Norunn Kogstad is a psychiatrist and psychodynamic psychotherapist specializing in the integration of horses into psychotherapy. She is currently int the final stages of completing her PhD at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), where her research focuses on psychotherapy with horses and the mechanisms underlying their therapeutic contribution.
Educated as a medical doctor and trained in psychodynamic psychotherapy, Kogstad combines clinical expertise with innovative approaches to mental health treatment. In her clinical practice, she incorporates horses into psychotherapy, working directly with the horse–human relationship as a core therapeutic element.
Her research is centred on understanding what it is about horses that makes them particularly suited for inclusion in psychotherapy. She explores relational, experiential, and regulatory processes within horse–human interaction, aiming to develop a more robust theoretical and clinical foundation for this field.
In addition to her clinical and research work, Kogstad provides education and training for professionals in both the equine and mental health fields who wish to integrate horses into their work with clients. She collaborates widely at both national and international levels as a supervisor, contributing to the development of clinical practice and advancing the academic understanding of equine-assisted psychotherapy.
