WHAT IS Equine Assisted Psychotherapy?
Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) is offered by a qualified mental health practitioner where participants are offered safe experiences with horses for the purpose of addressing psychological challenges and developing new skills to achieve wellness.
The purpose of EAP sessions is to develop and deepen the participant’s awareness of their thinking processes, behaviours and emotional responses in a collaborative therapeutic relationship so they are able to develop more personal awareness and have greater power over the choices they make in their lives. This work is based on ‘exploring’ and ‘experiencing’ while in a safe relationship.
EAP at HVCT is underpinned with evidence-based practice, we take a trauma-sensitive approach and offer nature-based, experiential learning opportunities.
Why Horses
Authentic relationships
A foundational component of growth and learning is authentic relationships; ones which are based on trust, reciprocity and innately valuing others as a fellow sentient being. When we include horses in our program, we acknowledge, appreciate and honour the fact that they have their own thoughts, feelings, personalities and life experiences that uniquely contribute to the processes that occurs in the paddock. We partner with horses as co-facilitators and give them equal standing as valued members of the facilitation team (Lac, V. 2020).
Horse as co-regulators
Some of our clients experience challenges with their mood and emotions. They often experience fluctuations in nervous system regulation and are seeking to develop greater capacity for emotional regulation and resources to help them manage that in their everyday lives. The horses’ large and settled physiological state can act as a co-regulator, supporting the client to experience this in a safe and supported environment. With the therapist’s guidance, they can further understand that state and how they can attain that on a more regular basis.
Unique feedback
As a herd animal, not only do horses model ‘authentic contact’ with each other, but they can also model this with our clients. They experience something and respond in that moment, authentically expressing themselves. This can offer our clients a demonstration of authentic connection and also unique, non-judgemental, in-the-moment bio-feedback. That feedback being offered by a horse or dog can evoke less shame-based responses from people, allowing them to develop their awareness of self
Experiential Learning
EAP based around many elements of ‘Horse Wisdom’, which are key foundations for the psychoeducational components of our sessions. Having this then modelled by the horses, clients can more easily access that information through experiential learning.
Safety in relationship
Healthy horses in our domesticated herds often seek out contact with humans. Our clients can have the opportunity to experience building safety, trust and an authentic relationship with another being. Horses can also offer clients physical contact and affection in a way that a therapist cannot in session, and this can be a corrective relational experience of safe touch and connection.
Horse modelling present moment awareness
Horse are prey animals and are naturally sensitive to their environment. They can sense shifts and changes in what is happening around them and then respond in the moment. As a sentient being, they will react to each client individually, offering them feedback about how they might be feeling and behaving. This provides participants the opportunity to learn to develop awareness of their body sensations, their internal thoughts, their non-verbal communication and their capacity to communicate both overtly and subtly. They also model living in the present moment, rather than in the past, or in one’s mind or ‘story’. This also supports the paradoxical theory of change and is an important component of mindfulness -based practice.
What might happen in an EAP session?
Following an initial grounding, relaxation and awareness process, we will invite the participant to undertake an experience with the horse/s. These may involve observing the horses from afar, touching, grooming or leading the horse.
These experiences are experiments; enacting and ‘doing’. Experiments are about trying something new, at an experiential level, which is a way of interrupting fixed patterns and beliefs.
EAP is trialling something different (rather than just talking about it) in relationship with another ‘being’ who is non-judgemental, authentic and supportive.
These experiments will always take into consideration the clients therapeutic goals, abilities and their window of tolerance; what they are able to manage physically and emotionally.
Participants are supported to discuss their experience in terms of what they felt, thought and saw. This will assist in increasing awareness of feelings, thoughts, observations, patterns or themes.
