Erica J. Gergely received her PhD in Clinical Psychology from Western Michigan University where she completed a quantitative doctoral dissertation on the study of equine-assisted therapies. Her academic training focused primarily on cognitive and behavioral therapies and the use of evidence-based practices in psychology. Clinically, she has worked in a variety of settings with a wide range of client populations, including inpatient, outpatient, partial-hospital, community mental health, and primary care practice. She is certified in the EAGALA model of equine-assisted psychotherapy and serves on the Research Committee for EAGALA. She currently works as a psychologist, supervises pre-doctoral psychology interns, and teaches online undergraduate courses in Cultural Diversity and Sociology.
Prior to earning her PhD, Erica earned a master’s degree in Forensic Psychology from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. She has assisted in research with RAND Corporation and on a joint research project between JJAY and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
“The mission of HHRF aligns with my professional background as a scientist-practitioner and my goals of building an evidence-base concerning the potential effect of horses on human behavior and disseminating accurate information to the public regarding equine-assisted therapies and activities. I strongly believe that until we have data to support the effectiveness of equine-assisted practices, many people who could benefit from these approaches will not have access to them. Rigorous research allows practitioners and program developers to be accountable and responsible to their clients, their profession, their governing and licensing boards, and to the mental health and medical communities to which they belong. “