Equine Assisted Therapy

Equine Assisted Therapy is a powerful therapeutic tool for people suffering from addictions. Equine therapy focuses on the group or individual’s interaction with the horse. There are many benefits from this form of experiential therapy, it promotes trust and communication and encourages the patient to let go of controlling behaviours. Equine therapy can help patients discover feelings and change behaviours that block relationships.

During a typical session patients perform simple tasks with a horse such as coaxing it into a circle, without touching or bribing the horse. Our experienced equine therapist Aureol Gillan is always present during these sessions and acts as a facilitator. Aureol is able to observe the interactions which take place with the horse. At the end of the session she will feed back these observations, thereby assisting metaphorical learning for the patient and enhancing problem solving skills.

It is Aureol’s view that “these activities can encourage personal learning, awareness of our reactions and the impact of these behaviour patterns. Equine assisted therapy can really help people develop more ways of coping with different situations in life.”