What is Equine Assisted Therapy?
Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) is an effective form of therapy designed to help people with a variety of behavioral and psychological challenges. Instead of the traditional office with a couch approach, EAP takes place within an arena or barn setting with horses, a mental health professional, and an equine professional. Through structured and mutually-respectful activities, EAP utilizes the horse to both invoke response from our clients and act as mirror for their behavior. EAP is not play therapy, nor is it some existential experience. The therapist facilitates the session and monitors the client; the equine specialist monitors the horse to read and interpret the subtle ways the horse’s body language communicates comfort, discomfort, and incongruence in the presence of the client. Using specific exercises and situations, and with the aid of the treatment team, EAP clients learns about themselves and others by processing the horse’s response and their own feelings, behaviors, and
