We had the good fortune of connecting with Brooke Lichter and Sara Velez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brooke and Sara, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
Mental health is an essential and important part of all of our lives. We know that not everyone responds the same way to traditional talk therapy and this is why we felt it was imperative to create a lasting change in our community by providing an alternative to talk therapy.

Our equine-assisted mental health program serves clients with a history of PTSD, substance abuse, anxiety, depression, adjustment disorder, bipolar disorder, attention deficit disorder, relationship issues, and more. Operation HOPE provides an option for people seeking a new or different response to depression, anxiety, and trauma.

We focus on providing Equine Assisted Psychotherapy to First Responders, Veterans, and their families. We also serve children, teens, and adults with any mental health issues through equine-assisted activities and therapies.

We decided to incorporate our own personal life journey and begin a course of action to help others heal their lives. Our goal is to make people feel at home at the farm and create a unique oasis to experience wonderful growth and healing through psychotherapy with the help of horses. The ability to combine our love of horses with a passion for helping people is what we consider to be a privilege and truly a dream come true.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Most mental health practices offer traditional talk therapy. Our practice is not only holistic but also creative. We recognize that the animal-human bond is unique and profoundly healing. Since we work with rescued animals, each horse has its own trauma background and has now found a safe haven in its forever home on the farm. Our clients, who come to the farm with their own trauma stories, connect with the horses’ stories and find inspiration in their resilience.

Starting our business was not easy. We began during the lockdown in March 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, uncertain of how things would unfold. We were also searching for a farm to partner with for our business. Many farms we approached were hesitant to collaborate due to the stigma surrounding mental health conditions. This made our journey difficult and discouraging, but we finally found two rescue farms willing to open their doors to us.

Another challenge was starting a business without a background or education in business. My business partner and I both have undergraduate and master’s degrees in Social Work. We had to learn how to run a business on our own and hit the ground running.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
New Jersey is very diverse and has a lot to offer! You can visit the beach, explore farmland, or go hiking in the mountains, all within a few hours of each other. In our area of Monmouth County, a few fun cities to explore are Red Bank and Asbury Park. Red Bank is a charming and historic downtown with shopping and restaurants. The famous jazz musician Count Basie was born and raised in this town, and the Count Basie Theatre always has fun shows to check out. Asbury Park, located on the beach, is known for its music scene. Jon Bon Jovi got his start at the Stone Pony in Asbury, a famous concert venue to this day.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
We would like to thank your friends and family for all the support that they have provided for us!

Website: https://operationhopenj.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/OperationHope_Eap

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/43346247/admin/dashboard/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OperationHopeEquineTherapy

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.