The Empathetic Trainer
Welcome to "The Empathetic Trainer," the podcast that explores the power of empathetic animal training.
Animals just want to be heard. This is an emerging trend among trainers, veterinarians, pet professionals and animal lovers just like yourself. Join us as we learn the challenges our guests faced, as they grew their understanding and connection with the animals in their lives.
Recent
July 22, 2026
A Place of Safety • Cara Gereau • Equine Somatic Practitioner • S4 E34
What if healing isn't about trying harder...but about learning to listen? In this episode, I sit down with equine somatic practitioner Cara Gereau for a thoughtful conversation about trauma, trust, emotions, and the remarkable way horses respond to what we're actually feeling - not what we're trying to hide. Together they explore how our bodies often know the truth before our minds do, why animals can become powerful partners in healing, and what horses have to teach us about authenticity, saf
34
July 22, 2026
A Place of Safety • Cara Gereau • Equine Somatic Practitioner • S4 E34
Episode Description What if healing isn't about trying harder...but about learning to listen? In this episode, I sit down with equine somatic practitioner Cara Gereau for a thoughtful conversation about trauma, trust, emotions, and the remarkable way horses respond to what we're actually feeling - not what we're trying to hide. Together they explore how our bodies often know the truth before our minds do, why animals can become powerful partners in healing, and what horses ha...
June 13, 2026
Trust: Horses Make Us Earn It • Janet Jones, Neuroscientist, Horsewoman, and Author • S4 E33
Horse Brain, Human Brain was one of the first books I read when I was trying to understand horses better. So when I had the chance to sit down with its author, Janet Jones, for the podcast, I was pretty excited. Janet is a neuroscientist, horsewoman, and the author of her new book, A Horse's World. We talked about trust, fear, learning, the horse's sensory system, and some of the things horses notice that humans often miss. One thing that really stood out to me was this: Dogs tend to give the
33
June 13, 2026
Trust: Horses Make Us Earn It • Janet Jones, Neuroscientist, Horsewoman, and Author • S4 E33
Horse Brain, Human Brain was one of the first books I read when I was trying to understand horses better. So when I had the chance to sit down with its author, Janet Jones, for the podcast, I was pretty excited. Janet is a neuroscientist, horsewoman, and the author of her new book, A Horse's World. We talked about trust, fear, learning, the horse's sensory system, and some of the things horses notice that humans often miss. One thing that really stood out to me was this: Dogs...
May 11, 2026
Horses, Trauma & Healing — “Horses Notice What We Hide” with Toni Mattson S4 E32
Today I’m talking with Toni Mattson from Trinity Equestrian Center in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Toni and her team work with horses alongside veterans, first responders, youth, families, and individuals facing trauma, PTSD, dementia, and other life challenges. I first heard Toni on the radio here in western Wisconsin and became really curious about the work they were doing, especially the dementia program called “Reminiscing on the Ranch.” In this conversation we talk about what horses notice abou
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May 11, 2026
Horses, Trauma & Healing — “Horses Notice What We Hide” with Toni Mattson S4 E32
Today I’m talking with Toni Mattson of Trinity Equestrian Center in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Toni and her team work with horses alongside veterans, first responders, youth, and individuals facing trauma, PTSD, dementia, and other life challenges. We talk about what horses notice about people, why they respond so honestly to emotion, and how animals can help people reconnect with hope, trust, and themselves. We also discuss Toni’s book Unlikely Recruits, her work with veterans, and Trinity
April 15, 2026
It's Not The Spook, It's What Happens Next - Christine Beattie - S4 E31
What happens after the horse reacts? In this conversation, I talk with carriage driving trainer Christine Beattie about how driving changes the way we communicate with a horse — and why it can have such a big impact on the relationship. We talk about ground driving, working horses in real-world environments, and what horses need from us when things feel uncertain. A big part of this conversation comes down to something simple: It’s not whether the horse reacts… it’s what happens next. If yo
31
April 15, 2026
It's Not The Spook, It's What Happens Next - Christine Beattie - S4 E31
What happens after the horse reacts? In this conversation, I talk with carriage driving trainer Christine Beattie about how driving changes the way we communicate with a horse — and why it can have such a big impact on the relationship. We talk about ground driving, working horses in real-world environments, and what horses need from us when things feel uncertain. A big part of this conversation comes down to something simple: It’s not whether the horse reacts… it’s wha...
April 3, 2026
Understanding Dogs In a Human World - Heather Mishefske -S4 E30
In this episode of The Empathetic Trainer, I talk with Heather Mishefske of Embark Dog Training School. I’ve spent my whole life with herding dogs. Then I got an Australian Terrier… and realized pretty quickly that my usual way of doing things wasn’t going to work. This little guy has opinions. So I went looking for help, and that’s how I found Heather. We talk about what it’s like to live with dogs in a very human world—and why so many of the struggles we see make more sense when you look a
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About the Host
Barbara O'Brien
Barbara O'Brien has loved animals as long as she can remember. She eloped at 19 so she could have a horse, and started an animal actors agency at 22. After many years of working animals in front of the camera, she moved behind it and became a professional photographer for clients like Purina, Cargill, Novartis, Wahl and 3M. This led to her first book, DOGFACE, which was published by Random House Penguin in 2014. She also leads workshops helping people improve their connection with the animals in their lives.
She has four sons and lives on a farm in rural Wisconsin and is happy to report, she is still married to the same man, and still has horses.