A lot of people think Equine Assisted Psychotherapy ( EAP) is therapy for horses.  And they often think that I am some kind of horse whisperer.

Actually just the opposite is true; the horse would be the one to do  any “whispering” that may be needed to help heal humans.  The “whispering” in this case is the horse giving authentic feedback to the human through all the non-verbal ways that horses communicate.

Further, as a psychotherapist, my horses become my co-therapists.

EAP is an emerging field of therapy for humans in which horses are in a sense  co-therapists with the goal of creating emotional growth and learning for the humans.  EAP is a collaborative effort between a licensed psychotherapist and a horse professional, and of course the horse. This team of three works with one or more humans to facilitate growth and learning in many many areas.

EAP is known as an experiential type of work because the participants learn about themselves and others by participating in activities with the horses and then processing or discussing feelings, behaviors, and insights that came up as a result of the experience.

For example, in the first session of EAP, we often have the client lead a horse or in later sessions, they may be asked to get the horse to go over a low jump (say only 6 to 12 inches off the ground without using a halter or lead rope).

In both of these examples, the end result will be that the humans learned more about themselves and how to apply the following in their everyday lives.  They will be more aware of:

Non-verbal communication, assertiveness, creative thinking and problem solving, leadership, team work, taking responsibility which can lead to more confidence and how they show up in relationships.

Finally, this kind of therapy can help people deal with many issues, such as a variety of mental health and human development needs. It is also a wonderful way of team building, leadership training and EAP is  also a great way to help families, couples and adults and children move forward on issues that keep them stuck in their own growth and development  because it is so experiential.

Horses are very much like humans in so many ways.  They have defined roles within their herds.  They would rather be with their peers. They have distinct personalities, attitudes and moods. An approach that seems to work with one horse, does not necessarily work with another. AT times, they seem stubborn and defiant.

Most importantly, horses have the ability to mirror exactly what human body language is telling them.

 Many people will often say in the first or second session:  “The horse does not like me, or the horse is stubborn.”   However, the lesson to be learned is that if they change themselves, the horses respond differently.  Horses are always honest.  The ability to need to tell the Truth  makes them very  powerful messengers. We humans have learned to not always tell the Truth to ourselves and to others.  Horses mirror back to the human what they see, feel, hear and sense in such an authentic way that the sessions can seem almost “ mystical” or even “magical”.

So, we invite you to come try a session of EAP. You will learn a lot and experience what it is like to be with a completely honest and authentic being.  It may take your breath away; for sure it will help you discard defenses that no longer work for you.