Welcome! I'm your coach Natalie Fraedrich. Our main goal at NoCo is to create a secure environment for healing. But let's be honest, it's not easy bringing up difficult things from our past or present, and talking about them; especially with someone we barely know. Believe me when I say, I get it.

Well, let me see what I can do about the "barely know" part and tell you more about me and how I've become the person I am today.

I grew up in Nebraska on an acreage with horses, cats, dogs, and whatever other animals I could talk my parents into letting me keep. As a young, small town girl, I loved every minute of being outside and letting my imagination run free.

After college, I met a hard working farmer/rancher that swept me off my feet. The next thing I knew, date night consisted of riding along in the tractor or checking cattle. It was always interesting and I enjoyed every bit of it!

Your Coach

dear past, thank you for your lessons. dear future, i'm ready!

In 2013, we were married and I was happily working as an elementary school teacher. Life. was. good. Once again I was letting my imagination take flight. Thinking about the future and all the possibilities came with such ease. That was until April 27, 2014, when my whole world came crashing down...literally.

My husband of only 9 months had been killed in a plane crash. I no longer had motivation or drive. I was numb and in survival mode. How could this happen?! This wasn't part of the plan! This wasn't how I had ever imagined my life! I wanted to wake up from this horrible dream, but every morning I'd awake to find myself pulled back into the nightmare. I resigned from teaching and began working on his family farm full-time. I began to find some motivation from the animals. Their never-ending needs required me to take responsibility for them without question. They needed me. Although my life had seemed to come to a screeching halt, the lives and needs of others hadn't. I didn't agree with it, and yet I didn't have any control over it either. Their dependence on me forced me to put on my big girl boots and literally work through my grief. The never-ending, hard work on the ranch paired with the connection to the animals, allowed me to work through waves of my grief in ways I would have never believed possible. If I wanted to cry out in the pasture while checking the cattle, I could. If I wanted to take my anger out while fixing fence, I could. The animals never treated me any differently, no matter what wave of grief was coming at me. There was no judgment. NO JUDGEMENT. I could just be present in whatever moment, emotion, and feeling I needed to at the time.

The authenticity that animals bring is like no other. Without saying a word, they can still say so much.

I had tried to go back to teaching elementary school, but my heart wasn't ready. I continued to work on the ranch, but knew this chapter in my life was just that, a chapter. So now what?! I knew I needed change, but change can be SO scary! I focused on what small thing I did know about myself at that time, which was that I wanted to spend as much time with my horses as possible. They were my therapy. Their nonjudmental ways and always open ears were exactly what I needed at a time of such confusion and pain. The thought of trying to develop a new plan for myself terrified me. I wasn't sure which path to take. My once beautiful vision of how I had imagined my life was now clouded and terrifying. I was stuck and had no sense of which direction to take.

Coincidence is God's Way of remaining Anonymous. -Albert Einstein

So I prayed. I put it in the Lord's hands, and by no coincidence, I had been signed up by a family member to attend a retreat that partnered horses and healing. I wasn't sure what to expect, but knew if my horses were included, I'd be just fine. The retreat was hosted by graduates of the Touched By A Horse, Equine Gestalt Coaching Method; the program I am now certified in.

The experience CHANGED. MY. LIFE.

How? This program combined all the parts of healing that I had experienced on the ranch, and SO MUCH MORE: horses, no judgement, authenticity, safety, healing, growth, support, awareness, and the list could go on and on. The focus was self-compassion and wholeness. Who doesn't want more of that in their lives?! For the first time, I felt safe and not alone. I signed up and completed the rigorous two year program and am happily certified today. My passion for sharing this method with others comes from deep within.

Today, I am married to an amazing man that I love very much. I have a much deeper appreciation for the connections we have with loved ones, both human and animal. Everything in my life has brought me to where I am today, and I'm thankful for that. It hasn't been easy, yet it's made me the much stronger person I am today. I believe those big events that have aligned, have not happened by coincidence. I also believe, my purpose is to also share this healing with others.

Being surrounded by loved ones, partnering with horses in healing, and assisting people in living a more authentic, whole life continues to fuel my passion and keep my imagination in flight.

"Learn to get in touch with the silence in yourself, and know that everything in life has a purpose. There are no mistakes, no coincidences, all events are blessings for us to learn from."

Elizabeth Kubler-Ross