We are fortunate to live in a time when alternative treatment modalities are developing and employing animals as a form of therapy is more widespread than ever before, particularly for the treatment of people with substance use and mental health disorders. Equine Therapy, often known as Equine Psychotherapy, is one specialized technique being employed by addiction treatment facilities. When a someone is actively abusing substances, they frequently start to feel hopeless, dreadful, and unworthy. Victoria uses horses for therapy permits these sentiments to come to the surface, people start to feel a sense of closeness, confidence, and focus rather than being trapped by negative emotions. In addition, studies on the advantages of this experiential therapeutic approach have shown that it can aid in lowering anxiety, controlling urges, and forging a good identity.
What does place during horse therapy?
Horses are remarkably adept at detecting social cues and emotional demands in humans. Patients engage with horses in equine-assisted therapy to address their physical, emotional, and risky behaviors, such as addiction, that affect their health and general well-being. Horses are kind animals, but they can also be daunting to some people, therefore most sessions tend to be more focused on calming tasks like brushing, feeding, and other repetitive contact with the animals. These horses are carefully trained therapy animals; as a result, they are docile and receptive, making it safer and simpler for each patient to interact with the animal. Healing on an emotional and physical level frequently occurs as the person develops a bond with the horse. This approach has been employed as a successful therapy strategy for people overcoming addiction, mental health problems, developmental difficulties, and trauma, to mention a few.
The Advantages of Equine Therapy
“The idea that horses might be beneficial or healing to persons dealing with mental health concerns is founded on the premise that horses are extraordinarily sensitive to changes in the human being,” says the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (as a predatory creature). Because of their sensitivity, horses respond to people in a variety of ways depending on how they are feeling. ”
By acting as a sort of barometer, working with a horse can give both the client and the therapist insight into the client’s emotions and variations within those moods. The horse will act and react as though the person who is participating in the session is anxious. The horse’s actions will change if the customer can lessen their own nervousness. This action offers the client and the therapist the chance to learn and develop their skills.
Benefits of Horse-Assisted Therapy for Recovery in Particular
Particularly when it comes to addiction rehabilitation, working with horses can bring up feelings that the client may or may not be consciously aware they are experiencing. This discussion enables the therapist to comprehend the precise demands, feelings, and objectives that the patient needs to be treated for. Following are some specific advantages equine therapy can provide to persons going through recovery:
- increasing the sense of emotional and social support, giving them the impression that they can finally rely on others for assistance when needed. A person who is actively abusing substances feels terribly alone and frequently loses their capacity to trust people. Working with horses can help the client regain their sense of trust and social support by providing a forgiving environment.
- encouraging openness between the client and the therapist When someone starts standard therapy for drug or alcohol abuse, they are frequently still in a defensive posture. Most persons who have a history of addiction spend a lot of time lying, hiding the truth, and deceiving others in order to support their habit. The patient’s guard ultimately drops during horse therapy, allowing for openness and aiding the therapist in understanding the patient’s genuine emotions and mental state.
- acquiring an optimistic mindset and a self-care awareness. The client’s sense of self-worth and control is increased by the skill-building tasks during an equine therapy session, but it also fosters optimism, group understanding, and positivity in each person. The client begins to understand the need of self-care while grooming or feeding the horse, and perhaps will apply these lessons to their own lives.
- Setting boundaries and raising physical awareness People who are actively addicted lose their capacity for both emotional and bodily feeling since substance abuse numbs all facets of existence. The patient regains their ability to feel and develops a greater awareness of their physical body throughout horse therapy. As they physically interact with the horse, their balance and posture alter, and they start to stand a bit taller. Horses also possess great instincts and have a rapid sense of change. Clients are made aware of the need to respect specific boundaries when interacting with these delicate animals as a result of this behavior. In order to achieve a higher level of healing, the client must apply this lesson to their own lives, re-establishing boundaries with others.
Disorders that co-occur and equine therapy
Equine-assisted therapy is a well-established method of treating mental health issues. This type of experiential therapy has a great deal of promise as a useful approach for managing co-occurring disorders. To improve their chances of full recovery, individuals must treat any co-occurring mental health conditions as they fight through their substance use disorder or addiction. For you to effectively achieve sobriety, equine therapy in Victoria will enable you to address these mental health issues in addition to your substance use problem or addiction.
In Hamer Equine Assisted Learning , (HEAL) supports alternative methods while treating addiction because we understand that recovery is a lifetime journey of growth and self-discovery. We offer horseback riding experiences that are both physically and mentally secure. We provide individuals the chance to examine any problems they may be having or just to enjoy being around the horses. The most crucial part of treating co-occurring illnesses is assisting the patient in discovering non-drug based coping mechanisms for mental health concerns. Each person’s needs are taken into account when designing sessions. We will take the time to get to know you and learn what you hope to accomplish so that we can carry out your objectives. Based on your objectives, we will assist you in determining the length and number of sessions. Please phone 0411 549562 for further details, or visit our website.