Star and Coco have become the unofficial mascots of Equine Connection Counseling. Most of the pictures on our Facebook and Instagram feature these special miniature horses. Who better to be the (adorable) faces of ECC than the equine therapy partners that work with almost one quarter of our clients each week?

When Star and Coco first arrived at the barn, few would have guessed that they would become the affectionate, patient, intuitive therapy partners that they are today. They had gotten used to spending more time with other horses than with people and were suspicious of almost everyone that approached them. It took several weeks of attention from Dr. Sheade and the equine specialists for Star and Coco to start enjoying the company of humans.

These days, "the minis" are known for their calm and nurturing attitudes, especially with anxious and depressed children. As many horse people will tell you, horses tend to be scared of loud noises, flapping fabric, and large moving objects. For Star and Coco, however, those types of things are a normal part of their job. Not only are they unafraid of bop bags, flying balls, and feather boas, they will approach a child playing with those things out of curiosity. Star will allow a child to dress her up with that boa and some bows. Coco's favorite toy is the sandbox -- when a child is playing in the sand, Coco will stand right next to them and blow sand around with her nose.

A great example of the impact Star and Coco can have is their work with Sam*. Sam's dad serves in the military. His parents brought Sam to counseling because he had difficulty getting along with kids his own age and often felt sad and angry. He had years of problem behaviors including tantrums and trying to hurt himself. When he first began working with Star, Coco, and Dr. Sheade in play therapy, he was very unaware of himself and how his behavior affected those around him. After a few weeks, he began to notice that Star and Coco wanted to be close to him when he was calm and quiet--and he felt comforted by their presence. Sam learned how to make friends by befriending Star and Coco. He brushed them and fed them snacks. Soon his parents began reporting that Sam was acting more nurturing toward the family dog and that he had started making friends at school. Today Sam continues to do well and is finding healthy ways to relate to others.

Sam is just one of the dozens of children that Star and Coco have had a positive impact on. They help kids learn empathy and self-regulation. They provide nurturing and acceptance to children who have experienced abuse and neglect. The provide fun and laughter to kids who are often sad and lonely. As Dr. Sheade likes to say, Star and Coco are two in a million.

If you want to help Star and Coco continue their amazing work with kids like Sam, you can donate to the Angel Fund to provide affordable equine assisted counseling to clients with financial hardship. Go to http://beanangelecc.causevox.com to make a tax-deductible contribution.

*Sam's name has been changed to protect his identity.

At ECC, we often talk about the benefits of play therapy for young children. We are proud to offer a unique type of play therapy that we call Equine Partnered Play Therapy, which was developed by Dr. Sheade. We have previously shared about a limit setting technique used in our play therapy practice, but you might still be wondering: what exactly is play therapy?

Play therapy provides children with the necessary materials to explore, process, and express feelings in a safe therapeutic environment. Children use play to make sense of the world. This is different from adults, who often talk to process things. Play therapy is built on the idea that play is a child’s language and toys are their words. How a child interacts with toys and with the therapist through play can reveal the child’s feelings, wishes, or needs. Child-centered play therapy is a method that allows the child to direct the content and process of the play session. By letting the child take the lead, he or she is empowered to explore and express his/herself as well as build empathy, problem solving skills, and self-esteem.

Equine Partnered Play Therapy (EPPT) is Dr. Sheade’s method of equine-assisted play therapy. It uses the evidenced-based techniques of child-centered play therapy and incorporates horses into the counseling process. Working with our miniature horses provides children with the opportunity to build relationships and gain awareness. The therapist can gain information about the child from the way he/she interacts with the horses. The horses also provide feedback to the child about his/her behaviors. For example, a horse may move away from a child who approaches too quickly. The therapist can reflect that the horse felt scared when the child ran towards it, increasing awareness of the horse’s feelings and how the child’s behavior affects others. The child might choose to approach the horse more slowly next time because they are now aware that moving too quickly scares the horse. These types of interactions can help a child learn self-regulation, empathy, and self-confidence.

Play therapy is a great option for children who are too young to verbally process their experience. We recommend EPPT for children ages 3-9. Some older children with developmental challenges or severe trauma may also benefit from play therapy. Concerns that can be addressed in EPPT include: attention problems and impulsiveness, anxiety/worry, acting out, anger/aggression, and many more.

As effective as EPPT can be, it is a small part of the child’s life. Therefore it is also important to us to work with the child’s family to identify appropriate techniques for behavior management and strengthening their relationship with the child. To protect the child’s privacy, the therapist will share overarching themes in the child’s play rather than specific content. This ensures that the child feels comfortable to express him/herself while also giving families the information they need to support the child’s progress. The therapist may also make recommendations or offer information about tools such as limit setting.

Want to learn how to do EPPT? Join us at our next scheduled EPPT Training Workshop. More details can be found here!
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Do you have more questions about EPPT or play therapy in general? We recommend watching the videos below from the Center for Play Therapy at the University of North Texas; there is one for children and one for parents. For other questions, please contact us or respond in the comments below and we will be happy to help you find the answers!

Written By: Hannah Yterdal, M.S., LPC Intern (Under the Supervision of Emily Michero, Ph.D., LPC-S)