Stable Heart LLC

05/13/2026

Today was heavy for our local school community.

A school threat can feel terrifying for students, parents, teachers, and everyone connected to the school — even after the immediate danger has passed. Your body may still feel on alert. Your child may seem quiet, emotional, irritable, clingy, tired, or “off.” Parents may feel the same way.

That is normal.

After a scary day, the nervous system often needs time to come back down. Tonight, it’s okay to keep things simple. Offer comfort. Give extra grace. Let kids talk if they want to, and let them be quiet if they need to. Remind them they are safe, loved, and not alone.

Stable Heart is thinking of every student, parent, teacher, staff member, and responder affected today. We are grateful for those who worked to keep our kids safe, and we are holding this community close. 🤍

05/13/2026

❤️

05/06/2026

I’ve updated the Stable Heart website to include current rates and insurance information. 🐴

I know starting therapy is a big decision, and I want families to feel informed before reaching out. My hope is that having this information listed clearly will make it easier to decide if Stable Heart may be the right fit for you or your child.

Stable Heart is currently a private-pay practice and is out of network with all insurance carriers. Rates, session options, and the current limited introductory offer are now listed on the website.

A free 15-minute consultation is still available to talk through fit, goals, and whether equine-assisted therapy may be appropriate.

You can view the updated information here:

04/21/2026

Friends! We still need your help getting references for a VA Grant we are applying for. What this grant will allow us to provide for eligible veterans and service members:

✨FREE LOCAL EQUINE THERAPY SERVICES
✨Individual therapy without a waitlist!
✨Group therapy with other veterans
✨Transportation reimbursement
✨Supplies for groundwork/activities
✨Property expenses/upkeep
✨Horse supplies, vet bills, feed, adaptive tack, etc.
✨and so much more!

We are located on the line of Humboldt and Kossuth County, Iowa and will serve Veterans and service members throughout North Central Iowa.

We are aiming to impact 30 veterans once we receive this grant. Once we get approved for it, we can easily apply for it again next year to impact EVEN MORE veterans.

WHAT WE NEED:

⭐️ References that make our grant application POP

⭐️FROM: People who reach veterans. We need people to refer veterans to us to show we can take advantage of this grant.

THINK - County Veterans Affairs offices, local mental health providers, Veterans themselves or family members of veterans, leaders of veteran community organizations

⭐️ Please SHARE and send this to someone you know would be a great voice to send to these officials.

⭐️ I can provide a fact sheet and other info as well as an easy fillable template but free styling it is also an option!

I want nothing more than to give back to my fellow brothers and sisters in arms, past and present. The deadline for submission is fast approaching. Please send people my way. ❤️

04/17/2026

🐴 What actually happens in an equine-assisted therapy session?

One of the biggest questions parents ask is: “What will my child be doing?”

Every session is tailored to your child’s needs, goals, and comfort level—but sessions often include things like:

✨ Grooming and connecting with the horse
✨ Ground-based activities that build confidence and communication
✨ Practicing coping skills and emotional regulation
✨ Learning boundaries, trust, and problem-solving
✨ Processing feelings in a calm, outdoor setting
✨ Guided therapeutic activities with a licensed therapist

Many sessions are done on the ground and do not require riding experience. The focus is not horsemanship—it’s healing, growth, and emotional wellness.

For some children, talking face-to-face in an office feels hard. Working alongside a horse can make therapy feel safer, more natural, and more engaging.

If you’re wondering whether your child would be a good fit, feel free to message me. I’m happy to answer questions. 💛

📍 Located in Lu Verne, Iowa
📩 Message me to learn more

04/16/2026

💛 When a child is struggling, parents will do anything to help. But sometimes traditional office therapy just doesn’t feel like the right fit.

That’s where equine-assisted therapy can be different.

For many kids and teens, being outdoors, moving, and connecting with horses creates a space where they feel safer, calmer, and more willing to open up. Therapy can feel less intimidating—and more natural.

Equine-assisted therapy may help with:
✨ Anxiety & stress
✨ Emotional regulation
✨ Confidence & self-esteem
✨ ADHD & focus
✨ Social skills
✨ Grief & life changes
✨ Trauma & difficult experiences

Many parents ask about cost, so I want to be transparent: your session fee supports more than the hour you see. It includes professional mental health care, treatment planning, a safe and private setting, and the daily care of our therapy horses—their feed, veterinary care, farrier visits, and wellbeing.

Our horses are deeply cared for partners in this process, not props. Their calm presence can help children practice trust, confidence, boundaries, and coping skills in ways that often feel meaningful and lasting.

If your child hasn’t connected with traditional therapy—or you’re looking for a different kind of support—I’d love to talk with you about whether this could be a good fit for your family.

