EQUINE-ASSISTED PSYCHOTHERAPY
Equine-assisted psychotherapy is hands-on, experiential work. To put it simply, the dynamics and symptoms we’re encountering in day-to-day life will often repeat in our interactions with the horse. Just as we would in an office environment, we’ll use therapeutic modalities like Somatic Experiencing® and Internal Family Systems (IFS). But in an equine environment, we have the added benefit of non-judgemental, instantaneous feedback from our animal friends.
I often recommend an equine component for clients who feel more at home in the great outdoors or with animals, and for clients that want an experiential approach.
Equusoma is a horse-human trauma recovery method grounded in Somatic Experiencing®, polyvagal theory, mammalian ethology, interpersonal neurobiology, interspecies neurobiology, comparative psychology, and equitation science. It offers a deep dive into the world of co-regulation, somatic renegotiation, and relational repair, by supporting the conditions for safety, sustainable nervous system states, and resilience to emerge.
The Natural Lifemanship Intensive and the Fundamentals of Natural Lifemanship offer an approach to Equine-Assisted Services based on the science of relationships. Its primary mission is to help people and animals form relationships to overcome stress and trauma.
About Equine Sessions
My equine sessions are incredibly limited and typically offered as a supplement to the progress current clients are making in a traditional therapy setting (usually at my office).
I offer 1-2 days of equine sessions every month at a rate of $260 per session (which covers my fees and the facility fees).
Many modalities use the horse as a mirror – representing something else. But my approach explores how we can be in relationship with the horse. The horse is not an object to be projected upon, and we're not bypassing what’s coming up for the horse. We’re creating a space of healing – not only for ourselves, but for the horse as well.
Quite honestly, I began to pursue the therapeutic benefits of equine-assisted psychotherapy because…I love horses. Horsemanship and riding have been big sources of joy in my life, and I was interested in the deep ways horses allow us to release trauma and understand ourselves. They also have an incredibly grounding presence that wordlessly calms our nervous system.
Many of my clients find it calming to move our work outside: from office to pasture.
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