Our Mission

Nature’s Edge Therapy Center, where we come together with the common goal of achieving maximum therapeutic progress through quality, comprehensive therapy that incorporates nature and animals.

Our Mission Statement

Our mission is to provide the highest quality of intensive rehabilitation by qualified and licensed staff to our patients and their families in a safe, natural and motivational setting, promoting the human-animal bond. Our ultimate goal is to facilitate our patients’ independence and integration into family, school, and society.

• Nature’s Edge Brochure
• Diane’s House Brochure

History

Nature’s Edge Therapy Center, Inc. was founded in June 2002 with the mission of providing intensive rehabilitation by qualified and licensed therapists in a safe, natural, and motivational setting, promoting the human-animal bond. Our ultimate goal is to facilitate our patients’ independence and integration into their family, school, and community.

The center began by offering speech therapy and later expanded to include part-time occupational and physical therapy. Over time, Nature’s Edge grew into a full-time therapy center, operating Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., providing comprehensive therapy services in a nature-based environment that enhances patient progress.

Incorporated on July 23, 2001, Nature’s Edge received its 501(c)(3) nonprofit designation from the IRS on December 10, 2001. Our work is sustained through donations, grants, fundraising efforts, and limited county funding, ensuring that therapy remains accessible to those in need.

Accreditations

The professional staff at Nature’s Edge Therapy Center includes highly trained and credentialed speech-language pathologists, all of whom are licensed in Wisconsin and have extensive training in equine-assisted therapy. Our speech therapists hold certifications as Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH Intl.) instructors and equine-assisted mental health professionals. Additionally, our director is a clinical specialist in hippotherapy and a former associate faculty member with the American Hippotherapy Association (AHA).

Nature’s Edge ensures that any occupational or physical therapists onboarded receive training through PATH Intl. and the American Hippotherapy Association to integrate equine movement into therapy effectively.

Nature’s Edge Therapy Center is a PATH International Member Center. PATH Intl. sets the standards for safe, professional, and ethical therapeutic equine activities. Many medical organizations, including the American Physical Therapy Association and the American Occupational Therapy Association, recognize the therapeutic benefits of equine-assisted activities. PATH Intl. maintains these standards through an accreditation process for centers and a certification process for instructors.

The American Hippotherapy Association (AHA) promotes the use of equine movement as a treatment strategy in speech-language, occupational, and physical therapy. Nature’s Edge follows AHA guidelines and ensures that therapists working in this field complete appropriate training and certifications.

Additionally, the Neurosequential Network acknowledges that Becky Payne, Director of Nature’s Edge Therapy Center, has completed NMT Training Certification through Phase I. The Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT) is a developmentally-informed, neurobiology-based framework designed to support clinical work with individuals impacted by trauma.

While Nature’s Edge Therapy Center is not an affiliate member of Pet Partners, our director is an evaluator for Pet Partner therapy teams and upholds Pet Partners’ guidelines for animal-assisted interventions. All therapy animals at Nature’s Edge receive exceptional care, adhering to Pet Partners’ wellness and ethical standards to ensure the highest level of safety and well-being for both patients and animals.