Equine Assisted Counselling & Therapy
“Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light” Brene Brown
“ I love working with my horses with clients because they offer such profound feedback. You can’t not be present when you are near them. From the smallest ponies to the largest herd member they all offer something different. They offer a non-judgmental relationship, congruence, and transparency, something often many of us have been lacking in our lives. They can teach us how to be brave, how to manage big emotions and most importantly, because they are such magnificent creatures they sit with us while we deal with our stuff.
It’s important to me to provide a safe place where you can feel supported and nurtured. Different approaches work differently for different clients so this is not a step by step program. I work intuitively and often spend the first session getting to know you and where you are at, and where you’d like to get to. Subsequent sessions will be tailored to reaching your goals, be that more confidence, more peace or just more understanding of who ‘you’ are.“ Larissa
See below for more information
We offer 1 : 1 Sessions, Groups Sessions and Residential Programs.
Further Reading
Benefits of animal-Assisted interventions in preschool children: A systematic review, Myriam Lavin-P´erez, et al., 2022
An umbrella review of the evidence for equine‐assisted interventions, Stern & Chur‐hansen, Nov 2020.
Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) incorporates horses experientially for emotional growth and learning. It is a collaborative effort between the client/s, horse and practitioner. The Equine Psychotherapy Institute Model, which is a unique and comprehensive psychotherapy model with it’s own theory, principles, and practice methodology in line with best practice therapy, forms the foundation of our practice. It is an Australian model that is relational, ethical, mindful, trauma-informed, effective, deeply respectful of clients and horses, and is founded on psychological and psychotherapeutic theory and practice. The model draws from gestalt therapy, mindfulness-based therapy, Buddhist psychotherapy, and somatic experiencing (somatic trauma practice).
The focus of EAP, as in room-based psychotherapy, is to support and explore change. EAP is an approach to mental health and wellness that supports clients of all ages with horses as assistants, co-facilitators and teachers in this process.
EAP has been found to be an effective treatment for children, adolescents, and adults including:
• Depression and anxiety
• Difficult behaviours
• Children and adolescents ‘at risk’ with maladaptive behaviours
• Disruptive behaviours
• Adolescents with depression, anxiety and low esteem.
Some studies indicating significant improvements for adults include:
• Anxiety
• Unresolved grief
• Depression, anxiety and social disorders
• Eating disorders
• Couples therapy
• Post Trauma Stress Disorder
Practitioners must have a Mental Health Qualification and be EAP certified to deliver this.
Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) follows the same fundamentals as Equine Assisted Psychotherapy but doesn’t deepen into the family of origin or history of the issue, but rather focusses on the hear and now. What happens in the EAL sessions may look similar to what happens in EAP, however the goals are learning goals, rather than psychotherapy, counselling or mental health goals. Sessions may appear more structured and oriented around skills building.
EPI Model Practitioners know the boundaries between EAP and EAL and offer safe, professional sessions for clients. EAL processes can be extremely valuable for all clients interested in developing awareness and life skills, and offering innovative pathways for self and professional development.
EAL sessions do not (and should not) deepen into emotional psychotherapy processes such as exploring, expressing and integrating core beliefs, deep emotions, early family of origin relationships and ruptures, and trauma. EAL Practitioners are not registered Psychotherapists or mental health practitioners and are not trained or registered to be working at that deeper level.
Where appropriate EAL Practitioners can work in partnership with Mental Health Practitioners.
