Peer support group
Gentle, peer-led supportive groups in a quiet, welcoming space, surrounded by horses and animals, a space where people can come together in mutual support and compassion, offering the gift of being heard.
About the group
“No one should grieve alone,
with only therapy to look forward to.”
That's what I discovered after the sudden loss of my only child, and it led to the creation of Nathaniel's House, a grief support and community center. Created for anyone who is grieving or facing a struggle of any kind.
Meg · Nathaniel's mother and founder
Come and sit with people who understand. Bring nothing. Say nothing, if that's what today is.
A place to go where the pressure is off.
Our activities are here to support those who are grieving, but also anyone who is facing personal struggles. You do not need a diagnosis, a referral, or the right words. You just need somewhere to be.
What this is
- People who understand, sitting together
- Peer-led support, in a quiet space surrounded by horses and animals
- Something to do with your hands when words are not working
- Open to adults and, with a guardian, to young people
What this isn't
- These groups and activities are not therapy
- Not counselling, and not a substitute for medical care
- Not a place you have to talk, or explain yourself
- Not something you have to commit to: come once, or come often
Three ways to take part.
Different people find their way through differently. Some want to talk, some want to paint, and some just want to be near a horse for an hour.
Creative workshops
Creative expression can offer a gentle path toward healing. Painting and craft workshops are a safe, welcoming space for people of all ages and all abilities to process emotions another way.
About the workshopsHorsemanship lessons
A chance to experience the therapeutic benefits of spending time with horses. Hands-on lessons cover horse safety and basic horsemanship, grooming, hand walking, lunging and line driving.
About the lessonsA barn, a gathering room, and a field.
We are on a quiet property in Mogadore, in Stark County. Attached to the barn is a gathering room with a fireplace, which is where the groups sit. Outside there is a fire pit, a paddock, and horses who will come over to see who has arrived.
- Where
- 410 Pontius Rd NW, Mogadore, OH 44260
- Getting here
- Free parking on siteGravel and grass underfoot
- Who can come
- Anyone who is grieving, and anyone facing personal struggles
Why we're here
Nathaniel.
There are no words to truly describe how difficult losing Nathaniel has been. In the quiet aftermath, I found myself constantly walking down to the barn. It became a place of peace amidst the chaos of grief. I remember thinking so many times, “how does someone survive something like this if they don't have a barn to escape to?”
The moments I felt most at ease were when I was doing something that completely took my focus, something new, something that gave my mind a break from the endless loop of grief.
Meg Nathaniel's mother · Founder
In February it is a different place.
The barn runs on weather and daylight, so there is no fixed timetable we can hand you. What is coming up goes on the calendar and on our Facebook page. Or just ask, and a real person will tell you. Each of the three keeps its own colour there.
- Peer support group In the gathering room, by the fireplace
- Creative workshops In the gathering room, at the tables and easels
- Horsemanship lessons In the arena, and out in the field
Questions people ask us.
Do I have to talk?
No. Plenty of people come for weeks and mostly listen. The group is a space where people come together in mutual support and compassion, offering the gift of being heard. Being heard is available to you whenever you are ready for it, and not before.
Is this therapy or counselling?
No. These groups and activities are not therapy. They are peer support: people with lived experience of grief, sitting with each other. We are not clinicians and we do not offer treatment or medical advice. If you are also working with a therapist or a doctor, this sits alongside that, not instead of it.
Does it cost anything?
Creative workshops and horsemanship lessons need pre-registration, and costs apply. These cover materials, and the care and feed of the horses. For current session costs, and to ask about the support group, get in touch.
Do I need any experience with horses?
None at all. Lessons start with horse safety and basic horsemanship, and move on to grooming, hand walking, lunging and line driving. You are never asked to do more than you want to do, and standing at the fence with a horse counts.
Can I bring my child?
Creative workshops are designed for people of all ages and all abilities, and young people are welcome with a parent or guardian. For the support group and for horsemanship lessons, please ask us first so we can tell you what will suit them best.
What should I wear?
Closed-toe shoes you do not mind getting dusty, and layers. The gathering room is heated, but the barn and the field are not. If you are coming for a lesson, long trousers are best.
How you can help
Nathaniel's House runs on its community.
Most of what happens here happens because somebody turned up to help make it happen: set out the chairs, held a horse, told a friend.
Lend a hand
Barn work, setting up for a workshop, greeting people at the door, or sharing a skill you have. There is more to do than there are hands, and no shift is too small to be worth having.
Tell someone
Most people who walk through the gate heard about us from a friend. If you know somebody who is having the year we were having, tell them this is here.
Give
We are still finalising our nonprofit registration, so we are keeping this quiet for now. When it is done we will say so here.
