What is Equine Facilitated Counseling?
Equine Facilitated Counseling, more commonly addressed as Equine Assisted Psychotherapy in the mental health profession, incorporates horses experientially for mental and behavioral health therapy and personal development. It is a collaborative effort between a licensed therapist and a horse professional working with the clients and horses to address treatment goals. Because of its intensity and effectiveness, it is considered a short-term, or “brief” approach.
Equine Facilitated Counseling is experiential in nature. This means that participants learn about themselves and others by participating in activities with the horses, and then processing (or discussing) feelings, behaviors, and patterns. This approach has been compared to the ropes courses used by therapists, treatment facilities, and human development courses around the world. But Equine Facilitated Counseling has the added advantage of utilizing horses, dynamic and powerful living beings.
Not all programs or individuals who work with horses practice Equine Facilitated Counseling. For one, licensed mental health professionals need to be involved. The focus of Equine Facilitated Counseling is not riding or horsemanship. The focus of Equine Facilitated Counseling involves setting up ground activities involving the horses which will require the client or group to apply certain skills. Non-verbal communication, assertiveness, creative thinking and problem-solving, leadership, work, taking responsibility, teamwork and relationships, confidence, and attitude are several examples of the tools utilized and developed by Equine Facilitated Counseling.
Equine Facilitated Counseling is a powerful and effective therapeutic approach that has an incredible impact on individuals, youth, families, and groups. Equine Facilitated Counseling addresses a variety of mental health and human development needs including behavioral issues, attention deficit disorder, PTSD, substance abuse, eating disorders, depression, anxiety, relationship problems and communication needs.The potential applications for Equine Facilitated Counseling are infinite!