We have eight (8) nine-week slots available for individual equine-assisted psychotherapy sessions. If the child you are referring is not ready for group work and perhaps has been difficult to engage in traditional, office based therapy, this may be the best choice for meeting their needs. The 2018 program begins the week of June 5th and participants must have their registration in and slot selected by May 15th. We highly recommended, however, that you register as soon as possible as there are a very limited number of these individual slots.
How Does this Program Work?
This nine-week program is designed to serve as a primary course of therapy and will utilize a unique blend of evidence-based practices that, when offered in our unique setting, provide a powerful approach to healing and growth: Trauma Focused – Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), adapted for equine-assisted and nature-based activities, is our primary framework.
The TF-CBT model includes psycho-education, coping and regulation skills and the development and symbolic expression and sharing of the child’s trauma narrative. The narrative is designed to increase the child’s tolerance for telling their story, identify strengths that have emerged from their experiences and to detect and correct faulty thinking about their stories (i.e. “I should have done something to protect my sister”).
Our program is also informed by research in the field of neuro-science, in particular the work of Dr. Bruce Perry. We also draw heavily from practices in Gestalt Therapy which emphasize here and now, in the moment processing of experiences and relationships.