We are contacted frequently by other mental health and equestrian professionals asking, "How do I become an equine assisted counselor?" It is exciting to hear from so many people who are interested in joining the field. However, the question isn't simple to answer. There are many different avenues one can take to becoming an equine assisted counselor. But there are a few qualities a practitioner must possess in order to be successful in EAC!

1. A collaborative spirit.
EAC is a team effort. Unlike traditional office counseling where it is just the counselor and client, EAC incorporates at least one other participant: the horse. Sometimes, that means a whole herd of colleagues in a session. The EAC counselor has to be able to pay attention to what the horse is doing because the horse is providing valuable feedback to the client. An EAC counselor also must respect the horse's authenticity and autonomy. By becoming a team with your equine therapy partners (and any human therapy partners like a certified equine specialist), EAC counselors will be able to enhance the session for their clients. 

2. Flexibility.
Flexibility is important when working with horses because they often don't feel the need to comply with your agenda. Did you or your client have a plan for how to spend your session? Chances are, your equine therapy partner will have a different idea. EAC counselors have to be willing to sacrifice the original plan in order to attend the client's needs in the here-and-now. Getting caught up what the client is "supposed" to be working on also discounts the horse's agency and can cause you to miss out on some valuable reflective opportunities for the client.

3. An open mind.
EAC is unlike any other type of mental health therapy. We don't talk the whole time, we brave the bugs and the elements, and we consider these huge, four-legged critters to have almost as much input about the process as the two-legged critters do. Sometimes your team's interpretation of what happens in session will be different. The client's perception of the horse's behavior may not align with yours. In those moments, it is imperative to keep an open mind and be willing to let the horses and your clients affect you as much as you might be affecting them.

Think you have what it takes to become an equine assisted counselor? ECC plans to offer training in REPC in the future--keep your eye out for more information when it becomes available!

The notion of horses being able to help humans heal and grow has been gaining more and more recognition in recent years. You may have noticed that there are an awful lot of terms being tossed around out there to describe various forms of equine-assisted activities and therapies. But what do they all mean? Read on to find out!

Equine-Assisted Therapy (EAT): A broad term referring to services provided by a licensed health professional that incorporates horses into the therapy process. Practitioners are often required to have a graduate degree and are regulated by a state board. Examples of EAT include equine assisted counseling/psychotherapy and hippotherapy.

Equine-Assisted Activity (EAA): Refers to services provided by a non-licensed professional that utilizes the inherent therapeutic benefits of being around horses to enhance non-clinical activities. Facilitators are not regulated by a state board and are not required to have a degree in their field. Examples include therapeutic horseback riding, therapeutic vaulting, and therapeutic driving. Equine assisted learning is also considered to be an EAA.

Equine Assisted Counseling (EAC) or Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy (EFP): EAC and EFP fall under the heading of equine-assisted therapy. It is a clinical service that incorporates horses into mental health therapy and is provided by a qualified/licensed mental health professional. For example, the ECC counselors are Licensed Professional Counselors or graduate-level interns working under supervision of a licensed counselor. Other examples of credentialed professionals that can provide EAC/EFP include: licensed psychologists (PsyD), licensed clinical social workers (LCSW), licensed marriage and family therapists (LMFT), and psychiatric nurse practitioners (PMHNP). The goal of EAC/EFP is not to teach riding or horsemanship but rather to address specific mental health goals through interaction with horses.
* Licensure credentials and requirements vary from state to state, so it's important to do be familiar with what mental health professionals are qualified to do in your state.

Hippotherapy: This term is often incorrectly used to describe all forms of equine-assisted activities and therapies, but actually refers only to the use of horseback riding/equine movement in physical, occupational, or speech therapy. It is provided by a licensed physical, occupational, or speech therapist. The goal of hippotherapy is to use the horse's movement to promote functional improvements in sensory, neuromotor, and cognitive functioning. To learn more, visit the American Hippotherapy Association website.

