September 30, 2018 Solvang, California: In 1983, Adrienne Brandes was instrumental in the launch of D.A.R.E. (for Drug Abuse Resistance Education), the police officer-led series of classroom lessons that teach kids K-12 how to shun peer pressure and blow off drugs and violence. D.A.R.E., the brainchild of the late LAPD Police Chief Daryl Gates that was co-founded by the Los Angeles Unified School District, now is active in 75 percent of the nation’s school districts and in more than 52 countries around the world. Brandes played a critical role in getting it off the ground.

Her mother, a successful real estate agent in Los Angeles after the family immigrated from Dublin when Brandes was 6, urged her to apply for the position for the money so she could further her education. Brandes was halfway through a master’s degree program at Chapman University. She was studying for a master’s degree in counseling psychology at Chapman to become a family therapist, after earning her undergraduate degree in social ecology at UC Irvine.

Adrienne, noted for her philanthropy, amongst other causes, supports HeartFelt which funds research into Sudden Cardiac Death. HeartFelt provides free screening to young athletes in hopes of identifying contributing conditions that might potentially lead to serious health issues, including death, on a playing field.

She joins the Join-Up International Board of Directors after attending two programs to benefit the non-profit Join-Up International. The Monty Roberts’ Horse Sense & Healing program is a resilience-building workshop for veterans, police, fire, first responders and their families. The three-day program involves working closely with horses. The individuals and horses develop a special bond built upon mutual trust and respect. Join-Up offers everyone an effective tool to rediscover themselves through the eyes of the horse. This self-awareness exercise deals effectively with emotional trauma, anti-social behavior and withdrawal, anger, stress, combat stress and even Post Traumatic Stress Injury (PTSI).

Brandes first became aware of Monty Roberts at The Movement 2018. This two day Symposium and Awards Dinner in Solvang, California, had presenters and trainers sharing their unique perspectives of the flight animal and how their vocations were changed when they were able to use horses as a metaphor for a better understanding of their work and relationships.

For 25 years, Adrienne Brandes has successfully assisted her clientele in buying and selling luxury properties in the Orange County market, more than $194 million in sales in the last four years. Brandes is incredibly hands-on with each client, providing her undivided attention and personal touch to every encounter with passion from start to finish. Surterre Properties is a residential real estate brokerage.

Join-Up International, Inc is dedicated to promoting gentle, more effective alternatives to violence and force through educational courses and programs that impart Monty Roberts’ concepts of non-violent, trust-building communication. Horses are used as examples and vehicles for this learning process. It is our intention to leave this world a better place for both horses and humans.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact: Debbie Loucks

Monty and Pat Roberts, Inc./Join-Up® International

(949) 632-1856

debbie@montyroberts.com

MONTY ROBERTS AVAILABLE FOR SELECT INTERVIEWS:

The New York Times bestselling author and world-renowned horse trainer Monty Roberts is available for interviews.

MONTY ROBERTS first gained widespread fame with the release of his New York Times Best Selling book, The Man Who Listens To Horses; a chronicle of his life and development of his non-violent horse training methods called Join-Up®. Monty grew up on a working horse farm as a firsthand witness to traditional, often violent methods of horse training and breaking the spirit with an abusive hand. Rejecting that, he went on to win nine world’s championships in the show ring. Today, Monty’s goal is to share his message that “Violence is never the answer.” Roberts has been encouraged by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II with the award of the Membership in The Royal Victorian Order, as well as becoming Patron of Join-Up International. Other honors received were the ASPCA “Founders” award and the MSPCA George T. Angell Humanitarian Award and FEI’s Man of the Year. Monty was recently included as Horse and Hound Magazine’s Top 50 Horsemen of All Time. Monty is credited with launching the first of its kind Equus Online University; an interactive online lesson site that is the definitive learning tool for violence-free training.

JOIN-UP philosophies can be seen at work with both humans and horses across the world, from farms to major corporations. To learn more about Monty Roberts or the many applications of his Join-Up training methods, visit www.montyroberts.com . Horse Sense and Soldiers aired on Discovery Military highlighting the therapeutic effect that horses and Monty Roberts’ Join-Up® have on PTSD.

Photos and Infographic available upon request.