The Power of Equine Therapy
Equine therapy provides a powerful outlet for students to work through their struggles. Studies have shown that horses have an innate ability to sense human emotions and interpret them.
At Solstice RTC, our equine therapy program helps students process their emotions effectively and build confidence. Through working with and taking care of the horses, students learn:
- Self-esteem
- Impulse control
- Independence
- Responsibility
- Problem-solving skills
Over time, people can develop relational patterns that become entrenched and damaging to building healthy, productive relationships. These patterns are typically a result of loss, stress, depression, trauma, or pathology. While these patterns may at one time have helped them survive, they have become problems that undermine intimacy, trust, and understanding in one’s relationships.
Horses are emotional creatures and react to the mood of whoever is in their presence. While working with the horses, students receive sincere, immediate feedback based entirely on the way a student communicates verbally and non-verbally with the horse in the moment. This serves as a teaching moment for the student, enabling them to adjust their communication patterns based on the interaction.
Understanding Emotional and Behavioral Patterns Using Equine Therapy
Trauma-Focused Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (TF-EAP) helps students better understand patterns related to communication, boundaries, and how safe they feel around people. Through a student’s interaction with horses, staff are able to identify these patterns. Patterns uncovered during TF-EAP are addressed during family therapy and individual therapy sessions.
These sessions often help identify issues that are difficult to arrive at through traditional talk therapy alone. Through experiential therapy, we are able to meet students where they are and find the type of therapies that work for them.