Therapeutic Horseback Riding (THR): THR is an equine-assisted activity that adapts horseback riding lessons for individuals with disabilities. It is a non-clinical, recreational service with inherent therapeutic benefits. Many people have seen in videos of THR on the internet but often mistake it for hippotherapy, its clinical cousin. Unlike hippotherapy, THR is not facilitated by a licensed professional. Rather, it is taught by instructors that have been specially trained and certified to adapt riding lessons for people with disabilities. Its goal is to teach people how to ride a horse with considerations made for their disability. THR instructors are not regulated by a state board and most certifications do not require a degree.

So what's the difference between a license and a certification, anyway?
Even for people who work in the industry, the differences between professional licenses and certifications can be hard to grasp. At the most basic level, licensed professions are regulated by the government while certifications are offered through independent organizations. That means it is illegal to say you are providing certain services if you are not licensed by the state (think "practicing medicine without a license"). While both licensure and certification exist to protect consumers, certification is usually easier to obtain and not necessary for practice.

For example, although we highly recommend that a therapeutic riding instructor be certified by an organization such as PATH International, it is not legally required for someone to be certified to teach riding lessons to people with disabilities. It does, however, provide more confidence that the riding lessons will be safe and suitable for the riders. On the other hand, it is illegal for someone without a license to practice equine assisted counseling because mental health counseling is a field regulated by state laws. 

Here is a brief breakdown of the differences between licensure and certification:​
LICENSE:

• Supervised by a state licensing board and subject to specific laws governing legal practice
• Often requires at least a bachelors degree (most mental health licenses require a graduate degree)
• Considered mandatory to work in certain fields such as medicine and mental health

CERTIFICATION:

• Supervised by a private organization
• May not require a specific educational degree
• Does not provide legal authority to practice in a specific field
• Considered voluntary to demonstrate competence in a profession

We hope that this has clarified some of the confusing aspects of this growing industry. Still confused? Ask your questions in the comments below!


Definitions have been adapted from PATH International.

"The horse will teach you if you'll listen."  -Ray Hunt

You'd be hard pressed to find an equestrian who doesn't believe they've learned a lot simply by being around horses. But whether you are an experienced horse person or have never seen a horse up close, there are many things about life and living that horses can teach us. Here are five lessons we learn from our equine therapy partners over and over again.

1. Be Authentic
The dictionary defines authentic as being real or genuine. Humans learn to hide many things inside because of messages we've internalized from our families, friends, and society at large. Constantly hiding our true selves and our experiences can lead to physical and emotional stress. Horses, on the other hand, do not know how to be anything other than who and what they are. They also understand authenticity--it is uncomfortable for a horse to encounter a human who is not being genuine because it is difficult for a horse to gauge how safe that person is to be around. Horses teach us that it is healthy to always be who we truly are.

2. Be Present
Horses aren't very concerned about the past or the future. They don't think in terms of their next meal, they think more along the lines of, "I'm hungry right now." Much of the emotional stress that humans experience has to do with dwelling on what happened before and what might happen in the future. Attending to our here-and-now experience can be powerfully healing. You may have heard the practice of being present referred to as mindfulness. Mindfulness is an important tool in recognizing and managing emotions, something that many clients who struggle with depression, anxiety, or trauma identify as an area of struggle. Horses are always in tune with the present moment so that they can keep themselves comfortable and safe.

3. Let It Go
This idea goes hand-in-hand with being present. Horses are focused on the present moment, so if right now includes a dangerous situation, the herd will immediately react in order to keep everyone safe. Once that danger is past, however, horses have the ability to return almost immediately to their previous state of calm. They don't worry about the next time the bear might come out of the woods or what they could have done differently the last time they encountered a bear. This ability to let it go sets a great example for those dealing with trauma and anxiety.

4. Say What You Mean and Mean What You Say
Have you ever had a conversation with someone that makes you wonder how sincere they are? Horses might not be able to speak, but they are still master communicators. Horses are deliberate with everything they do. In the herd, this keeps other horses from being confused about what is going on and therefore maintains safety. It's difficult for everyone to be secure if they have to second-guess whether their herdmate actually means it when they say that bear is on its way to eat them. For people who struggle to communicate effectively, it can be a challenge to ask a horse for what they want. Horses will respond if we communicate clearly and assertively (note that we didn't say "loudly").

