Credentials of Christine Randle, LICSW

Flying High Farm Staff

All clinical staff - Christine Randle and Sarah Charest - at Flying High Farm hold several certifications and are uniquely qualified to provide EFP services to children. In addition to having extensive horse knowledge and experience, all clinicians also maintain the following credentials:

Massachusetts licensed mental health professional
NARHA certified therapeutic riding instructor
Massachusetts licensed horseback riding instructor

This specialized therapy is conducted within a clearly defined therapeutic space and setting, with the intent to promote healing and growth of the child.

It is crucial that the distinction of Flying High Farm’s clinicians holding all of these licenses and certifications simultaneously be highlighted. Having this one clinician working with a child promotes a strong relationship between the child and the clinician and ensures that the child feels safe to share private feelings with someone they trust. Additionally, these multi-credentialed professionals demonstrate their dedication to their field of practice when they study, earn and maintain their various licenses/certifications through continuing education. All clinicians also hold current CPR and First Aid certifications through the American Red Cross.

Flying High Farm's unique team is currently staffed with two clinicians:

Christine Randle, LICSW - President and Founder of Flying High Farm

An equestrian for most of her life and a social worker since 1990, Christine started Flying High Farm in 2003 - a program that blossomed with plans for expansion in the near future. Having been involved in the autism community in 1990 as a then-recent college graduate, Christine's extensive experience and knowledge about autism and the large number of children with autism attending Flying High Farm prompted her to create Puzzle Ponies - the only autism-specific EFP program in Massachusetts.

Christine Randle, LICSW, has been a clinical social worker since 1990 and has been practicing animal-assisted therapy since 1987, prior to her social work career.

She began her forensic, clinical and advocacy work in The Juvenile Rights Division of The Legal Aid Society in Brooklyn, NY. Moving into long-term clinical work, she began practicing at Community Counseling and Mediation in Brooklyn, NY. Click here for her resume.

Christine first incorporated animals into her clinical work while a Crisis Manager at Suffolk Child Developmental Center in Smithtown, NY. Her dwarf lop-eared rabbit, Chloe, provided the autistic adults with a unique opportunity to care for another living creature. Most individuals had never touched a rabbit and petting Chloe was a very positive experience for some. Feeding and holding Chloe became rewards that several adults worked toward earning on a daily basis.

At two organizations, The Legal Aid Society and Community Counseling and Mediation in Brooklyn, NY, Christine worked with Blane and Ariel, respectively, in her treatment. These two felines, one a full-grown cat and one a kitten, worked wonders to encourage shy children to speak. Click here for their stories.

She has extensive experience treating individuals with:

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Sexual and/or Physical Abuse
Personal and/or Family Trauma
Suicidal Ideation and/or Gestures
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Low Self Esteem
Ineffective Communication Skills
Depression

As a result of her work in Brooklyn, NY, Christine wrote a children's fiction book about physical abuse entitled, It Takes Courage (published by Paulist Press, 1995). This book has been purchased nationwide for use in therapy. Click here to view book. She has also written home study courses for social workers entitled:

Exploring the MacDonald Triad and Other Early Signs and Symptoms of Serial Killers
The Dual Roles of the Forensic Social Worker in Family Court
ADD and its Subtypes
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Christine is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker in Massachusetts (#111274).

Sarah Charest, LICSW - Clinician

Sarah Charest, LICSW, is a graduate of Bridgewater State College. She currently holds a Bachelor's degree in Psychology as well as a Master’s degree in Social Work. Sarah’s Master’s thesis was entitled “The Effectiveness of Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy in Children with Pervasive Developmental Disorders." She was a Master’s level intern at Flying High Farm in 2006. In addition to the above certifications, she holds the following credentials:

EAGALA Level I Certified
Certified First Responder by the American Heart Association

Sarah has a large amount of experience working with adolescents and children with the following issues: PDD, ADHD/ADD, sexual abuse victims and perpetrators, low self esteem, depression, eating disorders, and anxiety.

Sarah has been riding and showing horses competitively since she was seven years old and currently rides and owns a Trakehner gelding named Aspen. They show during the summer months throughout New England.