Equine Assisted Psychotherapy Sessions
Horses provide much that is magical and defies explanation, but one thing is certain: receiving their unconditional love can be a transformative experience. A horse’s acceptance provides powerful healing. Each equine assisted therapy session is tailored to meet the specific needs of the clients. Each session provides multiple opportunities to examine attachment patterns, communication styles, emotional regulation, and the impact of unresolved trauma. Much of the time in each session is given to establishing a collaborative relationship with the horse on the ground, through interactions that encourage the clients to observe, gain knowledge of the body language of horses, and translate that new knowledge into effective communication.
Collaborative.
The structured interactions with horses that equine-assisted therapy facilitates often illuminate important patterns in the clients' lives and ways of relating to others. Horses are mirrors that honestly reflect important patterns in clients’ emotional and relational lives. Clients have an opportunity to learn new skills and shift their perspective through reparative experiences. These experiences building relationship with horses then get processed with the therapist and facilitator and hopefully transferred into healthy growth in the clients' emotional and social worlds.
Experiential.
Sessions with clients generally last for two hours, which allows enough time for the experiential work with the horses, as well as the verbal processing with the facilitator and therapist to make meaning out of that experience. The first sessions for a client include meeting and establishing rapport with the horses, learning basic communication and handling skills, as well as participating in experiential activities on the ground with the herd of horses. Later sessions may include mounted work, depending on the ability level of the clients and the length of time that they have been in the program.
Individuals or groups.
Equine Collective’s EAP program can accommodate the needs of individuals, families, and groups. Groups will not be larger than eight people, to ensure that the facilitator and therapist can adequately address the needs of each participant while also maintaining everyone’s safety. Eliza specializes in work with adolescents and their parents, so the age of the client population will range from twelve through adulthood.