5. We're Better Together
Horses are herd animals. Everything from their physical safety to their emotional security depends on having other horses with them. Humans are also hard-wired to be in relationships and we can gain a lot by having a support network. However, humans have a tendency to withdraw from their social supports when dealing with life's challenges. Horses' relationships with each other become more important during times of stress and danger. They know that having someone at your back can make all the difference. For people, a "herd" can consist of family members, friends, co-workers, and professionals (like teachers or therapists!).

Have you learned any important lessons from horses or other animals?

There are many different models for practicing equine assisted counseling (EAC) out there--different practitioners working with different types of clients tend to have their favorites based on their individual beliefs of how counseling works. It's probably no surprise that the ECC counselors are partial to practicing Relational Equine Partnered Counseling (REPC), the model of equine assisted counseling developed by Dr. Sheade. We've discussed the benefits of EAC and REPC for our human clients many times (here, here, and here) but the animal lovers in us also enjoy seeing the positive impact this mode of therapy can have on our equine therapy partners, as well. Here are a few of the key elements of REPC and how they benefit the horses we work with:

1. Horses have the capacity to be self-directed.  There are models of EAC that encourage the client to establish dominance over the horse as a way to practice assertiveness, leadership, or communication (think the horse scene in the movie 28 Days). In REPC, we view the horse not as a thing to be controlled or influenced, but rather as a sentient participant whose actions, reactions, and experiences are just as valuable to the therapeutic process as the client's and counselor's are. Most of the time our horses are at liberty in their own pastures and can choose what they do or do not want to participate in during session. If a horse chooses to follow a client around the pasture, they do. If a horse wants to walk away from a client, they do. If multiple horses want to approach a client during an emotionally charged moment (it's happened!), they do. The horse has the opportunity to freely express his or her reactions to clients genuinely and authentically. REPC respects the horse's autonomy in terms of behavior and feeling. This can be very different from other equestrian activities in which horses are trained to do as a human asks and act according to human expectations. REPC gives horses the opportunity to have a say (and be in heard) in communicating what they want (or don't want) from their interaction with clients. Clients are encouraged to approach the horse as someone they are in a relationship with (much like our spouses, children, coworkers, teachers, etc). This approach enables both the horse and client to strive towards collaboration, compromise, and mutual understanding - all the ingredients of a healthy relationship.

2. Structured activities are de-emphasized and session content is allowed to develop organically. Some forms of EAC rely on specifically structured exercises that work with the horse as a metaphor for life's challenges. Others have a step-by-step course of activities designed to encourage the client's assertiveness and problem solving skills. Because REPC is relationship-focused, clients may develop skills in all the things listed above, but ​the goal is to develop insight and emotional regulation as opposed to completing an activity. For therapy horses, this can make every day new and different. Horses that work mostly in an arena with riders on their backs can become bored and irritated with their job just like people do (imagine going to work to perform the same exact tasks over and over every day). The organic, adaptable nature of REPC can provide mental stimulation and keep horses from getting bored. The certified equine specialists that co-facilitate EAC sessions with the ECC counselors also work with our partner Wings of Hope's riding program. Many of them have shared seeing positive changes in horses' stress levels and behaviors in riding lessons since they began partnering with ECC.

3. All sessions are conducted on the ground. With riding and other strenuous physical activity off the table, there are many horses that might otherwise be simply "put out to pasture" that can continue to work and be interactive. For example, ECC works with horses owned by our partner organization, Wings of Hope, which offers therapeutic riding lessons. Horses that work in their riding program must be calm, physically sound, and difficult to scare or upset. Our partnership has given new purpose to horses that have become unsuitable for that work--for example, older horses with physical problems that make riding them unsafe. By partnering with ECC for the counseling program, the horses can remain at their caring home and Wings of Hope can be confident that these special horses continue to do what they do best: support the growth and healing of those working to overcome life's challenges.

