Our Team 

Katie Baron, LCPC

Founder, President & Counselor

Katie received her Masters in Counselor Education from the University of Maine in 2015. Since then she has worked in both home and community care settings as while as private practice providing animal-assisted psychotherapy.

She has found that taking people out of the typical office setting of therapy and out into nature and within the presence of animals benefitted their mental health and mood greatly.  It also helped them to open up and feel comfortable with the therapeutic process quicker as well as reached individuals who would shut down in this standard office setting.

Over the years she has the opportunity to work with a variety of different animals ranging from domesticated species such as horses, dogs, cats, and hedgehogs to wild ones such as owls, hawks, vultures, skunks, ravens, and foxes.

She has become well-versed in the ways different species communicate and is very passionate about connecting people with animals in a safe and respectful way that provides learning opportunities and education around animals, their environment, and how to keep them safe and healthy. 

This leads into her work as a Wildlife Educator. Separate from her work as a therapist she provides Wildlife Education programs that introduce people to native wildlife with the help of non-releasable animal ambassadors.

Erin Banis, Director of Animal Welfare

Leanne Budolfson, Secretary

Leanne brings her love of animals and 20 years of professional corporate communications experience to the secretary role. She began her communications career as a Public Affairs Specialist at Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany, elevating awareness of on-base community programs to U.S. military servicemembers and their families stationed there. The experience of serving those who serve sparked a sense of deep purpose for communications and the importance of building connections within communities. This passion of service to others remains at the heart of both her professional and personal pursuits.

A love of horses, coupled with a transformative personal experience of their intuitive ability to help us heal, fueled her interest in the human-to-horse connection. Leanne met Katie at an Equine Assisted Learning training and quickly recognized a kindred spirit. We share the belief that animals have much to teach us, and we have the ability and responsibility to help them in return. Leanne lives in the midcoast with her two rescue cats, Shelli and Sam (Leanne is pictured above with her Maine Coon, Sam), and looks forward to supporting the mission of Wild Heart Sanctuary!

The Animal Team

Rayne

Chai

Zen

Beauty

Ash

Kirby & Tortellini 

Norbert

The Path

Wild Heart Sanctuary includes many beautiful paths to walk along during sessions. Native flowers, such as trillium and lady slippers, and an abundance of moss & ferns call this area home.

We can walk these paths as part of therapy sessions, even bringing along an animal companion to join us.