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Equine-Facilitated Psychotherapy I want to update the definition and show how it is distinct from hippotherapy and therapeutic horseback riding. Central themes throughout all the research articles that will be explored: - Horses are non-judgmental and unbiased. - They mirror the participant’s behavior and emotions, which help the participant be more aware of himself. - Their nature as prey and herd animals makes them hyper vigilant and sensitive, thus making them keen observes. - The ability of a psychotherapist to use the horse as a metaphor for other issues. - The barn as a safe space. - Touch and proximity that is not possible with human psychotherapists. Here are some articles that I will be including in my explanation of the central themes: Bachi, K. (2013). Application of attachment theory to equine-facilitated psychotherapy. Journal Of Contemporary Psychotherapy, 43(3), 187-196. doi:10.1007/s10879-013-9232-1 - Bachi is one of the primary researchers in the EFP field and this is his most recent publication. This research explains similarities between attachment theory psychotherapy and EFP and in so doing, enriches the list of strategies that therapists can implement in EFP.
- This article focuses on the gap in research in EFP. Bachi explains that research is lacking and that the research that is done lacks statistical power because of small convenience sampling. He calls for more research, more quantitative research and an overall “EFP theory” that will unify the therapy.
- These participants suffered severe physical trauma which left them paralyzed in varying degrees. The participants were all horse riders before their accidents and did not participate in EFP precisely but rather speak to the healing power of human-equine interaction holistically. Participants explained that the unconditional responsiveness, attachment and mutual trust were important in regaining their self-esteems. “Riding focuses on ability, not disability”.
- This research looked at group EFP and proposed that therapeutic vaulting (the act of standing, dancing, doing gymnastics, on the back of the horse while another person is in charge of directing the horse) is a good strategy for group EFP. These participants were 7-10 year old foster children. The article has a great example of using horses as a metaphor: “One child was having great difficulty discussing an upcoming move to a different foster home. She was, however, able to offer many suggestions for how to help a horse that was being sold feel more comfortable in his new environment”.
- This was an interview case study of 5 women who had experience physical, verbal and/or sexual abuse and used EFP as part of their recovery. The four main patterns that developed during the interviews were 1. “I can have power” – The participants felt like they had regained control and no longer felt powerless. 2. “Doing it hands on” – The participants reported enjoying that the EFP was applying the skills that they learned in psychotherapy talk sessions. 3. “Horses as co-therapists” – This centered on the idea that horses were non-judgmental mirrors of the participant’s behavior and emotions. 4. “Turned my life around” – the participants explain that they found the EFP to be more intense, focused and intimate than traditional talk therapy. One participant argued that EFP is a faster way of doing psychotherapy.
- This looks at two aspects of EFP, 1) how horses communicate and how human interprets the communication and 2) how horses help humans create community. The author explains how both two aspects help patient well being and ecological awareness.
- This meta-analysis revealed that Graham (2007) and Trotter et al. (2008) were the best quality EFP studies, ie most reliable and valid. I am in the process of locating these studies. Ah, Graham is an unpublished dissertation so off limits for this.
- Similar to Bachi proposing the combination of attachment theory and EFP, Ford proposes the combination of dance movement therapy with EFP. Interviews of practicioners were conducted and coded and revealed that combining DMT and EFP can increase creative expression, provide opportunities for healthy touch and increase the depth and breadth of the therapeutic relationship.
- This is one of the best quantifiable studies on EFP. The research was conducted at a residential treatment facility for at-risk adolescents. This is the first experiment that I have found that uses a control group! Before EFP started, the participants took self-image, self-control, trust, and general life satisfaction scales. They then participated in an intensive 7-month EFP program, and then took the same scales after completion. The scales revealed higher trust, self-esteem and general life satisfaction scores for the treatment group compared to the control group, with no significant difference between the two groups in the self-image measure. In addition to the scales, the researchers also did one year follow up questionnaires. They found that the treatment group had less behavior problems (measured in police records and marijuana use) than the control group.
- She makes a great point about how EFP is a good choice for young adolescents who are otherwise against traditional talk psychotherapy. She explains that going to the barn and spending time with horses seems less daunting for the children but can be just as effective.
