CNN Reports About Equine Assisted Psychotherapy

14 Oct CNN Reports About Equine Assisted Psychotherapy

“Turning to a steady presence and gentle power of horses has been the most healing.

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Some studies show equine-assisted psychotherapy can help with a variety of mental health issues including anxiety, low self-esteem, addiction, trauma, depression and antisocial behavior. More than 66,000 individuals in 2019 participated in equine-assisted activities or therapies, according to the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH).

Stride Ahead, an equine-assisted psychotherapy program in Decatur, Georgia works with everyone including veterans, at-risk youth and recovering addicts.

The nonprofit uses an approach where there’s no horseback riding – the therapy takes place exclusively on the ground where the client can observe the horses, walk along side of them and pet them. This model is called the Equine-Assisted Growth and Learning Association or EAGALA.

This method is impactful because it doesn’t require any horsemanship skills, says Chris Lobkowicz, a certified equine specialist at Stride Ahead. “You just come as you are.”

A typical session starts with a touch base meeting that allows clients to briefly discuss their goals for therapy. This is followed by time in the paddock with one to two horses, an equine therapist who teaches the client horse safety and monitors the horses’ behavior, and a mental health professional ensuring the emotional well-being of the client.

Sometimes clients apply real-life scenarios to their interactions with the horses. The horses serve as metaphors for characters in their own lives. With this technique, the horses make their own choices and are free to move throughout the paddock, closer or further away from the client. This can create shifts in how the client perceives their life stories. This self-distancing approach allows for the modeling of boundaries and connections we would see in human-to-human interactions, according to research by the Indiana University School of Social Work.”

Read the entire CNN article here: https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/10/health/equine-assisted-psychotherapy-mental-health-wellness-iyw/index.html