Our Team
Our Professionals
Lissa Corcoran, Founder and Executive Director of Flying Change Equine Therapy in Atlanta, Ga.
Beginning in 1996 with only one horse, one equine professional and 2 part-time private practice therapists, during her tenure, Flying Change has grown into a nationally recognized EAP program with four facilities, 18 horses, four equine specialists, six licensed therapists, two corporate teambuilding professionals and pioneering programs in the fields of mental health, human development, education and animal welfare.
Lissa’s education is in Human Services Administration and Nonprofit Management and she acts as a consultant nationally to support equine-assisted growth and learning programs in all stages of development. She is the author of First Strides: How to Create a Thriving EAP Program Without Losing your Money or Your Mind and the daily meditation book 365 Days of EAP: Sanity and Strategy for Young Equine Assisted Therapy Programs. She is most often found sneezing in horse arenas or searching for her calculator, but here and there in the last decade, she’s managed to share her thoughts on creating successful EAP programs.
Jennifer Huffaker, LMSW, Flying Change Program Director & Therapist
Jennifer earned her Bachelor of Science in Social Work from Buffalo State College and a Master of Social Work from the University of Georgia, where she specialized in Family Centered Practice and Public Child Welfare. Jennifer is licensed in the state of Georgia and has been in the field of Social Work for over ten years. She is a member of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), and the Georgia Society for Clinical Social Work (GSCSW). In addition to her experience as a Mental Health Professional practicing Equine Assisted Psychotherapy, Jennifer has also worked with: Adults and Families impacted by the HIV/AIDS virus; Adults, and Children with Developmental Disabilities; Children in Foster Care, Therapeutic Foster Care, Adoption, Family Preservation Services; Medical Social Work and Discharge Planning; Inpatient and In-Home Hospice; Crisis Intervention; and Individual and Family Therapy with Adults and Children. Jennifer holds a Certificate in Crime Victim Advocacy, and has completed training in Crisis Prevention and Intervention.
Jennifer is a member of the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association (EAGALA), and has completed Level II of EAGALA’s certification program. She is a contributing member of EAGALA’s Research Committee with a specialization in Human Subjects Protection. She has experience conducting Single-System Design research, compiling research results, and conducting Program and Process Evaluations.
Kristin Hauch, Flying Change Marketing Director & Equine Specialist
Kristin began her career in marketing with The Robin-Shepherd Group in Atlanta, Georgia, where she supported the advertising account team on projects for Merial’s equine products division. She moved on to become an Account Executive at Adair-Greene McCann, an affiliate of McCann Healthcare Worldwide, where she worked on a variety of consumer and business-to-business marketing campaigns for clients such as Stiefel Laboratories, Kimberly-Clark, Terumo Interventional Systems, Mast Biosurgery and Boston Scientific. Her background includes a Bachelors of Science in Communication and a minor in Business Administration from the University of North Florida, in addition to a lifelong love of horses and fine arts.
Kristin joined Flying Change in 2008, and now directs a variety of marketing initiatives at Flying Change including advertising, marketing, media planning, public relations, fundraising, and event planning. In 2009, she became certified by the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association (EAGALA) as an Equine Specialist, and currently participates in national marketing initiatives for EAGALA. Kristin is currently developing an Equine Assisted Learning program, called the Carrots Course, that is geared towards preparing adolescent girls for a lifetime of healthy living.
As proof that true passions are never outgrown, Kristin still spends most of her free time at the stables either horseback riding or sketching her horse, Porter.
Jerry P. Connor, M.S., LPC. Flying Change Therapist
Jerry holds a master’s level license in psychotherapy and has been in private practice for more than 19 years. Jerry has numerous hours in continuing education courses covering: anxiety, depression, divorce, parenting, abuse, panic disorders and stress management. She has served on numerous Gwinnett County Task Forces including Prevent Child Abuse Georgia, Domestic Violence Task Force, Child Protective Task Force and the Task Force for the Evaluation and Treatment of Sex Offenders and Victims. She also serves on Prevent Child Abuse GA’s standards review committee and is on the board of and a speaker for Visions Anew, a divorce recovery non-profit organization. She brings an eclectic blend of experiential approaches to therapy, including sand tray therapy, dream work and equine assisted psychotherapy. She has completed Level I of the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association’s certification program.
Lorilee Flynn, Flying Change Lead Volunteer
Our Facilities
Vinings
Flying Change is based out of a private boarding facility in the heart of Vinings, Georgia, inside the perimeter and convenient to both interstates 285 and 75. PoloBear Farm is home to a small herd of fat, happy horses, and a number of very lazy cats. Much of the success of Flying Change is due to the support of Leigh Baier, owner of PoloBear Enterprises, whose consideration and collaboration make our program at this prime location possible. We are continually grateful for his graciousness, and the warmth with which he welcomed us into his barn and gave Flying Change a home in Atlanta.
