Equine Facilitated Therapy (EFT)
Five Lessons People Can Learn from Horses
- Identify and Cope with Feelings: Equine therapy is a powerful way to get in touch with thoughts and feelings. Instead of using your mind to address problems, which often leads to denial, blaming others, or intellectualizing your way around the problem, you use your body and heart to feel and react in the moment.
- Communication Skills: Through working with horses, people recognize their conscious and unconscious patterns of interacting with others. Horses do not speak, but they are excellent communicators. Learning to understand horse behavior can help people learn how others function in the world and the way their behavior impacts interactions.
- Setting Boundaries Without any words at all: horses make clear when someone has crossed their boundaries. Trying to control and dominate a horse will not work, nor will being passive or detached. Using these lessons clients learn to set healthy boundaries as well as respect others.
- Overcoming Fears In a safe environment: clients learn to face their fears and build confidence in their ability to overcome challenges. Clients who are intimidated and nervous are often surprised to discover how quickly they they can process those feelings and find comfort in their relationship with the horse. Empowered by this experience they develop the confidence to address other fears and transfer these sessions to day to day life.
- Trust: Horses are soothing, gentle animals. They are straightforward in their interactions without lying or manipulating. They do not blame. Their presence alone can be immensely healing. A client that had suffered a brutal childhood made the following statement after interacting with a horse ,"I've never had anyone so big be nice to me before."
Equine Assisted EMDR
Non-mounted interactions with horses can have powerful positive impacts
My lifelong connection with horses
Horses have been part of my life for as long as I can remember- and they continue to be an important part of both who I am and how I practice therapy.
I got my first horse when I was 13 and spent many wonderful years growing up as part of a close-knit barn community. During college, I love riding so much that I took riding lessons instead of gym classes!
After earning my master's degree and moving to Oregon to begin my career in mental health, I eventually realized something important was missing from my life: HORSES! I found my way back to them and began a new chapter with my horse, Woody's Infinite Wisdom. Woody and I were best friends for 18 years, and our relationship taught me so much about trust, connection, communication and simply being present.
Today my horses Copper, Cooper and Hanna are important members of the Horizon View Therapy team. Each one having a unique personality and a different way of connecting with people.
Bringing Horses into Therapy
At Horizon View Therapy, clients have the option of incorporating horses into their treatment when it feels appropriate for their goals. I am training in Equilateral, The Equine Assisted EMDR protocol and have found that combining therapy with horses and the natural environment can create an experience that is very different from traditional office based treatment.
There is something powerful about stepping outside, slowing down, and being in relationship with a horse. Horses respond to what is happening in the moment. They offer immediate feedback and invite us to become more aware of our emotions, our bodies and the ways we connect with others.
Equine facilitated therapy does not mean riding. In fact the work takes place on the ground, through simple, non-mounted interactions with the horses. These expereinces can hae a powerful positive impact and can be incorporated into treatment for a variety of therapeutic goals.
At Horizon View Therapy you don't have to be a horse person to benefit from horses. If you are interested, we can explore together whether including horses in our therapy might be a meaningful part of your healing process.
Cost
I do not accept insurance.
Session Cost:
Individual Treatment is $135.00 per hour. Session times range from 1 hour up to 3 hours to be discussed.
I will provide clients with documentation of services and payments made so that if they wish they can request reimbursement from their insurance. I cannot guarantee that insurance will provide payment.