Equine Assisted Therapy for Mental Health Treatment

How Equine Assisted Therapy Can Help Your Mental Health

I am frequently asked, what is equine-assisted therapy? Rise VanFleet and Tracy Faa-Thompson (2017) said, "the therapist conducting animal-assisted play therapy uses theoretically grounded approaches with clients while incorporating the animals in a thoughtful and humane manner."

Therefore, the therapist will incorporate the equine into this therapeutic setting in an equine-assisted therapist setting. In equine-assisted therapy, the therapist will have carefully thought out the therapeutic process and ensure that all beings involved are treated.

When introducing clients to equine-assisted services, they must know that equines are sentient beings. Meaning they are aware of their feelings and emotions.

Equines, like humans, can have feelings such as pain, frustration, fear, happiness, anxiety, and love. Learning how to express these feelings healthily is crucial to an individual's well-being.

In the therapeutic setting, the equine is considered an equal partner during the session.

Equines are naturally observed and respond to nonverbal cues from various beings. Because of this, it makes them perfect for reflecting on the client's emotional and behavioral states.

For individuals who have had difficulty connecting and opening up to a therapist, connecting with an equine can be easier. Connecting with the equine leads to healthier relationships that can be used outside of the therapeutic setting.

Equine Assisted Psychotherapy Guidelines

Various organizations have guidelines to incorporate when an equine is involved in the therapeutic setting.

The guidelines that I have found to reflect my form of practice and ethical guidelines are from the Animal Assisted Play Therapy (AAPT) organization (VanFleet & Faa-Thompson, 2017).

The equine-assisted therapy guidelines are as follows:

Respect

There must be respect for every human and nonhuman in the therapeutic setting. In liberty work with the equine, we see how the human and equine bond is established when they have mutual respect for each other.

Safety

The therapeutic activities must be physically and emotionally safe. Suppose safety becomes a concern, then the therapist must step in and change or alter what is happening.

When safety becomes an issue, the therapist can use this to discover what is going on with the client in the moment and related outside of the therapeutic setting. If the safety issue cannot be resolved, the equine may be removed from the therapeutic setting

Enjoyment

All parties must enjoy the activity. The client may choose to stop at any time during the equine-assisted therapy session. The therapist may ask the client why they choose to stop but should not pressure them to continue.

The therapist must know the equines they are working with and watch for signs of fatigue or boredom. If these signs are shown, that therapist may suggest a different activity with the equine or stop the activity altogether.

Acceptance

The therapist must accept where the client is and not push them to go any further until they are ready. The therapist must also accept that the equines are sentient beans and must not be pushed or attempt to make them something they are not comfortable doing.

All therapy equines undergo a rigorous evaluation before being deemed appropriate for a therapy session. The therapist must note if the equine prefers directive or non-directive play during this evaluation.

This information is helpful when choosing which equine a client may partner with during the session.

Training

Equines in a therapeutic setting receive ongoing training with positive rewards. The use of aversive equipment is strictly prohibited. This ensures the welfare of the equine and the client.

Relationship

During the therapeutic process, the client builds a relationship with the equine. The relationships learned with the equine relate to the relationships in the client's life.

They may learn humility, empathy, and healthy relationships through play with the equine.

Process

Therapy sessions all have a goal. The therapist should not be as concerned with the client achieving the goal as the process. It is essential to guide the client only when needed and let the process happen.

It may be essential to discuss the process with the client and parent towards the end of the equine therapy session. This allows them to relate the process to their lives outside of therapy.

Foundations

The foundation of animal-assisted play therapy is "grounded in well-established theories and practices in terms of lifespan development, clinical intervention, play therapy, ethical practice, and humane animal treatment" (VanFleet & Faa-Thompson, 2017).

Goals of Equine Assisted Therapy

Now that we have discussed some of the guidelines to follow with equine-assisted therapy, it is time to discuss some goals that can be accomplished in equine-assisted therapies. While many goals could be established, VanFleet & Faa-Thompson (2017) use the following in AAPT:

Self-efficacy

Teaches the client how to protect themselves, build skills used in everyday life, learn how to take appropriate risks, overcome challenges, and accept failures

Attachment and relationship

Clients learn to build healthy relationships by caring for the equine. They learn healthy attachments. They learn how to trust the equine and therapist, give and take, and what a healthy relationship should look like and feel like with other equines.

Empathy

Clients will learn how to be more empathetic to others by learning how to recognize signals from others and the equines that may be verbal or nonverbal, learning how to manage their behavior to make the equine comfortable, and ultimately manage their behaviors with other humans.

Self-regulation

Clients learn coping skills by playing with the equines by watching the equines and their choices, and learning how they react can impact how the equine reacts.

Specific problem revolution

Through play trial and error, the client will learn how to resolve problems. When the client can overcome a problem, the therapist needs to discuss how this resolution is helpful outside of the therapeutic setting in their daily lives.

Equine Therapy Conclusion

As a therapist is vital to work within one's scope of practice; knowing these guidelines and goals will aid you in determining which path to take when contemplating additional training to incorporate equines in the therapeutic setting.

For potential clients knowing these guidelines and goals will help you understand why and how the therapist may intervene during the session. Equine-assisted therapy can be beneficial in the therapeutic session. Guidelines must be followed to ensure the health and well-being of all involved.

PPH Therapy and Equine Assisted Therapy

PPH Therapy first started an equine-assisted therapy program at Meadow Vue Ranch in Indiana in June 2022. The sessions are led by Melissa Child: a licensed mental health professional, certified animal-assisted intervention specialist, and certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor.

Contact her at 208-549-9970 to see how you can get started with Equine Therapy.

References

VanFleet, R., & Faa-Thompson, T. (2017). Animal assisted play therapy. Sarasota, FL: Professional Resource Press.