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Tequesta, Florida, United States
Futures of Recovery Healthcare specializes in treating adults 30 years and older suffering from substance use, mental health disorders, and co-occurring disorde...
$29,500 - $82,500
Learn / Helping With Horses: What You Need to Know About Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy
Helping With Horses: What You Need to Know About Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy
By
| Published April 15th, 2019| Professionally Reviewed By
Reviewed by Rajnandini Rathod on April 15, 2019
There’s something about a horse that makes us humans want to do and be better in our own lives. America’s 40th President, Ronald Reagan, once said:
“There is nothing better for the inside of the man, than the outside of the horse.”
And he’s not the only one to have cherished this bond. Horses have stood side-by-side with humans for centuries, from man’s best friend in the Wild West of America to horse and cart transportation during Dickensian London. And now, we’re working with horses to help treat addiction and mental illness.
Equine assisted psychotherapy (EAP), also known as equine assisted therapy (EAT) or simply equine therapy, is a rapidly growing form of addiction recovery. It involves using horses to achieve therapeutic goals as designed by a health professional, the benefits of which include improved motor skills, sensory processing and better social interaction.
In this blog post, we’ll explain what you need to know about equine therapy, and why it’s an effective way to treat those challenged by addiction and mental health issues.
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Vail Valley, Colorado, United States
All Points North Lodge is a comprehensive wellness and personal development campus specializing in addiction, trauma, and mental health.
$49,000-$200,000
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Malibu & Los Angeles, California
Oro House provides compassionate treatment focused on connection and a full continuum of services. Voted California's Best Addiction Treatment Center of 2021 by...
$30,000-90,000/month
Ad
Canton, Massachusetts, United States
Located on 6 acres of greenery, Bedrock Recovery Center is a hotel-style rehab providing trauma-informed and evidence-based treatment plans for adults.
Ad
San Clemente, California, United States
Located in sunny Southern California, Chapters Capistrano provides holistic, evidence-based treatment for substance abuse and addiction.
$39,500 (Insurance Accepted)
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Los Angeles, California, United States
Nestled in the private hills of Los Angeles, Hollywood Hills Recovery is a boutique substance abuse treatment center offering holistic care.
$30,000+/month (Insurance Accepted)
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Houston, Texas, United States
J. Flowers Health Institute provides personalized, concierge care, for busy professionals, adolescents and young adults, and highly complex individuals.
$49,500 - $129,000
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Raymond, Illinois, United States
Located in the countryside, Lincoln Recovery takes an evidence-based approach to treatment, offering onsite detox, individualized programming and luxurious priv...
$25,000 - $35,000
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Dana Point, California, United States
Monarch Shores offers luxury housing with beautiful ocean views and individualized addiction treatment in Southern California.
$34,500
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Malibu, California, United States
A 5-star Yelp-rated Luxury Treatment Center in Malibu, offering a majestic ocean view, 1-1 doctorate-level therapy sessions, and private ensuite rooms.
$90,000 (Insurance Accepted)
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Tucson, Arizona, United States
Using an innovative treatment program called The Sierra Model, Sierra Tucson has been rated one of the region’s top-ranking hospitals by U.S. News.
$20,000-$45,000
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Newport Beach, California, United States
With multiple facilities strategically located on magnificent Newport Beach, Sierra by the Sea provides gender-specific, primary and long-term treatment.
$16,500-$33,000
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Ashby, Massachusetts, United States
A 70-acre secluded retreat offering tailored treatment plans, evidence-based therapies, and a family-like atmosphere in the Massachusetts woodlands.
$22,000 - $31,000 (Insurance Accepted)
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Florida, USA
Tikvah Lake Recovery is an extremely personalized executive treatment center for those who seek the ultimate in treatment, privacy, and luxurious comfort.
$60,000–$85,000 per month
Ad
Hollywood, Florida, United States
A multi-structured program that offers gender-specific residential housing and personal treatment plans.
$30,000-$60,000 (Insurance Accepted)
What Is Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy?
Equine assisted psychotherapy is a highly specialized form of therapy that uses horses to help treat those suffering from trauma and addiction. Founded at the Sierra Tucson treatment center in Arizona, equine therapy has now been introduced in North America, in the U.K. and across much of Europe. And for good reason. Don Lavender, an American psychotherapist who pioneered equine therapy, explains in our destination video series:
“It’s become a really effective therapy. We are working with addicts to teach how to work with personal boundaries and the boundaries of the self and others, as well as some healing. It’s therapeutic for the human because they get to learn connection with others. If they’re isolative and they’re using drugs, they will learn how to replace that with connection.”
Get a peek into equine therapy with Don Lavender from our visit to Spain.
Equine therapy takes an activity-based approach to healing to promote personal growth, responsibility and positivity. It’s designed to break down the barriers that prevent positive communication and encourage healthy interactions, first with the horse, and then with those around us.
How Does Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy Work?
The common misconception about equine assisted psychotherapy is that it involves horseback riding. In actuality, there is no riding of horses involved in this form of treatment. Instead, equine therapy is about groundwork. It’s about learning how to speak the language of the horse and build a connection with it through a series of ground-based activities.
