About the Human Herd
Strides is the result of a life lived in many arenas and some really solid mentorship and friendship. Our human herd includes mental health professionals and skilled Equine Specialists.
Andrea Walker Morris, LCMHCA, LCAS-A, CTP
Andrea has been on and around horses since before she could walk. She was raised riding cavalry seat and vaulting on Lippizaners and training and competing in hunter/jumpers on off the track Thoroughbreds. Andrea has competed, ridden for pleasure, and worked as a trail guide in California, Hawaii and Arizona.
Andrea has worked in the mental health field since 2015. She co-directed a successful Equine Assisted Learning/Training program in Arizona and worked extensively with the recovery community and veterans and their families. She discovered a strength for sharing her experience with other professionals, and has developed and facilitated many successful EAL training programs and corporate retreats. Andrea is EAGALA (including Military Designation) & OK Corral Series trained and has a B.A. in Psychology with a Concentration in Equine Assisted Psychotherapy and an M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. She is a North Carolina Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate and a Licensed Clinical Addiction Specialist Associate. Andrea has completed training as a Certified Complex Trauma Professional II (CCTPII) and is certified as a Certified Trauma Professional. Additionally, Andrea has training in Internal Family Systems (IFS), is a trained Brainspotting provider, and a Safe and Sound Protocol provider.
Andrea has spent hundreds of hours of working with clients but most importantly, Andrea has been a client whose experience with EAMH led to profound personal growth and change. She brings her experience with the language of longterm recovery to the arena and firmly believes that providers should never ask their clients to do something they are not willing to do themselves.
Horses have been the glue of my life. Andrea
Feel free to reach out: info@stridesnc.com
Chris Burtner
Equestrian Director, Chestnut Ridge Retreat Center
Prior to taking the reins of The Community Farm at Chestnut Ridge, Chris had been volunteer managing a community garden and teaching preschool and elementary children in Fuquay-Varina, NC. With an undergraduate degree in Animal Science from Virginia Tech and years of work experience in the veterinary medical field, Chris was well suited to take over livestock management in 2010. In 2011, Chris also added Equestrian Director to her expanding role at camp. Chris has over 20 years of riding experience and certification from the American Riding Instructor Association as well as certification in Equine Assisted Growth and Learning (EAGALA). She and her husband Paul, are big Hokie fans and try to make it back to Blacksburg for a football or basketball game each year. When she’s not digging in the dirt, or hanging out with the horses, you can find Chris taking a walk in the woods or curled up with a good book. Chris looks forward to sharing the joy of horses with Strides participants.
chris@campchestnutridge.org
Dr. Lior Vered-Langley, PhD, LCSWA
Lior is a social worker, scientist, policy consultant, and mental health advocate. Dr. Vered-Langley was born and raised in Israel to a military family. After her veteran husband lost the battle with post-traumatic stress, Dr. Vered-Langley vowed to dedicate her life to ensuring that our military service members and veterans thrive and ending veteran suicide. She founded Heart Redeployment, a community project aimed at fostering protective relationships and community support to combat mental health challenges in the veteran community. She is also a public speaker on suicide prevention and how communities can come together to thrive amidst mental health challenges.
Dr. Vered-Langley graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in chemistry from Fayetteville State University. She received her Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill (UNC), where she is also currently pursuing her Master of social work. She is a 2022 Tillman Scholar and won the UNC Springle Memorial Scholarship for outstanding work with the veteran and military community. Dr. Vered-Langley serves as a consultant to different military components on force resiliency and mental health issues. She is also a member of the Council for Social Work Education Task Force for the Specialized Practice Curricular Guide for Military Social Work. Dr. Vered-Langley has recently completed an internship at UNC’s Center for Excellence in Community Mental Health - The Farm at Penny Lane, where she worked with clients with severe and persistent mental health challenges. She completed the Travis Manion Foundation’s Spartan Leadership Program in 2022. Additionally, Dr. Vered-Langley is trained in Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), which she has utilized extensively with veterans at the Durham VA.
In addition to her work in the mental health field, Dr. Vered-Langley has over two decades of experience working with community organizations, with a focus on burnout prevention, healing from trauma, interpersonal relationships, and conflict management. She is EAGALA certified.
Lior can be reached at: lior@stridesnc.com
Strides humans aim to hold an integrated and eclectic mindset. All of our practices are trauma-responsive and we strive to be socially responsible and multiculturally informed.