- Although they called is “equine-assisted coaching”, they found very positive results from equine use for participants recovering from sexual abuse
- This book identifies those suffering from attachment trauma and PTSD are good candidates for EFP
- This chapter is a sort of “how to” guide for practicioners trying to decide whether to, and how to, implement a EFP program. Equine-assisted psychotherapy
Chardonnens, E. (2009). The use of animals as co-therapists on a farm: The child-horse bond in person-centered equine-assisted psychotherapy. Person-Centered And Experiential Psychotherapies, 8(4), 319-332. Masini, A. (2010). Equine-assisted psychotherapy in clinical practice. Journal Of Psychosocial Nursing And Mental Health Services, 48(10), 30-34. doi:10.3928/02793695-20100831-08 Siporin, S. (2012). Talking horses: Equine psychotherapy and intersubjectivity. Psychodynamic Practice: Individuals, Groups And Organisations, 18(4), 457-464. doi:10.1080/14753634.2012.719744 Schultz, P. N., Remick-Barlow, G., & Robbins, L. (2007). Equine-assisted psychotherapy: A mental health promotion/intervention modality for children who have experienced intra-family violence. Health & Social Care In The Community, 15(3), 265-271. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2524.2006.00684.x Symington, A. (2012). Grief and horses: Putting the pieces together. Journal Of Creativity In Mental Health, 7(2), 165-174. doi:10.1080/15401383.2012.685017 - This article centers on EAP helping with grief, a theme that I have not seen in any of the other articles.
Greta Munger ( talk) 13:22, 22 April 2014 (UTC)
|
Will editors here please review Wikipedia's medical sourcing guidelines. Text sourced to non-MEDRS removed:
Therapists who specialize in equine-assisted therapy adapt Cognitive Therapy as well as play and talk therapy. Depending on the disorder and its severity the Equine therapist is able to make decisions about the processes or techniques applied in the sessions. Main techniques used are Cognitive Therapy, practicing activities, activity scheduling, play therapy and story telling and talk therapy.
- Cognitive Therapy: This type of therapy is often used as a treatment for anxiety. Horses sense danger and respond with heightened awareness of their surroundings, oftentimes trying to flee if the situation seems too dangerous to them. Individuals suffering from anxiety disorders may be able to feel these changes through observation, then allowing them to discuss anxious activities with the therapist. Focusing on the apprehension of the animal rather than oneself can greatly reduce the individual’s anxious response and allow them to challenge automatic thoughts. Throughout this process the patient would practice remaining calm and taking responsibility of his or her own thoughts.
- Practicing activities: This technique allows an individual to choose an activity, which may be outside of their own skill level. The therapist or horse professional will then assist them as needed and talk with them about thoughts or feeling that are stimulated by these activities. For example, longeing, bathing, and feeding the horse are all activities that involve coordination, planning and active communication.
- Activity scheduling: Oftentimes planning or developing a schedule to care for a horse throughout the day can teach an individual a sense of responsibility as well as flexibility because the physical needs of horses can change anytime.
- Play Therapy and Story telling: Many horse characteristics can be identifiable to individuals including the instincts of play, curiosity, freedom and social drive. Play therapy allows and inspires creating relationships and setting limits. Story telling encourages developing stories about what the animal is thinking and conveying emotion. This is a great tool for encouraging the development of language skill and creativity.
Equine Assisted Therapy is often used as a team building exercise or as family or group therapy because horses also show interpersonal behavior. Also because equine therapy is often goal oriented, it allows the group to work together to achieve something. [1]
Some reliable secondary medical sources ( WP:MEDRS) are listed here: please use them. SandyGeorgia ( Talk) 17:58, 9 December 2014 (UTC)
- ^ "What Is Equine Therapy?" CRC Health Group. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2013
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| This redirect does not require a rating on Wikipedia's
content assessment scale. It is of interest to the following WikiProjects: | |||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
| Done. | ||
|---|---|---|
| The following discussion has been closed. Please do not modify it. | ||
Equine-Facilitated Psychotherapy I want to update the definition and show how it is distinct from hippotherapy and therapeutic horseback riding. Central themes throughout all the research articles that will be explored: - Horses are non-judgmental and unbiased. - They mirror the participant’s behavior and emotions, which help the participant be more aware of himself. - Their nature as prey and herd animals makes them hyper vigilant and sensitive, thus making them keen observes. - The ability of a psychotherapist to use the horse as a metaphor for other issues. - The barn as a safe space. - Touch and proximity that is not possible with human psychotherapists. Here are some articles that I will be including in my explanation of the central themes: Bachi, K. (2013). Application of attachment theory to equine-facilitated psychotherapy. Journal Of Contemporary Psychotherapy, 43(3), 187-196. doi:10.1007/s10879-013-9232-1 - Bachi is one of the primary researchers in the EFP field and this is his most recent publication. This research explains similarities between attachment theory psychotherapy and EFP and in so doing, enriches the list of strategies that therapists can implement in EFP.