One example is lunging. In short, lunging is getting the horse to move around the pen with you. You can pull on a horse’s rope and drag it around the pen next to you, or you can develop a “join up” and walk in unison with the horse at its own free will. It’s the latter that you want to achieve, but to do this requires the patient to understand, read and tend to the horse’s emotions.
A big reason why equine assisted psychotherapy is so effective is that the horse emulates a non-judgmental, open and entirely honest human being. They are a “divine mirror” to human emotion and give a patient the ability to understand how certain actions and behaviors affect those around them.
What Are the Benefits of Equine Therapy?
Oftentimes, those suffering from addiction, substance abuse, trauma and mental health issues suffer in silence. It’s not a matter of having no support around you, but rather, it’s about failing to open up and validate hardship.
Working with horses, then, breaks down these barriers to effective communication and healing. It helps people adjust their perceptions and focus on attending to the needs of something other than themselves, and consequently, it builds a bond of trust and support.
When it comes to horses, we consider them to be non-judgmental creatures. As Don explains:
“Horses are perfect animals to do this, because every cell of their being is to join up and connect.”
And that’s what using equine therapy in treatment is all about. It’s about togetherness and understanding the needs and requirements of other people, it’s about building confidence and self-esteem, and it’s about improving both verbal and non-verbal methods of communication.
Healing Through Experience
Psychotherapy is often dubbed “talking therapy.” In the media, it’s depicted as a person lying on a sofa explaining their problems to a therapist and the therapist asking, “how does that make you feel?” And for many, this is an effective way of treating addictions and trauma, but treatment shouldn’t be limited to verbal communication.
Equine assisted psychotherapy is a non-verbal method of therapy that uses experiential principles1 to encourage positive behavior. To accomplish simple tasks, a patient must first learn and understand “the language of the horse” and build a connection through non-verbal communication methods like body language.
From there, they can begin to understand how their communication approach affects the horse and learn how to improve on it, working to better understand themselves—it’s the understanding of one’s self that is the ultimate goal to better recovery.
Find out more about the best treatment centers offering equine therapy.
- Greenberg, Leslie & Elliott, Robert & Lietaer, Germain. (2004). Research on experiential psychotherapies. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232460847_Research_on_experiential_psychotherapies [↩]
Return to Blog Home
By
| Published April 15th, 2019| Professionally Reviewed ByReviewed by Rajnandini Rathod on April 15, 2019
Learn / Helping With Horses: What You Need to Know About Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy
Helping With Horses: What You Need to Know About Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy
By
| Published April 15th, 2019Professionally Reviewed By
Reviewed by Rajnandini Rathod on April 15, 2019
There’s something about a horse that makes us humans want to do and be better in our own lives. America’s 40th President, Ronald Reagan, once said:
“There is nothing better for the inside of the man, than the outside of the horse.”
And he’s not the only one to have cherished this bond. Horses have stood side-by-side with humans for centuries, from man’s best friend in the Wild West of America to horse and cart transportation during Dickensian London. And now, we’re working with horses to help treat addiction and mental illness.
Equine assisted psychotherapy (EAP), also known as equine assisted therapy (EAT) or simply equine therapy, is a rapidly growing form of addiction recovery. It involves using horses to achieve therapeutic goals as designed by a health professional, the benefits of which include improved motor skills, sensory processing and better social interaction.
In this blog post, we’ll explain what you need to know about equine therapy, and why it’s an effective way to treat those challenged by addiction and mental health issues.
Ad
Tequesta, Florida, United States
Futures of Recovery Healthcare specializes in treating adults 30 years and older suffering from substance use, mental health disorders, and co-occurring disorde...
$29,500 - $82,500
Ad
Vail Valley, Colorado, United States
All Points North Lodge is a comprehensive wellness and personal development campus specializing in addiction, trauma, and mental health.
$49,000-$200,000
Ad
Malibu & Los Angeles, California
Oro House provides compassionate treatment focused on connection and a full continuum of services. Voted California's Best Addiction Treatment Center of 2021 by...
$30,000-90,000/month
Ad
Canton, Massachusetts, United States
Located on 6 acres of greenery, Bedrock Recovery Center is a hotel-style rehab providing trauma-informed and evidence-based treatment plans for adults.
Ad
San Clemente, California, United States
Located in sunny Southern California, Chapters Capistrano provides holistic, evidence-based treatment for substance abuse and addiction.
$39,500 (Insurance Accepted)
Ad
Los Angeles, California, United States
Nestled in the private hills of Los Angeles, Hollywood Hills Recovery is a boutique substance abuse treatment center offering holistic care.
$30,000+/month (Insurance Accepted)
Ad
Houston, Texas, United States
J. Flowers Health Institute provides personalized, concierge care, for busy professionals, adolescents and young adults, and highly complex individuals.
$49,500 - $129,000
Ad
Raymond, Illinois, United States
Located in the countryside, Lincoln Recovery takes an evidence-based approach to treatment, offering onsite detox, individualized programming and luxurious priv...
