EQUINE ASSISTED PSYCHOTHERAPY
Animals have been partners in healing for as long as we have had relationships with them.  However, horses provide a very distinct and powerful healing potential because of their natural instincts.  As prey animals remaining constantly vigilant of their surroundings, horses are sensitive, inquisitive and responsive to nonverbal cues.  Like humans, they are social animals with different attitudes and moods.  Their distinct personalities provide a wide range of responses to us.  Their survival depends on communication within the herd.  They remain constantly in the moment, and their reaction to nonverbal cues is instant.  They are incapable of lying and mirror back nonverbal communication and incongruencies, which are interpreted by the participant through metaphors and analogies.  A horse’s agenda is simply, “Can you be a better horse in my herd?”  Without an agenda or baggage, horses encourage us to communicate with clarity, and develop soft, focused balance and self-awareness.  Horses encourage us to become assertive without aggression, set proper boundaries, and develop empathy and patience.  The opportunity for metaphorical learning is Equine Assisted Psychotherapy’s (EAP) provocative power.

Equine Assisted Psychotherapy and Learning emerged for these reasons as people experienced and witnessed the natural way horses could profoundly change lives and heal.  EAP developed into a powerful, solution-oriented therapy with horses as part of a professional treatment team providing catalysts for personal change and healing.  No previous knowledge of horses for the clients is necessary.  EAP uses non-riding activities with horses whose honest interaction with humans provides opportunities for experiential, metaphorical learning.  The activities are on the ground allow the horse to react authentically to the nonverbal messages of the client.  The horse is still part of the herd with you.

EAP promotes positive life skills, self-awareness, effective communication skills, assertiveness, self-confidence, effective team work, and leadership skills.  Through structured activities with the horses, EAP is effective for many challenges, such as life changes and decision making, grief and loss issues, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, autism, parent/child issues and more.  

Each session includes a licensed mental health professional and an equine specialist to ensure a meaningful and life-enriching experience.  

If this is sounding a little abstract, contact us for a demonstration.  We are passionate about our work and are anxious to share.  This work is not magic nor is it easy, but it is life altering.