Equine Assisted Psychotherapy:
You don't give kids confidence and self-esteem - you show them how
to earn it.~Tom Maier, founder of Riata Ranch in Exeter, California
It's Much More Than "Horse Play"!
Plato was quoted as saying, "You can learn more about an individual during an hour of play
than in a year of conversation" and Einstein once contended that, "Insanity is doing the same
thing over and over again and expecting different results". When traditional forms of therapy
don't work, therapists sometimes don't know where to turn. Some clients are better served
outside the office. Experiential forms of therapy allow clients to confront a situation, try
a new problem solving technique and then process the experience with a trained therapist while
it's occurring!
Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) refers to the use of horses as a tool for treating/teaching
humans with challenges that range anywhere from addictions and victimization issues to
communication and relationship difficulties. Equine Assisted Psychotherapy is a growing
discipline in which horses are utilized to create a therapeutic setting employing an
experiential, action-based, counseling model. In EAP, a clinical professional and a specially
trained horse professional work with a horse to co-facilitate a therapeutic process together
with the client(s).
Experiential approaches to therapy provide an ideal compliment to traditional (talk) therapy
in that clients often explore skills and gain insight in the office that aren't internalized
until practiced or experienced. Investigations into the effectiveness of experiential
interventions indicate that they offer physical, emotional, and spiritual benefits.
Douglas Mann, a family therapist in Colorado, has published a paper in the Family Therapy News
(April/May 2001 edition) documenting the benefits of adding a horse to the therapy toolbox.
Based on the principles of Reality, Gestalt, Cognitive-Behavioral and Problem Solving Therapy
models; the sessions center on the 'here and now' as opposed to past experiences. The
activities engage the clients* bodies, minds and spirits. Solid theoretical grounding and
burgeoning supportive research have contributed much to the rapid growth of equine assisted
assessment and psychotherapy.
EAP participants learn about themselves and others by participating in activities with the horses and
then processing (or discussing) feelings, behaviors, and patterns. EAP exercises force participants to
think "outside the box" and to try new solutions to old behaviors. Horse-based sessions are used in
team/leadership development, group, individual and family counseling sessions. The focus is on behavioral
interactions and the use of deliberate interventions to alter the observed pattern(s) of undesirable
behavior. This approach has been compared to the ropes courses used by therapists, treatment facilities
and human development courses around the world. But EAP has the added advantage of utilizing horses which
are dynamic and powerful living beings. Horses have moods, fears, likes and dislikes just like the clients.
Horses have an under- lying ability to heal and teach. They provide unconditional acceptance, experience a
variety of emotions and deliver immediate feedback that is observable and honest. Horses are
sensitive to nonverbal stimuli and therefore provide valuable and visible lessons in nonverbal
communication and body language. The focus of EAP is not on riding or horsemanship.
In fact, 90% of EAP takes place with the client on the ground.
Not all programs or individuals who use horses practice EAP.
A licensed and specially trained clinical professional needs to be
involved for it to be considered "therapy".
EAGALA (Equine Assisted Growth & Learning Association) is the certifying body in the growing demand for equine assisted
mental health services. NAADAC (National Association of
Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors) and a host of nationally
recognized certification and licensure boards have authorized EAGALA and their "horse-based
therapy" workshops as a provider of CEU's. Numerous residential programs, including Remuda
Ranch, Cirque Lodge, Girl's Town USA, Cadwalter Behavioral Clinics and Aspen Ranch have had
their staff trained by EAGALA and use horses. . .not just as an "adjunct", not just as a
"recreational diversion" but as the mainstay of their therapeutic programming. Virginia
Intermont College is the first to offer a minor in equine assisted growth and learning, but
the list is growing rapidly and several other universities including those in Ohio, are
following suit.
Linda Myers, MA, CCDCIII-E, LPC, ICADC was the first therapist in the State of Ohio to be
certified by EAGALA and was the first in the United States to reach the advanced "Master"
Level III status in EAP. Director and owner of Specialized Assessment and Counseling Services,
Inc., Linda and her horses host a variety of workshops, groups and team development programs
throughout the East Coast and at Stone Fox Farm©. Linda is a popular guest speaker
at conferences, inservice development programs for staff, and college classes at Ohio State
University where she and her horses captivate and educate. Linda is co-chair of EAGALA and is
uniquely qualified to provide consultation, leadership and clinical services. Linda is one of
a select few who has worked with EAGALA founder, Greg Kersten, to co-facilitate the certification
process for therapists and horse specialists interested in EAP certification. Linda's office phone
is 440-834-8096; email address is linda@stonefoxfarm.net;
and the fax number is 440-834-8258. EAGALA co-founders, Lynn Thomas or Greg Kersten, can be
reached at 877-858-4600. Please visit EAGALA's website at www.eagala.org.
There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside
of a man.~Sir Winston Churchhill
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