*The world of equine assisted counseling is growing and developing quickly. The variety of methods and modalities gives practitioners a lot of control over their practice and clients a lot of choice in how to approach the healing process. While those of us at ECC are a little biased--alright, a lot biased--towards REPC, we always encourage therapists and equine professionals interested in getting involved with EAC to find the approach that fits for them. We are always excited to offer consultation and training to professionals seeking to enter the industry.*

What other benefits do you think EAC/REPC might have for horses? If you are already involved in the EAC field, what changes have you noticed in the horses you work with since beginning your practice?

F​irst things first: what we are discussing today is only a teeny, tiny piece of a vast and complicated body of information. If you are interested in learning about these things in more detail, you can find a list of suggested books and resources that explain the brain and interpersonal neurobiology much better than we can here!
 
When humans have a social interaction, there are measurable changes that occur to our brains and nervous systems. These changes in our brains are part of a growing field of scientific research known as interpersonal neurobiology (IN). IN has contributed a lot to the type of equine assisted counseling practiced by the ECC counselors. It is thought that the same neurobiological effects that people experience when interacting with other humans also happen when interacting with other social animals like horses.
 
All animals, including humans, have mirror neurons. Mirror neurons are a type of brain cell that helps us recognize and empathize with emotion in other living things. There are millions of them in our brains. They enable us to feel sad when we see someone cry, embarrassed when we see someone humiliated, or happy when we see someone smile and laugh. In interpersonal neurobiology this is known as resonance. Researchers and clinicians suggest that the way our brains and bodies respond to another person’s emotional state facilitates the awareness needed for our brains to activate new neural pathways—which in turn enables us to learn new ways to self-regulate and manage our emotional experiences. So when a counselor interacts with his or her client in a way that is empathetic, open, and accepting, they are essentially giving the client’s brain an opportunity to learn self-awareness and self-acceptance.
 
Some people have theorized that horses have millions or billions more mirror neurons than people do, making them experts at understanding nonverbal communication. All those mirror neurons enable horses to empathize even more than people do. In counseling, the horse can pick up on emotions that human clients and human counselors might not be aware of yet. It also means that humans and horses can engage in social relationships on a neurological level; although facial expressions and language might be different, the horse’s and human’s brains can respond to each other and build a relationship. When we consider that IN is based on the idea that a counselor’s empathy and non-judgment can help a person to heal, imagine how much someone can gain from interacting with an animal that has an even greater ability to be empathetic and accepting.
 
A lot of the field of IN is based on what little we know about the human brain and a lot of theory by experts. However, more research is being conducted all the time and there is an ever-growing body of information about things like mirror neurons, resonance, and the social brain. If you would like to learn in more detail about these topics, we suggest looking into the resources below.
 

• Dr. Dan Siegel: http://www.drdansiegel.com/
• Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation (Dan Siegel)
• A General Theory of Love (Thomas Lewis, Fari Amini, & Richard Lannon)
• Born For Love: Why Empathy is Essential -- And Endangered (Bruce Perry & Maia Szalavitz)
• Made for Each Other: The Biology of the Human-Animal Bond (Meg Daley Olmert)
• Affective Neuroscience: The Foundations of Human and Animal Emotions (Jaak Panksepp)
• Zen Mind, Zen Horse: The Science and Spirituality of Working with Horses (Allan Hamilton)

We would like to introduce you to more of our equine therapy partners. Doodles, Rose, Hank, and Phyllis all live together in the same pasture. Each is very different from each other but whether they are working individually with a client or together as a herd, they have all had incredible impact on the lives of the clients they work with.

Many clients notice Rose almost immediately. With her golden coat, thick tail, and sassy attitude she is quite eye-catching. Rose is the boss of her herd, meaning that she is in charge of keeping herself and all of the other horses safe from danger. She tends to be cautious around people and situations she is unfamiliar with and it can take a lot to win her trust. Because she is the boss, many clients have seen her move the other horses around the pasture. That sometimes appears to be mean and aggressive to clients. This can open up conversations about everything from healthy boundaries to bullying to feeling misunderstood. Rose is particularly popular with teen girls that are drawn to her looks and distinctive personality.

