What is Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy
In most cases serious mental health issues can be treated with psychotherapy. Recently a new trend called Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy has started across the country. This is basically using horses to help treat people with mental health issues. By using horses, the psychotherapy treatment is enhanced and has shown very positive results. Horses are sensitive animals and just being around them can make someone with mental health issues feel better and accept various treatment plans. Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy can be a positive step to take for anyone that might be having mental health issues.
Instructions
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1
Talk to doctor:
Before starting or signing up yourself or anybody else to a psychotherapy treatment plan you should first talk to your doctor or more specifically a psychologist / psychiatrist. He or she is in a better position to guide you on the different types of psychotherapy that is available. Talk to him or her about the benefits and possible drawbacks of Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy. -
2
Horses:
Introducing horses to a psychotherapy treatment plan can increase the patient’s non-verbal communication as maintaining the animal provides a unique opportunity for healing. By taking care of a horse, anyone suffering from mental health issues start to feel a sense of responsibility and since the animal does not talk back, they can provide countless hours of companionship to a mental health patient. -
3
Increase emotional growth:
Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy provides a very unique setting to enhance mental growth in mental health patients. By learning to understand and take care of the horse, a patient will begin to understand their own emotions and what makes them feel mentally secure. -
4
Develop sense of responsibility:
Taking care of a horse is no easy task. A certain routine must be established in order for the horse to be looked after and many people that might be going through various mental health issues develop a very strong sense of responsibility. -
5
Learning to build relationships:
Adding a horse to psychotherapy can help the mental health patient learn how to build relationships. A horse is sensitive to the feelings of the person taking care or is near to them and this bond can help those in therapy to learn how to develop or build relationships. -
6
Effective for adolescents:
Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy is shown to be very effective for adolescents as they usually become more involved with the treatment as horses are introduced. By taking care of the horses and building a bond with the animal can work wonders for young patients that might have some mental health related issues.
