What is Equine Assisted Psychotherapy?
Photo © EAGALA
During the sessions the therapist will ask the client
to carry out exercises on foot with a horse that is free in the arena.
In the client-therapist relationship it is the horses who are the driving forces of the session. They bring to light our behaviors, our communication styles and reveal the potential to foster and develop relationships in a non intrusive and non judgmental manner. Their survival instincts force them to live completely in the present and they must be able to quickly decide and judge whether or not a situation is safe for them to trust or if they must run away. They are capable of detecting subtle changes in the surrounding environment, to perceive body language, movements, postures and intentions to which we are not aware. They perceive the emotional state of humans and react in consequence.
They can teach us a lot about leadership, authentic communication, collaboration, mutual respect, on freedom, joy and our capacity to embrace our true nature in all safety.
The therapists job is to be aware of these exchanges, observe, analyze and interpret what is happening and not happening through out the session. They intervene the least possible during the activity with the horse and only in response to the clients questions or needs. At the end of the session the client and therapist discuss what was experienced during the time spent with the horses.
In the client-therapist relationship it is the horses who are the driving forces of the session. They bring to light our behaviors, our communication styles and reveal the potential to foster and develop relationships in a non intrusive and non judgmental manner. Their survival instincts force them to live completely in the present and they must be able to quickly decide and judge whether or not a situation is safe for them to trust or if they must run away. They are capable of detecting subtle changes in the surrounding environment, to perceive body language, movements, postures and intentions to which we are not aware. They perceive the emotional state of humans and react in consequence.
They can teach us a lot about leadership, authentic communication, collaboration, mutual respect, on freedom, joy and our capacity to embrace our true nature in all safety.
The therapists job is to be aware of these exchanges, observe, analyze and interpret what is happening and not happening through out the session. They intervene the least possible during the activity with the horse and only in response to the clients questions or needs. At the end of the session the client and therapist discuss what was experienced during the time spent with the horses.
