Bernadine Fried Describes the Benefits of Equine Therapy

A respected and established therapist based in the Los Angeles area, Bernadine Fried is committed to going the extra mile to assist clients in their recovery from trauma and addiction. Bernadine Fried credits Equine therapy with offering clarity and insight to her clients as they embark on the path towards health and wellness.

Q: What was your first memory of riding horses?

Bernadine Fried: It all began when I was about 10 years old, riding horses on a ranch in Arizona. From that point on I was hooked.

Q: How were you able to enjoy this activity closer to home?

Bernadine Fried: Eventually I found a riding stable in Hollywood called Sunset Stables.

Bernadine Fried Shares her Knowledge about the Brain’s Impact on Recovering Addicts

The brain is a wonderfully complex organ, says licensed marriage and family therapist Bernadine Fried, who has dedicated her professional life to treating addiction and trauma in a broad spectrum of clients.

Over a two-decade long career, Bernadine Fried has observed the proliferation of scientific data that further elucidates the brain’s effect on thoughts, emotions and behavior. When experienced simultaneously, trauma and addiction have a damaging effect on the brain’s normal activity and development. Trauma makes an impact on vulnerable areas of the brain, including the limbic system. The limbic system is solely responsible for our negative and positive emotions, which may explain the various ups and downs that are connected to many drugs.

Bernadine Fried of Wonderland EPA Strives for Higher Level of Client Care

Q: Can you explain what the requirements to provide addiction treatment are?

Bernadine Fried: Wonderland EPA is applying for its license by the State of California as a residential treatment center. This licensure allows us to treat individuals with an addictive disorder with co-occurring mental illness in California.

Q: In your experience, what has been the best way to learn more about client care?

Bernadine Fried: In order to truly understand the client we need to learn from the client. Too many programs do not include the client in the treatment planning process. At Wonderland EPA the clients attend all their treatment team meetings. In fact our clients lead the treatment team meetings and the role of the medical and clinical professionals are as advisors.

Bernadine Fried Uses First-Hand Experiences to Shape Views of Addiction Treatment

In developing her southern California treatment center, Wonderland EPA, Bernadine Fried decided to examine the various centers in her community to see how other professionals addressed the issue of client care.

Q: Why was looking outside the Wonderland EPA system so valuable for developing future goals?

Bernadine Fried: In the effort to truly understand effective treatment we had to look at many different treatment models, read numerous research studies, understand the value of 12 Step programs and talk to many of the leading experts in the industry. In addition, we added in our personal and professional experience to develop the Wonderland EPA model.

Bernadine Fried Hopes to Boost U.S. Economy with 12 Angels Mission Fund

The visionary behind Los Angeles-based 12 Angels Mission Fund, therapist Bernadine Fried has seen the massive toll that addiction can take on both local and national levels.

Q: In your experience as a therapist, how has the problem of addiction ravaged communities throughout the U.S.?

Bernadine Fried: Essentially, the U.S. economy is experiencing a significant amount of damage as a result of addiction. It’s important to note that addiction has caused pain and stress to countless families across the country. Part of that strain is being felt in their pocketbooks.

Q: What evidence have you found that supports these observations?

Bernadine Fried: In a recent survey developed by the National Institute of Drug Abuse, some troubling information about drug abuse was brought forward into the light. Approximately 8.7 percent of the American population had abused some form of psychotherapeutic medication – tranquilizers, stimulants, or pain relievers – or used an illicit drug within the previous 30 days. Those numbers are staggering.

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