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.

One of the most common concerns that parents and caregivers bring up to a counselor is how to manage a child’s misbehavior. Some children act out more than others, but it is always stressful for both the adult and the child when they do. It is important to address the child’s behavior in a way that he or she can understand. Children’s brains are different from adult brains, so we need to be able to communicate limits and consequences in a child-appropriate manner. Our favorite way to do this both in therapy and in the home is with the A-C-T model. It was developed by Dr. Garry Landreth, a leading figure in play therapy. It involves three simple, adaptable steps: Acknowledge the feeling, Communicate the limit, and Target acceptable alternatives.

Acknowledge the feeling. Letting a child know that you know how they are feeling helps them to feel heard and understood. Acknowledging emotions also helps an upset child address their feelings and can help them calm down faster.

“I know that you are angry and want to hit me…”

Communicate the limit. It is alright for a child to have feelings, but it is not appropriate for them to behave destructively or inappropriately. After validating their emotions, let them know that what they are doing is not OK. Be sure to word the limit so that you are saying “no” to the behavior and not to the child themselves. For example, instead of saying, “You can’t throw that,” you can say…

“…but I am not for hitting.”

This puts the focus on the child’s action rather than their feeling or person. Behaviors are easier for a child to change than feelings are, which is why the third step is to offer choices of other ways to behave.

Target acceptable alternatives. Simply telling a child “no” can lead them to feeling frustrated. They are trying to deal with their emotions and need to learn how to handle them safely. Offer other ways they can express themselves that are acceptable to you. It is also important that the child feels they have the ability to make their own choice, which helps them learn responsibility and problem solving. Offer one choice for younger children and 2-3 choices for older children and teens.

“You can choose to hit the pillow.”

It is important that you do not offer a choice that you do not want the child to choose. For example, you wouldn’t suggest that they hit the dog instead of you.

The A-C-T method can also be used with teens. We often want to treat teens as adults, but their brains are not fully developed yet and they need clear communication of concrete limits like children do. Tweak the language slightly so that the teen does not feel talked down to, but can still understand what you are saying. For example, “I know you are upset about not being able to go out with your friends tonight, but school nights are for doing homework and chores. You can choose to see your friends on Friday night or invite them to come over on Saturday.”

If the child persists in the inappropriate behavior, stay firm and consistent with the limit. This type of limit setting can take some getting used to. Practice the three parts and soon it will become natural to respond to your child with the A-C-T method. For more about limit setting and choice giving, we recommend Dr. Landreth’s "Choices, Cookies, and Kids" DVD. ECC has the DVD available for parents and caregivers to watch during their child’s session. It can also be purchased on Dr. Landreth’s website.

Please contact us with any questions you have about the A-C-T method or leave a comment below.