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An alcohol & drug rehab clinic

Equine Assisted Psychotherapy

Rehab Therapy with Horses

Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (Horse Therapy) develops trust, communication and recognition of feelings. It encourages patients to let go of controlling behaviours that block recovery and develop new coping skills for different situations in life.

How it Works

Patients are given a simple task such as ‘lead the horse back to the group without touching it’, or ‘work in a team to put a saddle on the horse’. Our experienced equine therapist Aureol Gillan is always present during these sessions and observes the interactions taking place. Afterwards she discusses the way the task was approached and the feelings of the patients while performing it.

Combined with Individual & Group Therapy

We use equine therapy with patients in extended care and we find it to be highly effective in identifying new behavioural patterns which are addressed afterwards in individual and group therapy sessions.

Horse & Equine Psychotherapy and Counselling for the treatment of addictions at Castle Craig

"I'd never been in contact with horses before and I did have some fear of being around them at first but what I learned about myself from even the first session with them was absolutely incredible. I walked away stunned by the experience."

-Steven Lowe

Read about Steven Lowe, a former patient at Castle Craig, Spending time with horses: Is this the perfect therapy? The Herald, 25th August 2008.

Aureol Gillan, Equine Therapist, Castle Craig, Scotland
Walking with the horses
Belle, our little foal
 

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