for survival and is going to do everything and anything to keep you safe. 🧠Can you stop that switch from flipping into survival mode? No. But you can tell your brain and body that it is safe and keep going. ✅ How?

1️⃣ Breathe. Learning how to calm your body down by actively slowing down your breath.

2️⃣ Positive self-talk. How you speak to yourself matters. Talk kindly and with intentionality.

05/13/2025

Performance anxiety, nerves, fear are all real valid when it comes to riding horses!

A few tips & tricks I’ve learned along the way that have helped me have success in the show ring:

🥇gratitude journal. sounds cheesy but it actually works!

🥇practicing mindfulness & learning how to breathe!!!

🥇positive self-talk. it took A LOT of practice and mantras to change that negative voice in my head to a positive one! you CAN do it! keep going!

🥇visualizing with my whole body what I want to feel when I ride and how I want my ride to go. visualization is a skill, using it can increase your performance and decrease anxiety!

Want more?📬 check out my blog where I post more tips and tricks for all things horses and sport psychology!

🔗jennyswansonlicsw.com (link in bio!)

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Boston, MA

Website

https://www.jennyswansonlicsw.com/, https://linktr.ee/horseshowtherapist

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