📍 Located in Lu Verne, Iowa
📩 Message me to learn more or ask questions

04/14/2026

✨ Hi, I’m Marissa… and I created something different because I believe healing doesn’t always happen within four office walls.

I’m a Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW), therapist, and the heart behind Stable Heart. My passion has always been helping people heal, grow, and reconnect with themselves—but I’ve also seen that many people need more than a traditional office setting to truly feel safe, grounded, and open.

So I followed a dream of combining mental health therapy with the calming, powerful presence of horses. 🐎

What started as a vision has become a space where children, teens, adults, families, and veterans can come to slow down, breathe, and experience therapy in a way that feels natural, supportive, and deeply meaningful.

⸻

🌿 At Stable Heart, I offer equine-assisted psychotherapy and mental health services designed to meet people where they are.

Because healing can happen in conversation… but it can also happen while standing beside a horse, learning to regulate emotions, building confidence, practicing boundaries, or simply feeling present in the moment.

Sometimes the most important breakthroughs happen outside.

⸻

💫 If you (or someone you love) have been feeling:
• anxious or overwhelmed
• stuck in stress or survival mode
• disconnected from yourself
• emotionally exhausted
• struggling with confidence or relationships
• like traditional therapy just hasn’t felt like the right fit

You are not alone. There is another way. 🤍

⸻

✨ I offer a free 15-minute phone consultation to see if equine therapy may be a good fit for you or your family. No pressure—just a conversation.

📍 Lu Verne, Iowa
🐎 In-person equine sessions available
⌛️No wait-list!

⸻

Grounded healing. Honest connection. Hope in motion. 🌿

Stable Heart LLC
Marissa Larson, LISW

04/09/2026

❤️

There’s a common misconception about partnering with horses in therapy. People often think that somehow, the horse does the healing.

But horses aren’t magic fixers. They don’t “solve” us, correct us, or make our pain disappear.

What they do is something far more powerful. They invite us into relationship. A relationship where nothing is hidden. Where what’s happening inside of us shows up in real time. Where there’s no pretending, no performing, just honesty.

And in that space things can be beautiful and things can get messy.

There are moments of deep connection with the horse where people begin to experience what it feels like to be seen, heard, and responded to in a way that feels safe and real.

And there are moments of rupture: misattunement, frustration, disconnect.

But it’s in the repair, in choosing to stay, to soften, to reconnect, that something begins to shift. Not because the horse “fixed” anything, but because, in relationship, we experienced something different, something that happens in healthy relationships.

It’s something real, something embodied, something that can go deeper than words.

For clients, this can be the first time connection feels safe. For practitioners, it’s a reminder that healing doesn’t come from doing more, but from being with.

The horse doesn’t fix.
The relationship transforms.

04/09/2026

If your 4-H group wants me to come do a presentation or if you want to plan an evening at the farm let me know!

04/01/2026

Marissa has completed specialized training in Rhythmic Riding through Natural Lifemanship. It is truly a life changing and healing experience gaining the trust of a 1,000+ pound animal and allowing yourself to relax eyes closed on horse back to regulate your nervous system. If you are ready to take the leap reach out to us! ❤️

Educational Monday

Why does rhythm help us feel calm?

Rhythmic, patterned, repetitive input (often called RPR input) plays a powerful role in regulating the nervous system. This type of input is structured, predictable, and consistent—and those qualities are exactly what the brain and body look for when trying to determine if we are safe.

Our nervous system is constantly scanning for cues of safety or threat. When experiences feel chaotic, unpredictable, or overwhelming, the system can shift into protection (fight, flight, freeze). In these states, reasoning and problem-solving take a back seat to survival.

This is where rhythm comes in.

Rhythmic, Repetitive, predictable patterns—like steady walking, rocking, or slow breathing—provide sensory input that is organized and consistent. This helps the brain process information more efficiently and sends signals that the environment is stable. As a result, the nervous system can begin to downshift out of survival states and move toward regulation.

From a physiological perspective, rhythmic input:
• Supports regulation of the autonomic nervous system
• Can help decrease heart rate and muscle tension
• Promotes more organized brain-body communication
• Provides a bottom-up pathway to calming (body first, then mind)

This is why practices like:
– Walking at a steady pace
– Brushing or grooming a horse in even, repetitive strokes
– Rocking, swinging, or gentle bouncing
– Breathing in slow, consistent patterns

are often so effective. They are not just “calming activities”—they are experiences that help the nervous system re-establish predictability and safety.

Over time, repeated exposure to rhythmic, patterned input can increase the nervous system’s flexibility—making it easier to return to a regulated state after stress.

In other words, rhythm doesn’t just soothe in the moment—it helps build the capacity for regulation.

03/30/2026