For the past 23 years, Dana Butler-Moburg has been the executive director for the J.F. Shea Therapeutic Riding Center in San Juan Capistrano.
Dana brings an extensive background in non-profit management and administration to The Shea Center with an emphasis in community organization, development, communications, and board management. She spent seven years with the American Heart Association in Los Angeles during which time she received two national awards for her work in communications and marketing. Her work in the therapeutic equestrian field has been nationally recognized a number of times.
For Butler-Moburg, a fourth level dressage rider, coming to The Shea Center was the perfect combination of a personal love of horses and a professional love of the important services that non-profits provide to communities. She has also become one of only 18 equestrian instructors worldwide to be trained in the Balimo TM system to teach riding and The Shea Center is the first therapeutic equestrian program to apply these principles to their clients with special needs.
Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Dana graduated from the University of Washington in 1989 then moved to Southern California where she and her husband Frank, a car designer for Acura, have made it their permanent home.
The Shea Center is an incredible non-profit charitable organization. They give back to the community in various ways including therapeutic riding for kids...
Madeline S.
June 16, 2025
yelp review
This is a beautiful place of healing and hope. My boyfriend who is a disabled Veteran has been able to take advantage of the programs they offer and has...
Laura C.
February 6, 2025
yelp review
What a lovely spot I had the privilege to serve and volunteer here for school related endeavors. This place is filled with amazing professionals and staff...
Mari P.
February 22, 2024
Frequently Asked Questions
The goal of speech therapy is to help your child communicate effectively with other people across all environments. This may take the form of using gestures, simple signs, verbal speech, and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC).
Some other common things speech therapists can help with:
Nonverbal skills, such as signs or gestures
Forming speech in a clearer way
Communicating thoughts and feelings clearly
Understanding and responding to questions
Discerning facial expressions and their corresponding emotions
Noticing and understanding body language
Feeding and swallowing
Stuttering
Equine therapy as an industry is a form of therapy that involves working with horses to help individuals with disabilities and mental health issues. It can help build strength, balance, and coordination. Equine therapy can also help kids develop better emotional regulation, higher self-confidence, and more independence.
Equine therapy is recommended for many people with PTSD, anxiety, depression, ADHD, and autism.
The occupational therapy process includes an OT evaluation before care starts. Here are the four steps your family can expect when starting occupational therapy:
Complete OT evaluation. An occupational therapist first identifies your strengths and needs through a thorough OT evaluation, also known as an OT assessment or screening. You’ll answer questions about you your skills, and you will most likely demonstrate these skills via hands-on activities with the therapist. Evaluations can last 30 minutes to a couple hours.
Approve OT plan. The therapist develops a care plan with individualized goals and customized interventions based on your needs. You can also share any specific goals or concerns before approving the OT plan.
Start therapy sessions. The therapist works directly with you, using various strategies and exercises to systematically improve areas of limitations and to build upon your strengths. If there are others part of your care team, the therapist may teach strategies for supporting your individualized needs at home and may recommend tools and techniques to use at home, in the community, or in the classroom to help you thrive.
Monitor your progress. You can expect ongoing progress monitoring and communication to ensure you're achieving your short and long-term goals.
Dana Butler-Moburg, Executive Director
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