Self-Care Tips&Tools: Mended Hearts

Bailey Newhouse

Nov 8, 2022

On Monday, October 23, Harbinger Student Media (HSM) released season 3, episode 8 of their self-care podcast, Self-Care Tips&Tools: Mended Hearts. The podcast is produced and hosted by Stephanie McClaskey and can be listened to on the HSM website under the Podcasts tab.

In the last episode, McClaskey mentioned Mended Hearts Riding and Counseling Center, a not-for-profit animal-assisted therapy farm located in Metamora, Il., and how they use animals to help clients process stress, anxiety, and depression, as well as help them work through traumatic experiences.

In this episode, McClaskey further details the mission of Mended Hearts and how they use animals for therapy.

McClaskey was able to get a private tour of the establishment and talk with some of the employees, bringing a more “first-hand insight about the inner workings of what animal-assisted therapy is all about,” as McClaskey says.

Julie Sellner, the founder, owner, and operator of Mended Hearts Riding and Counseling Center started as a registered nurse at a local hospital. There, she did a rotation on the mental health floor, where she became interested in knowing more about mental health and the treatments available.

This ambition motivated her to return to school and earn her Masters in Counseling at Bradley University. After graduating, Sellner traveled to many animal-assisted therapy clinics around the country to see how the phenomenon worked in real life.

The lack of animal-assisted therapy clinics in her local area drove her to establish Mended Hearts Riding and Counseling Center. Her travels showed her the positive impact animals could have on patients. 

Sellner’s business has been up and running for over 20 years and is located at 1431 Lourds Rd in Metamora, IL. The clinic is open to patients suffering from various mental illnesses or physical disabilities.

McClaskey got a one-on-one interview with Sellner, learning about Sellner’s goals and ambitions for Mended Hearts and what drove her to open one in Central Illinois. 

To hear all about Sellner’s story and the extensive work that goes into animal therapy, listen to Self-Care Tips&Tools at ICCharbinger.com under the podcast tab or visit Harbingercast on SoundCloud.

Also, visit Mended-Hearts.org or call them at 309-383-4323 to learn more about their mission and goals for both the future and present, as well as appoint a meeting if you or someone you know could benefit from animal therapy.