Equine Therapy Offers You A New Path Toward Healing
Oftentimes, when we’re hurt and feeling stuck in life, talking about our emotional wounds with a person we can trust can be extremely beneficial. However, there are situations when our thoughts, feelings, and experiences can’t directly translate into words. In those cases, we need a bridge—something that transcends words or even explanation.
That’s where equine-assisted therapy can be so useful. Horses are highly intuitive animals, capable of sensing and responding to subtle cues in human behavior and emotions. This sensitivity allows them to act as mirrors, reflecting our inner states and providing us with valuable insights into our core issues and beliefs.
Equine-Assisted Therapy is Used to Treat Many Challenges
This is true from relationship issues, insomnia, and low self-esteem to anxiety, depression, and trauma/PTSD. It helps people become more present and gives them an opportunity to be seen and witnessed by another living creature (without anyone else’s life experiences being projected on to them).
It’s also a unique and effective approach to addressing various physical issues outside of the psychological realm. For instance, the rhythmic movement of horses mimics the human gait, which can improve balance, coordination, and strength. Riding on horseback in therapy can also enhance flexibility, fine-tune motor skills, and increase spatial awareness—and you don’t have to be an equestrian to enjoy its benefits.
It’s a great form of therapy for people of nearly any age who are curious about trying something new and want to connect with animals. It’s also an effective alternative for folks who have tried traditional therapeutic modalities without getting the results they wanted.
How Does Equine-Assisted Therapy Work?
Equine-assisted therapy uses in-the-moment activities and experiences, such as grooming, feeding, leading, and riding horses, to create a strong therapeutic bond. Horses are sensitive and can recognize human emotions, which enables them to provide feedback that reveals core issues and beliefs about yourself (and others).
This often unspoken means of communication allows for new insights and mind-body connections that can help you process difficult thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Unlike some traditional forms of therapy, there’s no rigid structure; rather, we’re working organically, focusing on being in the moment.
Everything is done under the supervision of a trained equine therapist, which means there is plenty of exploration and discussion happening, too. People will often stay in the barn with their therapist processing experiences, making meaning, and integrating lessons learned into everyday life.
How Effective Is Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy?
It is very effective! As an experiential form of therapy, it helps you access feelings and sensations that might be, otherwise, hidden from your mind and body. Instead of rationalizing and doing homework to sort through problems, this modality enables change to happen in the present moment.
Equine-facilitated psychotherapy is a powerful approach to healing that can help you improve emotional regulation, build effective coping skills, and foster healthy relationships. You can figure out solutions to everyday problems and even learn to communicate better. For instance, we might discover through your interactions that you lack assertiveness or confidence, which we can then work on in your daily life.
More importantly, equine therapy gives people a chance to bond with a non-human being, which can be helpful for many individuals, especially those suffering from trauma. Horses are sensitive to people’s emotions and are naturally non-biased and non-judgmental.
So, if you have trust issues or you’ve been hurt in the past—or if you didn’t have the best experience in a traditional counseling setting—equine-assisted therapy truly can help you create profound and lasting change.
Our Intimate Background In Equine-Assisted Therapy
Our certified equine therapist, Lexie, has a rich background in Gestalt therapy, a therapeutic method centered on fostering healthy connections with people, animals, the natural environment, and one’s Self. While working with us, you will get to know a lot of animal allies, such as our horses and our adorable therapy dog, Maia, who serves as both a professional colleague and a cherished pet.
Lexie Glisson MA, SWC
We also frequently integrate other forms of counseling into equine therapy to help with processing and meaning-making. For instance, we might draw upon EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy to support individuals who suffer from the emotional wounds of trauma.
The foundation of Lexie's therapeutic method is built upon her own story of personal trauma and recovery. She has been engaging with nature, animals, yoga, meditation, transcendental states, and a variety of therapeutic approaches to heal emotional wounds since she was a little child. Although classically trained as a therapist, Lexie finds that her own experiences with trauma and healing are the ultimate source of her expertise.
Discover A Fun And Unique Path Toward Healing And Personal Growth
If you are looking for an effective, non-invasive approach to uncovering and treating core issues that puts you in touch with yourself and nature, equine therapy may be right for you. Please Contact Us to set up your free, 20-minute consultation to see how equine therapy can help you create the change you want to see in your life.
