Personal Scope of Practice Summary

Sandy Kerns, of A Story Shop, has 38 years of combined education, social work and counseling experience.  She also has 18 years combined equine education training and horse care experience.  Sandy is a Master Degreed Educator, a Master Degreed Social Worker and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.  As a Tri Certified Pro-EFW practitioner, Sandy, along with an ongoing team of mentorship professionals, is dedicated to offering equine services with national best practice standards through the Professional Association of Equine Facilitated Wellness as a 1) Mental Health Professional (MHP), 2) Equine Facilitated Learning Professional (EFLP) and 3) Equine Professional (EP).​

Sandy Kerns is dedicated to offering mentoring and educational opportunities to pods of small family groups consisting of 1 - 2 students in early childhood attending with their adult caregiver.  A Story Shop offerings promote social emotional learning with experiences and activities that nourish family bonding, provide families opportunities for navigating challenges and developing individual self-efficacy.  The practice intention is to promote early childhood wellness through storytelling, puppetry and equine facilitated learning activities while experiencing validation, acceptance and encouragement with the guidance of Sandy and her herd of 3 miniature horses.​

Blending components from the foundations of Social Work, Educational Leadership, Equine Facilitated Wellness, Storytelling and Puppetry and Horse Powered Reading®, Sandy Kerns has established A Story Shop on her 10 acre farm, Winter's Grace, located in Soldotna, Alaska.  Winter's Grace is an environment that provides opportunities to share with families the joys and benefits of equine assisted learning.  The program Miniature Horses StoryTale Courses incorporates equine welfare and care, unmounted equine activities for promoting social emotional learning and language development, music, crafts, movement, stories, puppetry, rhymes, games and puzzles.​

A Story Shop programs would benefit families seeking support with enhancing their child's social emotional well-being, in particular within the area of language development.  Though A Story Shop programs promote wellness, Sandy does not provide clinical counseling through her programs.  A Story Shop does not provide offerings for equine activities for leisure pursuits, for horsemanship riding lessons or for use of equines in petting zoo programs.​

Sandy carries Professional Liability insurance through American Professional Agency.  She carries Equine Professional & General Liability insurance through Equisure, Inc.  A full Scope of Practice is available for families prior to program registration with A Story Shop.​