Today we’d like to introduce you to Abby Mosher.
Hi Abby, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
One beautiful day on a Texas highway, my life changed forever. In a split second, what had begun as a family vacation ended in tragedy. A head-on collision took my husband Paul’s life, leaving me and my 7-year-old son, Dustin, hospitalized. In an instant, Paul’s infectious smile became a memory, and Dustin and I were left devastated and alone in our grief. As Dustin and I worked to rebuild our lives, our only option for grief support was private therapy. Thankfully, we had health insurance that covered mental health, but Dustin still felt isolated from his peers, and I couldn’t stop thinking about the thousands of children in our community who couldn’t afford private therapy. I knew that something positive had to come from our senseless loss, and that’s how Tomorrow’s Rainbow was born.
Tomorrow’s Rainbow opened its doors in 2005 and this year celebrated its 20th anniversary of providing equine-assisted mental health services to children grieving the death of a loved one. Since its humble beginnings, Tomorrow’s Rainbow has grown and expanded and now provides free grief support groups, individual equine-assisted psychotherapy sessions for children and adults who have been through trauma, and a mobile program that brings our mental health services, and our mini horses, directly to underserved children in Broward and Palm Beach counties.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As with any new endeavor, it hasn’t always been a smooth road. In our community, there had never been any type of grief support specifically for children outside of individual therapy. Because of that, one of our biggest early challenges was advocacy—helping people understand why specialized grief support for children is so important. Raising awareness, building trust, and educating the community about the value of what we do took time and persistence, but those efforts have truly paid off as we’ve seen more families and partners embrace our mission.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
We are a nonprofit organization that has been around since 2005. Our mission is nurturing emotional wellness and resiliency for children, teens, and families experiencing grief, loss, or trauma. We do that through our grief support groups, individual equine-assisted psychotherapy, and our mobile programming. We are most known for our integration of miniature horses into the therapeutic process.
Grief Support Groups:
Our grief support groups create a safe and nurturing space for children, teens, and families to walk their grief journey together. In a natural setting, participants find camaraderie, compassion, and guidance through peer support, miniature horse interactions, and therapeutic art and play. The groups are FREE to all and are for children ages 3 through high school. Groups are divided by age. We have “Littles,” which is our 3 through 6 year old, our “Bigs,” which is 6 through 12, and then a Middle School and a High school group. Each group meets twice a month at our mini-ranch in Coconut Creek. Groups are 90 minutes. On Saturdays, while our Littles and Bigs groups are in session, we also have a talk circle for our grieving adults that is led by one of our clinicians.
Individual Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy:
We have two full-time clinicians on staff and offer individual therapy to children, teens, and individuals who have experienced trauma. We are certified by the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association (Eagala). Their model is a leading therapeutic approach that leverages the dynamic power of horses to facilitate emotional growth and learning. The model integrates professional mental health and equine specialists working together with clients and horses to address therapeutic goals. Eagala is built on a foundation of four principles: Team Approach, Ground-Based Interactions, Solution-Oriented, and Code of Ethics.
Grief on the Go:
Our mobile programs, Grief on the Go & Tomorrow’s Rainbow Coping Academy, are specialized programs dedicated to bringing mental health support to under-resourced communities. We offer a well-rounded experience designed to nurture emotional wellness and build resilience for our community’s most vulnerable children & teens. Our approach integrates equine-assisted interventions, engaging talk circles, problem-solving activities, and the fun exploration into the world of healthy coping skills to provide a holistic support system. By combining these elements, we help participants navigate life’s challenges and foster healing in a supportive and inclusive environment.
We want readers to know that our grief support groups are free to everyone regardless of income and that we believe every child should have access to these services and a community of children who are going through the same thing.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
The National Alliance for Children’s Grief and EAGALA have been incredible resources for Tomorrow’s Rainbow and for building our program. The National Alliance for Children’s Grief offers valuable education, research, and connection to others doing similar work, which helps us stay informed and inspired. EAGALA provides a strong framework for equine-assisted growth and learning, giving us tools and guidance to ensure our program remains both effective and ethical. Both have played a huge role in helping us do our best work for the children and families we serve.
Pricing:
- Grief support groups are FREE
- Individual Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy is billed on a sliding scale, thought most of our clients do not pay
Contact Info:
- Website: https://tomorrowsrainbow.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tomorrows.rainbow/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TomorrowsRainbowInc/
