Connecting and discovering through Equine Assisted Therapy

Please describe a relationship, service intervention, program implementation, policy, or other that you initiated or know about that would be considered trauma-informed:

Equine Assisted Therapy is used worldwide to help those suffering from trauma.  It is an approach which allows people to observe through the behaviour of the horses, and their interactions with them, what is going on in their inner world.  For some with traumatic histories they are not connected with this part of themselves and it is often not ‘safe’ for them to explore it.  They may also not have any words to accompany their experiences.  In equine assisted therapy you do not need any words.  The horses pick up on what is being projected by the client and they will act it out for them to see.  The horses behaviour is reflected on by the client and the facilitators and as the sessions progress, the clients begin to internalise and make sense of what they are seeing.  It is a fully felt therapeutic approach which involves sensory stimulation and a freedom to move around at will (which the horses also do).  The clients are in complete control of the pace of sessions and the interactions that take place. They can connect with animals in a way that they may find too difficult with humans.  This connection allows for their story to unfold.  For those who have had traumatic experiences that have occurred in a ‘room’ or small indoor setting, the thought of seeking therapy in a ‘clinic room’ or similar space can be too intense.  Being outside becomes less threatening and ‘unsafe’ which allows defences to slowly come down and progress to be made. 

 

What was the outcome?  

Everyone who I have seen so far has engaged exceedingly well in this therapeutic approach - a lot of these individuals could not engage in any other type of therapeutic intervention that had been offered to them and they were feeling incredibly stuck and hopeless.  Outcome measures are being used pre and post therapy (sometimes mid therapy as a review at session 8) and the results and the qualitative feedback all point towards this being a very effective intervention for those with trauma histories who struggle to engage in other forms of therapy.   Importantly outcomes are long lasting and in some cases the clients do not need that many sessions to make significant progress.

 

What supported the positive outcome? (systemic supports? Organizational supports? Interpersonal supports?):

Interpersonal supports have helped in the sense that they have encouraged and supported me to make Equine Assisted Therapy available (even though this is currently outside of the trust).

 

In what way has your example changed you, your practice or your goals:

It has made me even more convinced that we need to be more creative and responsive to ALL clients.  If the type of therapy offered does not suit them or they feel unable to engage/connect with it then we need to find an alternative that they do feel able to engage/connect with.  It is not okay to give up on people.  We need to do more.

 

Tell us more about what motivated you to bring this example to discuss:

I have become increasingly frustrated over the years when clients are ‘abandoned’ when they do not engage with the type of therapy that is being offered.  I like to be very creative and try to provide an environment that enables clients to engage and connect so that they can receive the help they (and/or their system) needs.  I have a therapy dog that I use very successfully with a number of clients, but there are situations where I know that a different approach is needed.  My experience of providing Equine Assisted Therapy so far has been very rewarding.  It has provided children and adults with a ‘way in’ to start exploring and discovering themselves.  The approach appears to be more accessible than traditional talking therapy for some and is something clients enjoy coming to.  I think this is especially important when they are having to deal with a lot of difficult emotions or feel that there is no hope or no way forward. 

The other side to this work is from a staff wellbeing point of view.  Having worked with very traumatised individuals both within a more traditional room based setting and out in the field I know for a fact that I suffer more when working in a room.  When you are out in lots of space and you are all facing the horses then the staff working with these traumatised individuals do not get the full force of any projection, re-enactment etc.  Which is better for all those involved.

 

Whose needs are met in the example that you outline:

Both client and staff.

 

Was there any one person or factor that was central to the success of your example and why:

The horses….and the outdoors!

 

What can you or others do to spread this good practice to colleagues and services:

Present at the ‘Innovation day’ in September.

Complete a pilot within the trust to gain further evidence and continue to raise awareness.

Complete research outside of the trust.

Continue to offer CPD events to help others to learn about Equine Assisted Therapy.