Whispering FirefliesCounseling Services

Annette L. Pelletier, LCSW, CTRTC, CCAT

Clinical Therapist

Annette was born and raised in a small town in New Hampshire. It is here that she developed a love for the outdoors. Annette would spend hours of her day exploring the forest behind her house and finding refuge there from the daily stressors of her life. She moved to Austin, TX where she lived and worked for 14 years. It was in Austin that she found her love for rock climbing and met her supportive and loving husband. Annette and her family moved to Southern Utah for work and the magnificence of the outdoors. Annette approaches her work through a combination of trauma-focused cognitive behavior therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), reality therapy, motivational interviewing, equine-assisted psychotherapy, and experiential/adventure-based interventions. Annette is certified in choice theory and reality therapy through the William Glasser Institute and received EMDR training through the EMDR Institute, where she received her certification of completion for EMDR part 1 and part 2. Additionally, Annette is trained and certified in trauma-focused equine assisted psychotherapy and has specialized training in the use of equine-connected EMDR through The Natural Lifemanship Institute. Annette is also a certified adventure therapist through the Association for Experiential Education.

Sami Melling Hunt

Equine Professional

Lee Bingham

Equine Professional

Lee has never known a life without horses or cattle. She was raised on a local ranch here in Cedar City, Utah. Taking the reins of her own horse, at three years old, sparked her love for these noble and trustworthy animals. Her rodeo career began at the age of eight, competing in junior rodeos, then on to high school and college. She earned two National High School Goat Tying Titles, a Utah Team National Title, and one National College Goat Tying Title along the way. She received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Sociology from Southern Utah University in 2002. Lee has a decade of equine therapy under her belt. Working with teens and adults through individual, group and family therapy. Following the Natural Lifemanship model, she has attended their fundamentals course as well as having her EAGALA certification. Lee is humbled by the incredible and meaningful work equine therapy provides through the relationship developed in the journey. Lee loves spending time with her husband and their three boys. They enjoy working and riding on their ranch, team roping, golfing, baseball, and fishing.