$25,000 - $35,000
Ad
Dana Point, California, United States
Monarch Shores offers luxury housing with beautiful ocean views and individualized addiction treatment in Southern California.
$34,500
Ad
Malibu, California, United States
A 5-star Yelp-rated Luxury Treatment Center in Malibu, offering a majestic ocean view, 1-1 doctorate-level therapy sessions, and private ensuite rooms.
$90,000 (Insurance Accepted)
Ad
Tucson, Arizona, United States
Using an innovative treatment program called The Sierra Model, Sierra Tucson has been rated one of the region’s top-ranking hospitals by U.S. News.
$20,000-$45,000
Ad
Newport Beach, California, United States
With multiple facilities strategically located on magnificent Newport Beach, Sierra by the Sea provides gender-specific, primary and long-term treatment.
$16,500-$33,000
Ad
Ashby, Massachusetts, United States
A 70-acre secluded retreat offering tailored treatment plans, evidence-based therapies, and a family-like atmosphere in the Massachusetts woodlands.
$22,000 - $31,000 (Insurance Accepted)
Ad
Florida, USA
Tikvah Lake Recovery is an extremely personalized executive treatment center for those who seek the ultimate in treatment, privacy, and luxurious comfort.
$60,000–$85,000 per month
Ad
Hollywood, Florida, United States
A multi-structured program that offers gender-specific residential housing and personal treatment plans.
$30,000-$60,000 (Insurance Accepted)
What Is Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy?
Equine assisted psychotherapy is a highly specialized form of therapy that uses horses to help treat those suffering from trauma and addiction. Founded at the Sierra Tucson treatment center in Arizona, equine therapy has now been introduced in North America, in the U.K. and across much of Europe. And for good reason. Don Lavender, an American psychotherapist who pioneered equine therapy, explains in our destination video series:
“It’s become a really effective therapy. We are working with addicts to teach how to work with personal boundaries and the boundaries of the self and others, as well as some healing. It’s therapeutic for the human because they get to learn connection with others. If they’re isolative and they’re using drugs, they will learn how to replace that with connection.”
Get a peek into equine therapy with Don Lavender from our visit to Spain.
Equine therapy takes an activity-based approach to healing to promote personal growth, responsibility and positivity. It’s designed to break down the barriers that prevent positive communication and encourage healthy interactions, first with the horse, and then with those around us.
How Does Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy Work?
The common misconception about equine assisted psychotherapy is that it involves horseback riding. In actuality, there is no riding of horses involved in this form of treatment. Instead, equine therapy is about groundwork. It’s about learning how to speak the language of the horse and build a connection with it through a series of ground-based activities.
One example is lunging. In short, lunging is getting the horse to move around the pen with you. You can pull on a horse’s rope and drag it around the pen next to you, or you can develop a “join up” and walk in unison with the horse at its own free will. It’s the latter that you want to achieve, but to do this requires the patient to understand, read and tend to the horse’s emotions.
A big reason why equine assisted psychotherapy is so effective is that the horse emulates a non-judgmental, open and entirely honest human being. They are a “divine mirror” to human emotion and give a patient the ability to understand how certain actions and behaviors affect those around them.
What Are the Benefits of Equine Therapy?
Oftentimes, those suffering from addiction, substance abuse, trauma and mental health issues suffer in silence. It’s not a matter of having no support around you, but rather, it’s about failing to open up and validate hardship.
Working with horses, then, breaks down these barriers to effective communication and healing. It helps people adjust their perceptions and focus on attending to the needs of something other than themselves, and consequently, it builds a bond of trust and support.
When it comes to horses, we consider them to be non-judgmental creatures. As Don explains:
“Horses are perfect animals to do this, because every cell of their being is to join up and connect.”
And that’s what using equine therapy in treatment is all about. It’s about togetherness and understanding the needs and requirements of other people, it’s about building confidence and self-esteem, and it’s about improving both verbal and non-verbal methods of communication.
Healing Through Experience
Psychotherapy is often dubbed “talking therapy.” In the media, it’s depicted as a person lying on a sofa explaining their problems to a therapist and the therapist asking, “how does that make you feel?” And for many, this is an effective way of treating addictions and trauma, but treatment shouldn’t be limited to verbal communication.
Equine assisted psychotherapy is a non-verbal method of therapy that uses experiential principles1 to encourage positive behavior. To accomplish simple tasks, a patient must first learn and understand “the language of the horse” and build a connection through non-verbal communication methods like body language.
From there, they can begin to understand how their communication approach affects the horse and learn how to improve on it, working to better understand themselves—it’s the understanding of one’s self that is the ultimate goal to better recovery.
Find out more about the best treatment centers offering equine therapy.
- Greenberg, Leslie & Elliott, Robert & Lietaer, Germain. (2004). Research on experiential psychotherapies. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232460847_Research_on_experiential_psychotherapies [↩]
Return to Blog Home
By
| Published April 15th, 2019Professionally Reviewed By
Reviewed by Rajnandini Rathod on April 15, 2019
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