Phyllis is a quiet, calm presence in the pasture. She may be less interactive than some of her herdmates, so clients sometimes find it a challenge to understand what Phyllis is thinking and feeling. However, many people find that spending time with her helps them to feel less anxious. Tara* had an extensive trauma history and struggled with feeling constantly rejected in her relationships. Phyllis, however, would often choose to stay close to Tara during her sessions, even when more dominant horses tried to move her away. Tara felt comforted by Phyllis's desire to be near her and started to feel more confident in her human relationships, as well. She also found that her anxiety decreased as she continued to work with Phyllis. 

Doodles worked for many years as a show horse and as a therapeutic riding horse for our partner organization, Wings of Hope. He now works exclusively in counseling. He has seen and done a lot of different things in his life and has learned to be laid-back and relaxed in almost any situation. Doodles particularly excels when working with anxious children because he can be patient no matter how nervous or frustrated they get. Jason* was an teenage boy who worked with Doodles to work on managing his anxiety. Jason would work with Doodles every week in the round pen, communicating to Doodles to move in different ways. Doodles was very sensitive to Jason's feelings and would often demonstrate how Jason was feeling through the way Doodles would move. Through working with Doodles, Jason learned that by relaxing his muscles and breathing deeply, not only could he change how Doodles responded to him, but he could also control his anxiety rather than feeling controlled by it.

Hank quickly becomes a favorite of anyone who meets him, whether that's a client or staff member. Although he is one of the biggest horses in his pasture, he is very gentle and seems to love just hanging with people. He is also quickly noticeable because of his light and splashy coloring. Despite Hank's larger size, his clients tend to choose him because he seems safe to them. During his first session, Marcus*, a military veteran, felt immediately drawn to Hank. Having felt disconnected and disinterested in other people, seeing Hank interact with the horses began to motivate Marcus to want to seek his own "human" herd in which he felt accepted. Through interacting with Hank, Marcus began to notice how Hank responded to his moods and became aware of how he may be perceived by others in his human relationships. As Marcus' awareness of himself with Hank began to grow, Marcus reported feeling more connected in his relationship with his wife. Marcus also struggled to go out to crowded stores and other public places. Knowing that he would always be watchful, Marcus observed the horses' responses to potential threats in their environment and began to emulate their way of being both alert while relaxed simultaneously and began to feel safe to spend more time in public places.

There is still time to help Rose, Doodles, Phyllis, and Hank continue their work with clients by becoming an angel and supporting our Be An Angel fundraiser! Just $10 ensures that the horses can participate in the session. Go to http://beanangelecc.causevox.com before midnight on New Year's Eve to make a tax-deductible contribution to the Angel Fund, held by our non-profit partner Wings of Hope.
 
*Client names and some details have been changed to protect client identity

​Bill* was an Army veteran who had served two tours of duty in Iraq. After being discharged in 2009, Bill had trouble readjusting to civilian life. He found it hard to sleep at night and had frequent nightmares. He felt disconnected and detached from his family. Bill angered easily both at home, where he noticed that his daughter avoided him, and at work where he struggled to get along with his boss and coworkers. He began to feel depressed and hopeless. He did not like to talk about his experiences in Iraq and tried to avoid any reminders of his deployments. Bill did not like going to stores or movie theaters. He spent much of his time at home playing video games. Bill’s family worried about him. They tried to talk to him, but he just pushed them away. 

 ​Bill tried various other therapies but these therapies did not help him feel like himself again. With encouragement from his wife, Bill began equine assisted counseling. Upon walking into the pasture during the first session, Bill felt more at ease outside among the horses. He found himself drawn to a horse named Jake. Jake’s relaxed demeanor and friendly nature calmed Bill. Throughout the course of Bill and Jake’s sessions, Bill began to become aware of his own feelings and experiences by watching Jake’s responses to him. Bill believed that he could be himself with Jake knowing the horse would never judge him for his feelings or deployment experiences. Bill would often say that he felt safe around Jake and could let his guard down knowing that Jake would always be aware of any potential threat. While in Jake’s presence, Bill began to feel safe enough to talk with his counselor about some of his experiences.

