Ep23: She Did That: Hele Aluste of Hobukooli Park

In this episode of Athena's Listening Crew, hosts Lina and Renee welcome Hele Aluste, a psychologist from Estonia who, for the last twenty years, has been doing counseling work a little differently — through animal-assisted therapy and coaching, mostly alongside horses. After fifteen years working within Estonia's governmental rehabilitation system, she built her own private practice at Hobukooli Park: a place she and her husband created together, on land that once held a hundred-year-old village school. Today she works with a herd of seventeen horses — including a much-loved group of Irish tinkers — helping people rebuild self-confidence, process trauma, and reconnect with themselves through the honest, unfiltered presence of these animals.

In this conversation, Hella opens up about motherhood, loss, resilience, and a lifelong curiosity about the invisible parts of being human — and how all of it led her to the work she does now.

Learn more about Hela: 

     Website: https://hobukoolipark.ee/

     FB: facebook.com/Equilibre-NGO 

     YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChyy2cFif78-TFXadjT5FcA 

We’d love to hear from you. You can find us on IG and YouTube at Athena's listening crew, and reach out to us at athenaslisteningcrew@gmail.com if there are any topics you’d like us to explore, or if you’re a woman business owner interested in joining the podcast to share your journey.