Our
Story
Get to Know Us
Brave Ground began with a dream—a vision of creating something different. We believed healing could happen in a space where people feel safe, supported, and connected, while experiencing the unique impact of working alongside horses.
What started as an idea quickly became a mission fueled by hope, determination, and a lot of hard work. Through countless conversations, planning sessions, and the support of people who shared our vision, Brave Ground began to take shape.
Our founders bring together backgrounds in mental health, education, leadership, and horsemanship, united by a shared belief that healing happens through connection. We have seen firsthand the transformative power of both quality mental health care and the human-horse bond.
Today, Brave Ground stands as a place where courage is celebrated, growth is nurtured, and hope is restored. We are grateful to everyone who has helped bring this dream to life and excited for the lives that will be impacted for years to come.
Hello
Lindsay Ditlow, MSW, LSW | Co-Founder
Lindsay Ditlow is a Licensed Social Worker with experience supporting individuals through a variety of mental health challenges, including anxiety, depression, trauma, life transitions, and relationship concerns. She is passionate about creating a safe, supportive environment where clients feel empowered to explore their strengths, build resilience, and move toward meaningful personal growth.
As a Co-Founder for Brave Ground Equine Therapy, Lindsay brings together her clinical background and lifelong passion for horses. She has spent years riding and developing her horsemanship skills, cultivating a deep appreciation for the unique connection between horses and humans. Through her work with horses, she has witnessed firsthand their ability to foster trust, self-awareness, confidence, emotional regulation, and healing.
Lindsay currently owns a retired Off-the-Track Thoroughbred (OTTB) who now enjoys a well-deserved life of pampering, relaxation, and endless attention. Her experiences both in the saddle and caring for horses have reinforced her belief in the transformative power of the human-horse relationship.
At Brave Ground, Lindsay is dedicated to ensuring the well-being of both clients and equine partners while helping create meaningful therapeutic experiences. She believes that when mental health treatment and the wisdom of horses come together, powerful opportunities for healing, growth, and connection emerge.
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Dr. Katie Linebarger, LPC, NCC, Ed.D | Co-Founder
Dr. Katie Linebarger is a Licensed Professional Counselor, National Certified Counselor, and Doctor of Educational Leadership with nearly two decades of experience supporting children, adolescents, young adults, and families. Throughout her career, she has worked extensively with individuals navigating anxiety, depression, anger, behavioral challenges, complex trauma, emotional dysregulation, family conflict, and school-related stressors.
In addition to serving as Co-Founder for Ground Equine Therapy, Dr. Linebarger is a clinical leader within an alternative education setting, where she supports students facing significant behavioral, emotional, and academic challenges. She is also an adjunct professor at Elizabethtown College, where she mentors future counselors and educators while bringing practical clinical experience into the classroom.
Dr. Linebarger has experience working with nonprofit organizations and has played an instrumental role in the development of equine-assisted mental health programming. Most recently, she helped establish a nonprofit equine therapy organization, combining her passion for mental health, community impact, and the transformative power of the human-horse connection.
Dr. Linebarger utilizes a trauma-informed and strengths-based approach into equine assisted psychotherapy. She has witnessed firsthand the unique ability horses have to foster trust, self-awareness, emotional regulation, confidence, and healing. She believes that bringing together evidence-based mental health treatment and equine-assisted experiences creates powerful opportunities for growth, connection, and lasting change.
At Brave Ground, Dr. Linebarger is committed to helping individuals discover their strengths, build resilience, and experience healing through authentic relationships—with both people and horses. She believes that meaningful transformation occurs when individuals feel safe, seen, supported, and empowered to move forward in their lives.
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Elena Roth, LCSW | Co-Founder
Elena Roth is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with extensive experience supporting individuals, children, adolescents, and families through life's challenges. Throughout her career, she has worked in child welfare, trauma treatment, and outpatient mental health, developing a strong foundation in helping clients navigate anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship concerns, life transitions, and personal growth. Elena is trained in EMDR and holds specialized certification in Sexual Abuse Trauma through the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress.
Elena's dedication to serving others extends far beyond the therapy room. In 2024, she was honored as a YWCA Lancaster Women of Achievement Award recipient, a distinction recognizing women who demonstrate exceptional leadership, community impact, and a commitment to improving the lives of those around them. The award reflects her passion for advocacy, expanding access to quality mental health care, and creating opportunities for healing and growth throughout the community.
Previously, Elena founded By the Rein Equine Therapy, furthering her commitment to utilizing the unique human-horse relationship as a pathway to resilience, emotional wellness, and personal transformation. As a Co-Founder of Brave Ground, she brings together her lifelong love of horses and her professional experience in mental health to create a program where individuals can experience connection, confidence, and hope.
Horses have been a lifelong passion for Elena, who has been riding since the age of five. She currently enjoys competing with and caring for pleasure horses and has spent years developing her horsemanship and understanding of the profound impact horses can have on personal growth and emotional well-being. Elena believes horses offer a unique opportunity for individuals to experience authenticity, trust, confidence, and healing in ways that traditional settings often cannot.
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Brittany Lemon | Equine Specialist | Board Member
Brittany brings more than a decade of professional horse experience to Brave Ground Equine Therapy. She grew up a horse crazy kid, eventually settling into the hunter/jumper world where she competed through high school and IHSA during her time at The Ohio State University. There she completed her undergraduate degree in Business with a minor in Equine Sciences. While in college, she had the opportunity to intern with her IHSA trainer, gaining knowledge about teaching and coaching riders as well as training stock type horses with a focus on equine biomechanics.
Following college she continued teaching lessons and began her training business, BlueLine Performance Horses. BlueLine began and continues to operate on the fundamentals of equine and rider biomechanics; equine functional health; and effective communication between horse, rider, and trainer in order to bring horse and rider teams to their fullest potential.
Brittany has had the opportunity to work with horses of all ages and backgrounds from colt starting to finished show horses and even rehabbing OTTB’s. Her program’s focus on overall horse health and effective teamwork between horse and rider has resulted in success in the AQHA show ring, producing several high-point awards as well as All American Quarter Horse Congress placings from Finalist to Reserve Champion.
As an equine professional, Brittany continues to ground herself in the passion and love of horses that began in her youth. She truly believes that the love of the horse comes first before the sport, and is thrilled to have the opportunity to assist Brave Ground Equine Therapy on their journey to create meaningful and beneficial connections between horse and human.
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Dr. Liz Dalton, Ph.D, L.P | Board Member
Dr. Elizabeth (Liz) Dalton is a Pennsylvania Licensed Psychologist and Associate Professor of Psychology at Elizabethtown College. She is deeply committed to expanding access to quality mental health services and strengthening training opportunities for future behavioral health professionals throughout Central Pennsylvania.
In her role as an educator and mentor, Dr. Dalton works closely with undergraduate and graduate psychology students, helping to develop the next generation of clinicians, researchers, and advocates. She also directs research examining the relationship between stress, mood, and overall health, bringing a strong foundation in evidence-based practice and psychological science to her work.
Dr. Dalton earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Amherst College, her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and completed her clinical psychology internship at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center.
Through her combined experience in research, education, and clinical psychology, she brings valuable insight and expertise to the mission of supporting mental wellness and community well-being.