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vol . 3 , no. 34 : May 1- 7, 2024 : losgatan.com
local scene p6 : campbell author p9 : lghs softball p12 : ny times crossword puzzle p15 Photo by Sarah Lai Stirland / Los Gatan
FINDING PEACE AT FREEDOM REIGNS EQUINE SANCTUARY
HOSPITAL OPENS NEW MENTAL HEALTH CLINIC IN LOS GATOS
A weekend with the horses at retreat near San Juan Bautista
Parents say “dialectical behavior therapy” was a lifesaver for their kids
By Dinah Cotton, Contributor
By Drew Penner, Editor
Along a Highway 101 frontage road near San Juan Bautista there’s a discrete wrought iron sign proclaiming, “FREEDOM REIGNS.’’ You may have driven by many times and never noticed it, or the keypad located just below to the left. We slowed down to enter the passcode and to follow the one-lane gravel road. I left what troubles I could at this gate. I’d signed up to a weekend retreat at this horse sanctuary run by a Los Gatan called, “Whispers from the Herd,’’ offered through an Illinois-based organization called Soulful Prairies. In the distance, between the gentle rolling hills of this former cattle ranch, sat zippered tipis. We were warned the birds living at the top, in the poles, might drop various “gifts,” and to just deal with it. Also inside were: two cozy faux fur-covered queen-sized cots, an end table, two flashlights, a battery powered lamp, water and snacks. We were informed a propane heater was available if necessary.
Blended with the soft guitar plucks wafting through the large courtyard of the low-rise Los Gatos building near the border with Campbell, there was plenty of optimism Saturday morning, as El Camino Health unveiled its new intensive outpatient clinic. As Mayor Mar y Badame joined health system officials to cut the ceremonial ribbon for the “ASPIRE” program expansion, much was made about how “dialectical behavior therapy”—the medical approach on which the facility is based—is backed by evidence.
➝ Horse Retreat, 10
➝ Health Clinic, 14
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BOOKSTORE OPENS Tanya Sedneva is holding the Grand Opening for her new Santa Cruz Avenue bookshop, Beyond Text, this Saturday. She’s looking forward to hosting book club meetings and game nights there in the days ahead. For contributor Sarah Lai Stirland’s article about the business, turn to P8.
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