By watching Jake and the other horses interact and with the help of his counselor, Bill was able to identify strategies that he could utilize to feel at ease in the world again. He began to understand that although he would never be the same person as he was before enlisting, he could find his new normal. As Bill began to feel more and more connected to Jake, he noticed that his desire to connect with his wife and daughter was reignited. Bill began to reach out to friends and family members who he felt had abandoned him. Today Bill feels like himself. Bill now coaches his daughter’s softball team, goes to karaoke with his coworkers, and has become a mentor for other veterans.

Bill represents millions of veterans who are suffering from the emotional trauma of serving the country in more than a decade of war and as well as veterans from wars past. We have all heard stories of the trauma these veterans endure and know all too well that many of them are suffering. We would like to think we have the resources to serve these veterans and help ensure that they have a guided path back into civilian life. The sad truth, though, is that our mental health services fail to reach too many like Bill.

These veterans are in need of care that is affordable, accessible, and administered in low-stigma settings. It is estimated that at least 30% of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans alone suffer from PTSD, depression, or traumatic brain injury. In addition, approximately 22 veterans a day commit suicide. Many of these individuals go untreated or drop out of treatment prematurely. At ECC, we have found that our clients feel more at ease in our tranquil outdoor setting and are motivated to attend counseling making our dropout rate much lower than other forms of therapy.

In addition to trauma and military veterans, one of ECC’s largest populations served is at-risk children and teens. In Texas, teens with mental health concerns are one of the groups with the highest need and lowest resources. The percent of Texas high school students who attempted suicide in 2011 was higher than the national average, but the amount of public spending on mental health care has declined each year. At ECC, about 25% of our clients are adolescents. They are often dealing with concerns such as depression, self-injury, anxiety, aggression, and trauma.
 
When working with teenagers, relationship-based and trauma-informed approaches are considered to be very effective. ECC’s method of equine assisted counseling is a great fit for teens because of its emphasis on the relationship with the horse. The presence of a horse in session can:

1. Increase the teen’s motivation to attend session
2. Facilitate the teen’s trust of the counselor
3. Provide nurturing and acceptance

For many of the teenagers that come to ECC, the horse becomes an important source of comfort and acceptance—things that can be difficult to find in middle and high school. The relationship with the horse becomes a way to both give and receive nurturing. Maladaptive patterns of behavior also become apparent through the teen’s interactions with the horse, but the non-judgmental nature of horses creates a safe space for the client to become aware of and change those behaviors.
 
EAC can be a great option for teens because unlike traditional therapies, there is less pressure to talk about their lives and their struggles. This helps clients feel more comfortable in session while still doing valuable work through their relationship with the horse. Caregivers frequently report positive changes within the first few sessions. Psychological assessments show that many teens we see at ECC experience significant positive change after just a few months of counseling.
 
We love getting to work with these teenagers and providing them with a place where they get to be themselves and experience positive relationships with the horses. If you would like to know more about our work with adolescents, comment below or use the contact form to get in touch with us.

In August, ECC President and Founder Hallie Sheade earned her Ph.D. from the University of North Texas. Her dissertation examined the effectiveness of her model of equine assisted counseling (called Relational Equine-Partnered Counseling, or REPC) in treating veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We hope that by sharing an overview of the study and its conclusions you can better understand what we do at ECC.

REPC is based on the idea that people want to build positive and nurturing relationships, which facilitate growth and healing. Through the relationship with the horse, clients have the opportunity to create a new pattern for relationships and experience security needed to process and heal from trauma. Activities and techniques in REPC are designed to target specific goals such as relationship-building, self-regulation and mindfulness, and creativity. These activities may include choosing a horse, haltering the horse, leading the horse, grooming the horse, being with the horse, moving the horse, bathing the horse, and relaxation activities.

