About Us

Equitopian Escape Farm, Inc. is a 501(c)3 non profit organization founded by Dr. Joan Hall, PhD, LPC in 2021. As a female retired Army Veteran who served during the Desert Shield/Storm era, a former combat medic, EMT, and LPN, and now a PhD level Licensed Professional Counselor, Dr. Hall has not only significant education, knowledge in health care and mental health arenas, she also has decades of lived experience as a soldier and provider. This combination of knowledge and experience served as the driving force to want to give back to Veterans and First Responders and their families Through her private psychotherapy practice, she has also gained a realization there is an upward trend in anxiety, depression, social awkwardness, and suicidality amongst younger children. Her experience working with children suggests that electronics, social media, cell phones, and gaming are competing (and winning) with their exposure to nature-based experiences and close personal interactions with humans and animals.

Our mission

To enrich, inspire, and empower the human spirit through learning and personal growth opportunities while nurturing connections to nature and animals.

Equitopian Escape Farm (EEF) is a 20+ acre serene sanctuary of combined woodlands and pastures in which farm animals and wildlife are nestled. The farm animal residents include horses, donkeys, chickens, cats, Great Pyrenees dogs, and bunnies. All of these animals are out and about on the farm and incorporated into many of the of the nature and human-animal based programs and services.

EEF, Inc. services are multifaceted in terms of the populations we serve. Our learning and personal growth programs and services are designed specifically to serve the unique needs of First Responders, Veterans, young children, and families of Veterans and First Responders.

Our core principles:

• Understand the value and impact human-animal and nature-based interactions have on our personal well being and social development.
• Provide strength based learning opportunities to inspire and empower the human spirit and facilitate a sense of well-being.
• Emphasize positive reinforcement to create a safe and nurturing environment for learning and growth to occur.
• Use Trauma-informed knowledge and supports to promote emotional healing, resiliency, and post traumatic growth.

EEF, Inc. is also co-located with Counseling and Counselor Education Services of Georgia (CCESGA), a mental health counseling organization that offers psychotherapy services incorporating equines and nature (aka Animal Assisted Services). CCESGA is also founded by Dr. Hall.

Our services are funded by private donations and grants from foundations, corporations and public agencies.