Services at Vinings: This location currently offers primarily clinical services in Equine Assisted Psychotherapy, along with educational opportunities in the field of EAP including internships and day-long trainings.
Fruition Farm
Nestled on secluded countryside just 10 minutes south of Atlanta, Fruition Farm houses our boarding, lesson, and experiential learning programs including retreats and corporate teambuilding. This facility also hosts the majority of our weekend workshops and trainings for professionals in the field of EAP. To learn more, visit www.fruitionfarm.com.
Triple J
Triple J is the location where our horses receive training and vacation time. Vacation? You got it. At Flying Change, our horses are the foundation of our program. The love, trust, and interaction they give us are priceless and in turn our dedication to them includes giving them the best possible care. We are always in search of ways to enrich their lives as they have enriched our lives and the lives of our clients. While it is safe to say that all of our horses are spoiled silly, the horses reach a whole new standard of care in the hands of Russell Sleight and Triple J. As an executive chef, Russell has an extraordinary attention to detail in caring for and training our horses. Picky eater? Leave it to Russell to drizzle a little carrot-infused oil over grain to tempt a finicky palette.
Our Horses
Imagine a horse who can make a depressed child laugh, an anxious child feel peace, an abused child feel safe and loved. She marches over to the fence the moment she sees you approaching, nuzzles her warm muzzle against you, rests her head against you and lazily closes her eyes as you stroke her face. And she does it day after day, and loves it. She loves you.
Our horses are specially trained and chosen for their demonstrated ability to bond with people. As you might expect, members of our horse team are chosen with great care to be sure they have the temperament and intelligence needed to perform their extraordinary tasks. They are all healthy, athletic and talented. But this is the least of their powers. The real magic of our horses is demonstrated in how people react to them. The withdrawn children whose eyes light up with delight as Tootsie Roll smiles at them, the oppositional teenager who can’t help but laugh when Finn swipes a baseball cap from his head, the depressed child who smiles as she scratches Daisy’s neck and watches her lip begin to twitch… all of these are experiences with our horses that will linger in the memories and lives of our clients who love them.
Tootsie Roll
Before becoming part of Flying Change, Tootsie Roll lived in an environment where she had to do a lot of things she wasn’t ready for, and be responsible for things that she wasn’t grown-up enough to do. Sometimes when we are under stress we act out our feelings in ways that aren’t helpful to us or others. Tootsie had trouble concentrating during lessons and was very rambunctious. Have you ever been in a situation where you were asked to do things you didn’t feel ready for? How did you respond?
Finn
Finn is twenty years old – pretty old for a horse – and in his lifetime he has learned what he likes and dislikes, how he wants to be treated, and what is and isn’t okay with him. He has what we call healthy boundaries – if he doesn’t feel comfortable with something, he communicates it openly to us – and as a result, we respect his limits. When someone doesn’t respect his limits he stands up for himself. Where are your boundaries, what things aren’t okay with you?If someone doesn’t respect the limits and boundaries you set, how do you respond? Sometimes if someone is making you uncomfortable, you need to ask for help. Who are the people in your life you can go to if someone isn’t respecting your boundaries and you need support?
Leo
Before he came to live with us, Leo belonged to a couple who had gotten into trouble with drugs and the police. The adults who were responsible for taking care of him left him in the barn and moved away. He was rescued and went to live in foster care. Now he has a new home with us. How do you think Leo felt about what happened to him? What do you think he felt when his caretakers left him? Was he sad? Angry? Hurt? Afraid? What was he thinking? How do you think he feels about his home now? Do you think he feels safe? What do you need to feel safe? What does safety mean to you?
Daisy
Not long ago, Daisy was very very ill and almost died. All of us who loved her felt afraid for her, and powerless, because we had done all we could do to help her and she was still so sick. She seemed tired and weakened by her struggle, and we worried that she didn’t have the strength to make it. And then, to all of our surprise, she seemed to pull through. Somewhere inside her she had the strength to survive what had happened to her and recover. Has there ever been a time when you were faced with something so hard, that you felt hopeless and wondered how you would make it through? How did you respond? What strengths do you have that help you to get through really tough times?
At Flying Change, our horses are the foundation of our program. The love, trust, and interaction they give us are priceless and we, in turn, love them whole-heartedly. Our dedication to them includes giving them the best possible care. They receive the highest quality feed, hay, veterinary care, and TLC. We are always in search of ways to enrich their lives as they have enriched ours. Any suggestions you have of products or services you have found beneficial for horses are welcomed.