Our Story
My journey to becoming an Equine Gestaltist® and Equine Facilitator™ is a testament to the transformative power of following one's heart and rediscovering passions. I reconnected with horses in midlife, discovering that they brought me deep peace amidst my chaotic embodiment of too many roles in both my consulting business and family. I foolishly used this newfound resilience to further increase my workload.
In 2021, two decades of overwork culminated in a life-threatening injury that forced me to hire someone else to run my business for 9 months. This extended recovery period turned out to be a remarkable gift. I spent more time simply enjoying my family’s company. My horses were integrated as part of my physical and emotional recovery program. As I journeyed deeper into this involuntary rest period, I assessed the life choices that had led me to the breaking point. I realized that I had been granted a unique opportunity to change my life. I intentionally sought a different path forward.
I discovered the Equine Gestalt Coaching Method® as a way to combine my expertise as a program evaluator and management consultant with my newfound passion for connection, mindfulness, and presence. Today, I am committed to sharing the grounding and transformative experiences I gained with my horses, helping others achieve a more balanced and connected life.
Erika’s Bio
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Certified Equine Gestaltist™, Touched by a Horse 2024
Certified HeartMath Mentor 2024
Licensed Equine Facilitator™, Touched by a Horse 2023
Building Exceptional Teams, Inner MBA 2022
Making Your Work a Force for Good, Inner MBA 2022
Becoming a Mindful Leader, Inner MBA 2022
Post-Doctoral Fellow, Psychiatric Epidemiology, University of Iowa 2000
PhD, Epidemiology, Emphasis: Social and Behavioral Epidemiology, University of California, Davis 1999
BA, Psychology, University of Texas, Austin 1992
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Equine training & partnership - 8 years
Group facilitation - 20+ years
Coaching/mentoring - 20+ years
Performance evaluation - 20+ years
Collaborative process - 20+years
Workaholism - 30+ years (ramping down)
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Founder & Principal, Mustang Wisdom 2023-Present
President & CEO, Catalyze Evaluation 2008-2023
Senior Research Associate/Advisor for Data Analysis, Harder+Company Community Research, Davis, CA 2002-2008
Researcher, California Department of Health Services 1994-1996, 2000-2002
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Instructor, Sociology 103: Program Evaluation, UC Davis 2006-2007
Instructor, Data Analysis Seminar, Harder+Company Community Research, 2004-2006
Instructor, Ethics in Public Health, UC Davis 1995
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Lehmann ER, Clements Stein C, Tibbets M (2017). Tips to Move a Learning Community from Talk into Action. Presentation at American Evaluation Association Annual Conference, November 2017, Washington DC.
Lehmann ER, Tibbets M. GIS Mapping to Aid Stakeholder Decision-Making. Presentation at American Evaluation Association Annual Conference, November 2017, Washington DC.
Lehmann ER, Clements Stein C, Tibbets M, Dillman L (2017). Blending Developmental, Implementation and Outcomes Evaluation for Maximum Impact. Poster Presentation at American Evaluation Association Annual Conference, November 2017, Washington DC.
Lehmann ER (2015). Getting to No. American Evaluation Association Online Webinar (September, 2015).
Lehmann ER (2015). What if ‘What Works’ doesn’t? Evaluation Vol 21(2), 167-172.
Lehmann ER (2014). Minding the Gap: Using qualitative methods to measure interim outcomes in a long-term policy change context. The Evaluator Autumn, 23-26.
Lehmann ER, Ayala M (2014). Getting to No: Designing survey questions that avoid positive response bias. Presentation at American Evaluation Association Annual Conference, October 2014, Denver, CO.
Lehmann ER (2014). Minding the Gap: Using qualitative methods to measure interim outcomes in a long-term policy change context. Presentation at United Kingdom Evaluation Society Annual Conference, April 2014, London, UK.
Lehmann ER, Oehmke N (2013). Out of Tragedy Comes Opportunity. Parks and Recreation Magazine April. http://www.parksandrecreation.org/2013/April/Out-of-Tragedy-Comes-Opportunity/
Lehmann ER, Oehmke N (2013). Sign and Wayfinding Project Connects the Louisville Community with Its Public Trails. Parks and Recreation Magazine February.http://www.parksandrecreation.org/2013/February/Sign-and-Wayfinding-Project-Connects-the-Louisville-Community-with-Its-Public-Trails/
Oehmke N, Lehmann ER (2012). Case Studies for the National Recreation and Parks Association. http://www.nrpa.org/uploadedFiles/nrpaorg/Grants_and_Partners/Recreation_and_Health/Resources/Case_Studies/Healthy-Communities-Success-Stories.pdf
Lehmann ER, Oehmke N (2012). Public Health at Work. Parks and Recreation MagazineNovember. http://www.parksandrecreation.org/2012/November/Public-Health-at-Work/
Lehmann ER, Oehmke N (2012). Case Studies of Successful Programs at the Local Level. Parks and Recreation MagazineOctober. http://www.parksandrecreation.org/2012/October/Case-Studies-of-Successful-Programs-at-the-Local-Level/
Lehmann ER, Oehmke N (2012). Parks and Recreation Boosting Local Economic Growth. Parks and Recreation MagazineDecember. http://www.parksandrecreation.org/2012/December/Parks-and-Recreation-Boosting-Local-Economic-Growth/
Gradziel P, Lehmann ER, (2010). Shopping and consumption habits of California WIC participants: 2007 vs. 2010. Presentation brief at WIC Food Package Evaluation Symposium, November, 2010, Washington, DC.
Lehmann ER, Whaley S, van Eyken M, Gradziel P, Punia M (2010). Do WIC participants’ intentions pave the road to better food choices? An analysis of food purchasing intent vs. behavior for English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Chinese-speaking participants. Presentation at American Public Health Association Annual Conference, November, 2010, Denver, CO.
Punia M, Lehmann ER, Green L (2010). Infant feeding trends before and after WIC food package changes. Poster at National WIC Association Nutrition and Breastfeeding Conference, September, 2010, San Diego, CA.
Lehmann ER, Peach HG (2010). Stretching Energy Assistance Dollars in a Shrinking Economy. Presentation at National Energy & Utility Affordability Conference, June 2010, San Antonio, TX.
Lehmann de García ER, Kass PH, Drake CM, Nichols SB (2007). Risk factors for first-time homelessness in low-income women. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry 77(1), 20-28.
Lehmann ER (1997). A Desperate Dignity: The hidden life of homeless women. Earthwatch November/December, 12-17.
Araba-Owoyele L, Lehmann ER, Gannon G (1995). An evaluation of HIV antibody testing and counseling in California: Preliminary analyses from the 1993 Behavioral Risk Factor Survey. California HIV/AIDS Update 8(2), 17-21.
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