Staff

April Roglitz, LCSW
As a summer resident of Maine since 1970, April grew up in Tenants Harbor-St.George Maine area. She remembers riding horses; whenever she could 'scrounge up the cash'. She would pay by the hour for a trail ride from a local farm. As a winter resident of Kansas, she started Hunter/Jumper lessons at age 8. Horses have been a part of her life ever since.

In 1991 April graduated with an Associate's degree in Applied Science from Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas. She became a Registered Respiratory Therapist working in the field for 10 years. Inspired by the hospital social workers' ability to work calmly and genuinely with patients and families in times of crisis, she returned to school. In 1996 April graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Social Work from Washburn University. In 1998 she obtained her Masters Degree in social work and has worked in the Social Work field since then.

Missing Maine and the "Way Life Should Be", April relocated to the state permanently in 2001 (they say you always come back). Initially she lived in the Bangor, Maine area and was employed at The Acadia Hospital working in the adolescent unit for 2 yrs. Family brought her to the Sagadahoc County area in 2003. She started working as an Outpatient Mental Health Clinician at Sweetser Family Institute(Brunswick)from 2003-2005, prior to her recent employment at Kennebec Behavioral Health in Winthrop Maine from 2005 to present.

They say "once a horseperson always a horseperson". As April settled into the area, she again initiated horse lessons and bought a horse. She was introduced to Natural Horsemanship, which changed her relationships with horses and life forever. Similarly, and even more impacting, a year later in 2005 she was introduced to and received my certification in EAGALA Model EAP. April says she knew then what she was meant to do with her career and her life. She established Painted Horses, LLC counseling services in 2006. She started to provide outpatient-counseling services at Hearts and Horses TRC in Buxton, Maine. She bought more horses and in August 2008 expanded these services to Windy Pine Acres in Richmond, Maine.

In Clinical Counseling April works with people from ages "8 to 98" and thinks of herself as a general practitioner who has worked with individuals and families across a variety of settings to include medical and psychiatric social work in the hospital setting, intensive outpatient programs for those with chronic mental illness, and outpatient mental health. In the early part of her career she was involved in co-facilitating a sexual offenders group for men. She worked intensively with community support services for veterans with chronic mental illness. Currently most of her clientele have been individuals/families who struggle with adolescent challenges, victims of trauma, and those striving to cope with depression, anxiety, and Bi-polar disorder. Her specialty is in EAGALA Model Equine Assisted Psychotherapy where she holds a dual role serving as the Clinician and/or Equine Specialist.

Peter Comstock
Peter is a licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in private practice. Having graduated from the University of Southern Maine Masters program in Clinical Counseling in 1997 his career has included working with adolescents, adults and families in a variety of substance abuse and mental health settings.

His specialties are loss and grief, trauma and life transitional issues for both adolescents and adults. He has facilitated Expressive Arts teen bereavement groups and provided outpatient counseling to students in junior and senior high school settings. Prior to 2002 he was a clinician at St. Mary's Regional Medical Center in Lewiston, ME where he helped to establish their adult mental health Intensive Outpatient Program.

Peter brings real life experiences to his sessions having worked as long haul trucker, heavy equipment operator and aircraft mechanic before making a career change in midlife. Most importantly for the work he does now at Painted Horses, LLC, he grew up with horses in his teens and was a 4-H Horse Club member for 6 years. His love of horses and commitment to the counseling profession led him to begin EAGALA training in the spring of 2002.

Lisa Faires LCPC-C
Ms. Faires is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor. She is a Psychotherapist for a school system and also EAGALA certified for EAP (equine assisted psychotherapy). Her love of horses began many years ago as a young teen when she went riding frequently at a friend’s farm in Southern New Jersey. In her late teens she worked at a race horse farm exercising race horses for the Atlantic City Race Course. She realized then the unique and healing power of the relationships humans can have with horses. She moved to Palermo, Maine in November of 1992 where she still resides. Ms. Faires completed college in Maine at UMO where she earned a Master Degree in Counseling Education. As a woman of Native American heritage, she completed her degree with special attention to cultural sensitivity in counseling. She has worked for a Native American community in Maine providing smoking cessation counseling, teaching the importance of distinguishing between smoking cigarettes, and the traditional use of tobacco. IShe has a published an article in STOP! Magazine (an international smoking cessation magazine ) where she highlighted the traditional use of tobacco VS smoking cigarettes.

Although her life path has taken her away from horses for many years, she is very happy and excited to once again be working with these magnificent animals, and to have the privilege to watch firsthand how they aid clients in discovering their own unique powers and abilities to enhance their lives.

Alli Winkelman, ES
Equine Specialist
Alli has been working with and riding horses since 10 years of age. She has ridden under several different instructors in Kansas, New York, New Mexico and Maine, and is currently studying English equitation and dressage under Jen Grady of Acorn Hill Farm. She plans to take the test for her instructor’s certification within the next two years. In 2006, Alli attended the EAGALA conference in Buxton, ME and received her level one certification in EAGALA model EAP. She began working for Painted Horses, LLC in 2009 as an Equine Specialist, and also offers beginners riding lessons at the facility.