Our children are faced with so much overwhelm in these times. Anxiety, OCD, Self Harm, Trauma and Eating Disorders are unfortunate challenges that families are facing. ​ I work with children on these issues, with my Equine guides as majestic mirrors for regulation, connection, understanding of ones own patterns and body sensations.

 

What happens in Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy?

 

The hyper-sensitive nervous system of a 1,000lb animal is intuitively responsive to the nervous systems around it - this is the path of known safety to the horse who relies on the herd. So what happens first is we observe, slow down, and notice that when we are in a particular state, the horse is in a particular state. When we hold our breath and unconsciously hold tension on the most subtle level, the horse has that tension and reacts - the more the tension, the larger the reaction. We cannot deny this mirror, especially when an exhale stops a pacing nervous horse.

 

A mindfulness relaxation technique, which generally would be a dull and perhaps frustrating attempt for a child, is suddenly magically crucial because the gift of connection with the horse is the reward and the bliss.

 

As clients learn to regulate and find safety in their bodies and connect with the horse, more significant movements and work can be explored, such as working in an arena with a free horse and using gestures of pushing out (boundaries) and reaching for (connection). These gestures may stir up trauma or negative memories, causing nervous system dysregulation in the child. The mirror of the horse shows this, and the child learns to rely on the regulation tools they have learned to calm themselves and thus the horse and create new neural patterns that allow for safety in these gestures.

 

These are just some of the endless ways that horses can be guides to our own nervous system and healing. Horses have been one of the most remarkable healing gifts of my life, and the beauty of sharing this with children never ceases to break my heart open.

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A no fee consultation will occur to ensure we are a mutual fit. You have a right to request a written Good Faith Estimate of Expected Charges under the No Surprises Act.