Individual Private Sessions
Individual Private EAP Sessions
What Answers Might the Horses Have for You?
Horses do make that extra difference for us at Spring Reins of Hope. At SRoH we feel that the therapeutic value of horses as a co-therapist is vital. We consider them to be our truest colleagues in helping to identify core issues that might go unnoticed in the traditional therapeutic modality (talk therapy). Horses respond to a subtlety in our body language, and it is their ability to translate nonverbal messages that can be particularly revealing. Clients may verbalize a desire or feeling and yet their body language may communicate something entirely different. Horses decipher our body language and discover the discrepancies between what we say with our mouth and what is said through our body allowing further guidance in our work with clients. Messages become metaphors, which align with emotions or patterns in the client’s life becoming clues or a roadmap to solving issues. The horses' consistent reflections on the outside for what is occurring for the client internally, enhances the treatment team’s ability to process patterns of behavior or emotional responses with the client. It is often the case that issues/ triggers will surface to the forefront rather quickly in an EAP session, which may have taken much longer to reveal in a traditional psychotherapeutic environment.
EAP is a solution-focused modality which means that we believe our clients have their own best answers within themselves; it just may be clouded or buried. The horses’ input allows clients to see these options/ solutions and provide an emotionally safe place to explore them. In the hundreds of sessions we have facilitated with the same equipment, horses, activity and even goals - none have ever resolved in the same way, that is because for each client the solutions that arise out of EAP will be the missing link to their own unique struggle. This work is highly customized and specific from client to client.
Due to the intensity, effectiveness, experiential and solution focused origins; EAP is considered a short-term brief approach to resolving a wide variety of emotional/ mental health issues. Participants learn about themselves, their choices, their lifestyle, their perceptions and their perspectives from engaging in activities with the horses, and then processing (discussing) metaphors, feelings, behaviors and patterns that are revealed within the client’s own terms, understanding and context.
In the Arena
The focus of EAP involves prescribing various activities/exercises involving the horses which will require the client to explore and apply certain skills which are focused toward achieving treatment goals. This work offers a new slant to old emotional issues and mental health disorders.
One example of an activity that we tend to use early in the EAP process is Pick A Horse; where there are loose horses in the arena and the client is asked to pick out the horse that they like the most and bring it to us. We don’t give any instructions as to how to get or lead the horse, mainly because within the guidelines of EAP there is no “right or wrong” way to accomplish this task. If the client asks for instruction, we simply ask them to “do the best that you can”. This activity gives both the client and the treatment team much information to process about the client’s choices, decisions and problem solving skills. The horse also gives us much information to discuss about the way that it reacts to/ interacts with the client.
Several examples of the tools used and developed by EAP are:
- Setting healthy boundaries and self-care
- Establishing assertiveness by rapidly breaking down defense barriers
- Creative thinking and problem solving
- Provides immediate cause and effect situations
- Establishing self-leadership and positive sense of self
- Taking responsibility and accountability for oneself
- Enhancing communication and relationship skills
- Building confidence and positive attitude
- Promotes change from dysfunctional patterns to successful ones
"People experience many physiological benefits while interacting with horses, including lowered blood pressure and heart rate, increased beta-endorphin levels, decreased stress levels, reduced feelings of anger, hostility, tension and anxiety, improved social functioning and increased feelings of empowerment, trust, patience and self-efficacy." (A Change of Heart (Horses Regulate Our Biorhythms), HeartMath Institute 2006 Horses Release Oxytocin in Therapy Setting, HHRF)
SRoH has facilitated hundreds of sessions focused on the following mental health conditions:
- Anxiety / Depression
- Bipolar I & II
- ADD, ADHD, OCD, RAD, DID, etc.
- Addictive behavior
- Bereavement
- Anger/ stress management
- Communication difficulties / breakdown
- Teen Suicidality / Self harm
- Emotional/ behavioral imbalances
- Relationship problems
- Sexual/ physical abuse
- Trauma
Equine Assisted Psychotherapy takes one through a series of activities that explore and modify the client’s reactions to trigger emotional responses such as anxiety, fear, guilt or anger. Instead of falling into the default flight of fight mode at the slightest sign of uncertainty, the client learns to recognize authentic feelings and use them as information and insight to build self assurance and stronger support. This process works by creating alternative response patterns to old triggers by establishing new scenarios with the horses (who act as a grounding line). Exercises are designed to keep the clients arousal at a manageable level, while also allowing room for them to explore both the root and periphery of the issue. (Linda Kohanov, The Epona Center Bestselling author, Tao of Equus)
New Paragraph
$325
Per hour
(1 Hour)
Minimum 3 sessions
