EFP is an “existential motion-orientated, experimentally based psychotherapeutic approach” that “makes use of horses as a healing agent.” (Karol, J, 2007)
Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy is described as a shape of experiential psychotherapy that includes equine(s). It may additionally consist of, but is not confined to, some of at the same time beneficial equine activities which includes coping with, grooming, longeing, driving, riding, and vaulting. Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy is a remedy technique inside the classification of Equine Assisted Therapy that offers the purchaser with possibilities to beautify self-cognizance and re-sample maladaptive behaviors, emotions and attitudes. (NARHA internet site)
EFP has been proven to be simplest with the subsequent populations: Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy may be used for human beings with psycho-social issues and mental health needs that result in any substantial variant in cognition, mood, judgment, insight, tension degree, perception, social skills, communication, conduct, or gaining knowledge of. Examples encompass however are not limited to:
• Anxiety Disorders
• Psychotic Disorders
• Mood Disorders
• Behavioral Difficulties
• Other Mental Illness, which include Schizophrenia, Attention Partnering Facilitator Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Autism, Receptive or Expressive Language Disorders, Personality Disorders, Depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and so on.
• Major Life Changes including environmental trauma, divorce, grief and loss, and so on.
• Social Skills Deficits
Where is EFP no longer effective? EFP does no longer paintings for everybody; here is a list of person challenges that are not endorsed for paintings with horses.
• Individuals who’re actively suicidal or homicidal.
• Actively delirious, demented, dissociative, psychotic, significantly pressured (including extreme fantasy related to horses)
• Medically risky
• Actively substance abusing
The above information has been accumulated from the North American Riding for the Handicapped or NARHA website.
Why Partner with a Horse?
In a current studies have a look at reviewing humans’s interactions with horses over a 10 yr length, researchers found that people won the following advantages: (Please observe that those advantages are strictly from interacting with horses and do no longer speak of the possibilities of partnering horse and therapist).
1. Patience
2. Empathy
three. Trust
4. Confidence
five. Attentiveness to Others
6. Control over one’s personal feelings of Frustration and Anger
7. Better Communication capabilities
eight. Awareness of the way and whilst to bestow rewards
Why accomplice with a horse? EFP practitioners get asked this often. Below is a listing of some of the therapeutic benefits of using a horse as a co-therapist…
• Horses reflect our thoughts/feelings which approximates reflective functioning (Reflexive Functioning is the procedure by means of which we discover ways to alter our feelings).
• Horses can be a “silent witness” to trauma and pain
• The interaction can mirror the parent/baby courting (the scale difference among horse and human approximates the size distinction among mother/father and toddler)
• Because it is experiential, it could effect body and thoughts recollections
• Horses are through their nature are non-judgmental
• Non-verbal communique, can “pass the left brain’s ego defenses and exact evaluation.” (Vidrine et al. 2002)
• Horses are accepting of their personal and others “flaws” (no desire given for those which might be stunning, smart or wealthy)
• Increase in self-esteem- people frequently are able to analyze a brand new talent(s)
• Increase in empathy
• Teaches affective method- law of emotions and emotional reactions. One need to be able to adjust their feelings from inside for the horse to respond “correctly.”
• Increases self-recognition – no longer simplest in their frame or spatial consciousness however in their emotional fame as properly.
• Improves social talents- by way of working in a collection, group may be described as any mixture of horse(s) and human(s)
• Encourages duty-taking
• Develops the capacity to make choices
• Improves hassle-solving abilities
Beth M Stoddard, MA, LPC, LISAC
Beth M Stoddard began her profession in psychotherapy over a decade ago. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Northern Arizona University in psychology. After that she went directly to work as a disaster crew member in Phoenix, AZ. From there, she went to paintings at The Meadows, an addictions remedy facility in Wickenburg Arizona, whilst completing her Master’s application. Beth earned her MAPC (Master’s of Arts in Professional Counseling) from Ottawa University, earning a four.Zero GPA. She additionally graduated with a complicated degree in Trauma and Abuse.