Meet The Team

Sonja Wingard

I facilitate connection…connection with oneself, animals, Spirit, and other humans. 
As a nurse I have had the privilege to walk beside thousands of struggling human beings. I am constantly amazed by the resiliency of the human spirit. I have been struck by the honesty and willingness with which horses and other animals call forth a human’s best self, inviting us to remove masks, and challenging us to live up to our own unique divine perfection. Here we can be unbridled by our past, any current belief systems or any diagnoses. I have witnessed rapid transformations of long-held blocks in a person's view of themselves and their emotional, physical and spiritual health when their energy is unblocked and flowing. 

Molly McKenna 

I am a Certified Riding Instructor through CHA and a Certified Equine Specialist with EAGALA. I am excited to be serving my community in this capacity. Horses and animals have always been an important part of my life, I am so grateful that I have the opportunity to learn new skills as I grow into my role at Unbridled Spirit.
My favorite part of this job is that I get to watch people grow into seeing their own light, working through emotional struggles and letting go is essential to growing and I love empowering others to get there. We have amazing animals, volunteers and staff who keep this work moving forward, I love the team that I work with and the impact that we have. 

Greg Laughlin

I am fairly new to horses and farm work, but I really love supporting the farm animals and the work we do at Unbridled Spirit.  After a long career in working in telecommunications I followed a calling to change gears and focus on helping people, and in doing so have found a new passion where I can support my community by supporting children and clients heal through connecting with therapy animals.  A big part of my contribution involves daily care of the therapy animals and farm maintenance, ensuring that they are healthy and prepared to support our therapy programs.  I also work as a mentor to children through our programs which I found to be exceptionally rewarding, especially in areas where having a male role model can provide positive influence that they may not have outside of our program.  My experience in raising four boys who are now grown men has provided me with insights, patience and skills that really help with the work we do with the children and young adults at the farm.
I am also a licensed Reiki practitioner with over 15 years of experience in energy healing therapy.  I've found Reiki to be very effective in addressing physical, emotional and spiritual needs of humans and animals.  We've experienced incredible positive results for people who come to the farm for Reiki therapy sessions, where connection with the horses open people to the unseen healing forces of divine energy integration.

Joan DeBruin

I have lived with animals my whole life as I grew up on a farm in Whatcom County and I understand the human-animal connection. But this job at Unbridled Spirit has been an eye-opener for me as to how much real impact animals can make on people and especially the youth. I am thrilled that we have found each other since it combines my love of animals with my love of bookkeeping.

Carolyn Cox

Hi, I am Carolyn Cox, and I have been volunteering with this fantastic non-profit since February 2024, but officially got added to the Unbridled Spirit staff in the Summer of 2024. I have grown up here in the pacific northwest and continue to fall deeper in love with it by the day. What draws me to this work so strongly is the feeling of purpose I receive from knowing that I helped someone in need. I believe this life is greater than just you and I, and it takes understanding and empathy for others to truly accomplish great things. So, I strive to never hesitate when it comes to practicing teamwork, patience, or lifting someone up when they are down. And through this work, I get the privilege and honor to practice exactly that with all our great staff members, volunteers, families, students that come to the farm, and these incredible animals that have touched my heart in countless ways. A big goal I have for my future in mental health work is to go back to school later down the road and become a licensed mental health worker and work in recovery homes all over the country (or even world) that prioritize natural therapy such as art and music therapy, animal therapy, or even agricultural therapy. 

Lorna Shepardson

Lorna is a Mental Health Counselor with over 40 years experience in the social service field. Her life work has included working with people from all walks of life and all ages. Lorna finds great joy in supporting and watching the shifts that happen in a session, where kids and adults create healthy relationships with their equine partners, giving them the opportunity to create healthy relationships beyond the round pen. Lorna has lived in Whatcom county for 30 years and she resides with her 5 family members, 4 horses, 4 cats, 2 dogs and a green cheek concur parrot.

Hope Musselwhite

My name is Hope Musselwhite,  I love to get to know and work with all the kids that come through the program. Everyone is so unique and I enjoy getting the new experiences and lessons that comes with every person. A fun fact about me is that I love poultry, I raise a lot of pet birds. My favorite of which are geese. And in addition to working at unbridled spirit I am also the Poultry superintendent for the northwest Washington fair.

Daisy Ash

Hello, my name is Daisy. I am the Strategic Funding and Development Coordinator at Unbridled Spirit. I manage grants, fundraising, strategic planning, and provide administrative support. My connection to this farm spans 18 years, starting as a participant at the age of 14, which is where I met the founder, Sonja. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of staying involved in the farm in a variety of ways including mentoring, volunteering, sending family members to summer camp, and supporting the team as a Professional Organizer independent contractor before stepping into my current role.
I am currently completing my Master’s in Nonprofit Administration, specializing in Development, and am also pursuing certification in Project Management. My academic path is rooted in my commitment to creating sustainable funding solutions and long-term strategic plans that drive meaningful impact within nonprofit organizations.
In addition to my role here, I bring a diverse background in healthcare, trauma-informed life coaching, youth education, and professional organizing. I hold an undergraduate degree in Business Development and Integrative Wellness, and I plan to use both my formal education and personal experiences to fuel my work here at Unbridled Spirit and beyond.
Looking ahead, I plan to continue my part-time work at  Unbridled Spirit while also working on other projects in the nonprofit sector. Eventually, I would like to establish a consulting business that will specialize in Strategic Planning, Development, and Nonprofit Project Management for youth services, educational programs, community gardening, sustainability, culture, creative arts and healing-related organizations. I’m currently developing the initial plans for a long term goal - to create a Healing Arts Cooperative in Washington, developing a pilot a youth afterschool program in New Orleans, and will soon be helping to start a preschool and afterschool program in Tanzania in the coming years.
I live in Tanzania with my partner, but I visit the farm and the United States at least once a year. Outside of work, I enjoy nature, cooking, dancing, and creative projects. I am deeply grateful to be a part of this organization that has shaped my life in so many ways and look forward to continuing to contribute to its mission for years to come."