About
The Foothills Wellness Collective was created by passionate individuals and healers who desire to make a difference by offering a variety of traditional and unique therapeutic programs as well as professional development and mentoring opportunities.
Through the various therapeutic services, programs and workshops; children, youth and adults will find healing, restore balance and discover greater joy, all which contribute to their personal wellness and resilience.
The founders, Carrie Watson of Whispering Equine and Jenn Kuntz of Karuna Counselling both share a passion of their individual practices in Equine Facilitated Wellness and Psychotherapy respectively, and decided to combine their practices along with integrating ecotherapy to create their unique service of Equine-Eco-Psychotherapy (EEP).
​
The practice of EEP has been incorporated into the many of the various therapeutic services, programs and workshops. For more information please see the Services tab.
Our Team
Jenn Kuntz
MSW, RSW
Jennifer Kuntz is the owner of Karuna Counselling Inc and a co-founder and primary facilitator at the Foothills Wellness Collective.
Jenn has worked with Alberta Health Services for the past 18 years. She completed her Masters of Social Work degree in 2002 from the University of Calgary, specializing in clinical practice. She is currently the Trauma and Resilience Project Facilitator for the Alberta Health Services (AHS), Addiction and Mental Health Program (Calgary Zone), which provides mental health & addiction supports to children, youth, adults, seniors & their families.
Before joining the AHS mental health program, Jenn worked for 10 years at the AHS Child Development Centre (CDC) in the Cumulative Risk Diagnostic Clinic (formerly Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Clinic) and the Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinic. She started her social work career in restorative justice, child intervention, and family support for children with disabilities.
​
Jenn started Karuna Counselling with a group of like-minded psychotherapists in 2012 to provide a safe, supportive and encouraging environment for children, youth and adults to develop their self-awareness, self-esteem, self-confidence, emotional awareness and regulation skills and ultimately to be better able to cope with personal difficulties that interfere with their life and relationships.
Jenn is passionate about providing accessible and meaningful mental health and wellness support to all who are seeking such support, to empower them to thrive in their lives. Unfortunately, mental health is often thought about in the context of illness and disorder – this approach can be quite limiting and pathologizing. As an alternative, Jenn practices from a resilience and strength-based perspective that is both motivating and empowering - supporting people to make changes in their lives and improve their sense of well-being.
​
Carrie Watson
BEd, BKin, EFLP, EP
Pro-EFW certified as a Mentor and Practitioner
Carrie Watson is the owner of Whispering Equine and a co-founder and primary facilitator at the Foothills Wellness Collective.
Carrie has a Bachelor of Education (2004) and Bachelor of Kinesiology (2002) degree from the University of Calgary. She is also certified with the Professional Association of Equine Facilitated Wellness (Pro-EFW) as both a mentor and practitioner in the Equine Facilitated Learning Professional and Equine Professional designations. Carrie is also a certified Reiki Master.
As a former high school teacher and coach, Carrie worked with a variety of students in her 10-year career. It was during this time that she witnessed the mental health struggles in the lives of her students and staff members, which is what ultimately led her to pursue a new career in Equine Facilitated Wellness. When creating Whispering Equine, Carrie was determined to provide youth and adults with an equine guided experience, to help bring awareness to aspects of them self that may need nurturing and ultimately help lead them to discover their true and authentic potential in life.
Carrie uses the healing aspects of nature, energy work, horse behavior and herd dynamics of horses, as an effective model for building upon and developing inner courage, fostering healthy attachments, clear communication skills, as well as resiliency to life’s challenges. Her passion is to empower people of any age, to live from their heart by developing a positive horse-human-nature based relationship and connection.
​