Equine Assisted Psychotherapy involves a licensed mental health professional and a horse working together to help individuals with mental health issues. The horse is used as a tool to help clients learn about themselves and their relationships with others. Equine Assisted Psychotherapy has been found to be effective in treating a range of conditions, including anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The therapy involves a range of activities that are designed to help individuals develop the skills to manage emotional needs. Equine therapy has become increasingly popular in the United States with more than 800 centers offering equine assisted therapy services across the country. The use of equine therapy is expected to continue to grow as more people become aware of its benefits and more research is conducted to support its effectiveness.
During the four week course participants will engage in three 90-minute group sessions with one of our equine specialists, where they learn how to effectively use non-verbal communication to execute tasks with their horse. These tasks may include challenging obstacles, building trust, or exploring nature trails together. Through interactions with the horse, participants learn how horses communicate, how they think and learn, and most importantly, how the horse reacts to their clarity, demeanor, stress, and leadership. These interactions help participants identify where they may have challenges with trust, impulse control, fear, empathy, mindfulness, as well as communication and leadership skills. During the final (week 4) of the program participants will engage in a 90-minute group session with one of our licensed therapists, who guides you in exploring and processing those challenges and in setting goals for progress. Sessions are once a week for 4 weeks, and we offer this program throughout the Spring, Summer and Fall.
Prioritize your mental health and get the help you need to live your best life. Want to participate in our Equine Assisted Therapy for Veterans program? Click the link below to apply to be a participant today!
Windfall Equine Therapy Center is always in need of volunteers to support the work we do for our veterans. From taking care of the horses and facilities to helping with any of our fundraising events, we are here to help you get involved. Click the link below to apply to be a volunteer today!
We can’t do the work that we do without YOU! Windfall Equine Therapy Center is proud to offer these amazing programs forabsolutely ZERO cost to our veterans. The cost to support each veteran to participate in one of our four week programs is $400, which helps us provide quality horses, equipment and facilities to support this work. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to our programs to help or sponsor a veteran today!