Participants in the study were military veterans with war zone-related trauma. Each veteran was asked complete a baseline phase prior to starting equine assisted counseling, during which they were evaluated each week using PTSD assessments. The second phase was to participate in REPC equine assisted counseling sessions for up to 18 weeks. The third phase tested each person’s PTSD symptoms for several weeks after counseling ended.

Some of the conclusions and implications of the study are:

• Participants perceived interactions with the horses as beneficial to them or as an important factor to their improvement.
• REPC may be beneficial in reducing severity and symptoms of PTSD after a triggering event, meaning participants who were “triggered” felt better more quickly while participating in REPC.
• Participants appeared to be highly motivated to attend sessions with the horses.

Dr. Sheade’s research is one of the few studies on equine assisted therapies with veterans. More research on the effectiveness of equine assisted counseling is needed. REPC is a unique, innovative approach to the field and we hope to do more research in the future.


Happy Veteran’s Day! Thank you to all veterans and their families for your service to our country. We are proud to serve you!

It can be intimidating to attend your first (or even fifth or tenth) counseling session. Therapy is a mysterious process and you may not know what to expect from your counselor, the horses, or the process in general. This series will explain more about the counseling process at Equine Connection Counseling. Keep in mind that everyone’s experience in counseling is different and these are just a few common elements that most of our clients will come across in their sessions. 

In Part 1, we explained a little about what happens as someone begins counseling at ECC. In Part 2, we are talking about things clients might experience in their sessions after they have been coming for a few weeks:

Emotions. Even though humans are wired to feel emotions, people struggling with things like depression, anxiety, PTSD, anger, or sadness learn to “turn off” or “numb” their feelings in order to lessen the overwhelming impact those feelings can have. It is a common coping strategy, but numbing the bad feelings means the good feelings get turned off also. Horses have a hard time being around people that aren’t aware of their own feelings. To horses, feelings are the instincts that keep them safe and they rely on the feelings other horses have to be aware of potential danger, yummy food, or that cranky herdmate that they should avoid. Horses act differently around people who are aware of their own feelings than people who are numb to their feelings. This can be helpful for clients that want to get in touch with their feelings again, because the horses will immediately respond when someone feels an emotion. Horses often prefer to be near people who are aware of their own emotions because they are safer and more reliable herdmates.

Discomfort. We wish we could tell you that counseling is always a warm and fuzzy process. The truth is that counseling can be difficult and scary. Clients might learn things about themselves that they don’t particularly like and they might have to talk about upsetting things. They might try change habits that they’ve had for years. The ultimate goal of counseling is to help the client feel happier and healthier, and sometimes that means addressing and changing unhappy or unhealthy parts of their lives. However, talking about uncomfortable things around the horses can feel safer than talking about them in a traditional counseling office. Being around the horses can decrease stress hormones and increase “happy” hormones, so clients may experience less anxiety while talking about upsetting topics and feel calmer more quickly afterwards.

Awareness or new understanding. Because horses react authentically and in the moment, they may respond to things that the humans around them are not aware of. This includes emotions, thoughts, or physical reactions that clients didn’t notice at first. By experiencing feedback from the horses, clients often learn things about themselves and the way they handle stress that they may not have realized. This gives clients the opportunity to understand themselves better and notice how they act in their day-to-day lives. By understanding what they are experiencing and why, many clients feel better equipped to cope or to change things they are not satisfied with. Also, clients can practice working through their concerns with the horses first before trying it with people. For example, if someone is having difficulty communicating assertively with their spouse, we are likely to see that come out in their interaction with the horse. That way, we can address it in the here and now with the horse, rather than just talking about what happens outside of session. Having the chance to try communicating and relating differently with the horse helps clients feel more empowered and self-confident to try it with people.

Remember that counseling is a participation activity: you get out of therapy what you put into it! If there is something going on that worries you or that you feel uncomfortable with, your counselor will want you to bring it up to them. You have a lot of power over your own healing process and you are the only one who can tell us if something is working or not working. We encourage current and potential clients to contact us with any questions you have about the counseling process.