- This article focuses on the gap in research in EFP. Bachi explains that research is lacking and that the research that is done lacks statistical power because of small convenience sampling. He calls for more research, more quantitative research and an overall “EFP theory” that will unify the therapy.
- These participants suffered severe physical trauma which left them paralyzed in varying degrees. The participants were all horse riders before their accidents and did not participate in EFP precisely but rather speak to the healing power of human-equine interaction holistically. Participants explained that the unconditional responsiveness, attachment and mutual trust were important in regaining their self-esteems. “Riding focuses on ability, not disability”.
- This research looked at group EFP and proposed that therapeutic vaulting (the act of standing, dancing, doing gymnastics, on the back of the horse while another person is in charge of directing the horse) is a good strategy for group EFP. These participants were 7-10 year old foster children. The article has a great example of using horses as a metaphor: “One child was having great difficulty discussing an upcoming move to a different foster home. She was, however, able to offer many suggestions for how to help a horse that was being sold feel more comfortable in his new environment”.
- This was an interview case study of 5 women who had experience physical, verbal and/or sexual abuse and used EFP as part of their recovery. The four main patterns that developed during the interviews were 1. “I can have power” – The participants felt like they had regained control and no longer felt powerless. 2. “Doing it hands on” – The participants reported enjoying that the EFP was applying the skills that they learned in psychotherapy talk sessions. 3. “Horses as co-therapists” – This centered on the idea that horses were non-judgmental mirrors of the participant’s behavior and emotions. 4. “Turned my life around” – the participants explain that they found the EFP to be more intense, focused and intimate than traditional talk therapy. One participant argued that EFP is a faster way of doing psychotherapy.
- This looks at two aspects of EFP, 1) how horses communicate and how human interprets the communication and 2) how horses help humans create community. The author explains how both two aspects help patient well being and ecological awareness.
- This meta-analysis revealed that Graham (2007) and Trotter et al. (2008) were the best quality EFP studies, ie most reliable and valid. I am in the process of locating these studies. Ah, Graham is an unpublished dissertation so off limits for this.
- Similar to Bachi proposing the combination of attachment theory and EFP, Ford proposes the combination of dance movement therapy with EFP. Interviews of practicioners were conducted and coded and revealed that combining DMT and EFP can increase creative expression, provide opportunities for healthy touch and increase the depth and breadth of the therapeutic relationship.
- This is one of the best quantifiable studies on EFP. The research was conducted at a residential treatment facility for at-risk adolescents. This is the first experiment that I have found that uses a control group! Before EFP started, the participants took self-image, self-control, trust, and general life satisfaction scales. They then participated in an intensive 7-month EFP program, and then took the same scales after completion. The scales revealed higher trust, self-esteem and general life satisfaction scores for the treatment group compared to the control group, with no significant difference between the two groups in the self-image measure. In addition to the scales, the researchers also did one year follow up questionnaires. They found that the treatment group had less behavior problems (measured in police records and marijuana use) than the control group.
- She makes a great point about how EFP is a good choice for young adolescents who are otherwise against traditional talk psychotherapy. She explains that going to the barn and spending time with horses seems less daunting for the children but can be just as effective.
- Although they called is “equine-assisted coaching”, they found very positive results from equine use for participants recovering from sexual abuse
- This book identifies those suffering from attachment trauma and PTSD are good candidates for EFP
- This chapter is a sort of “how to” guide for practicioners trying to decide whether to, and how to, implement a EFP program. Equine-assisted psychotherapy
Chardonnens, E. (2009). The use of animals as co-therapists on a farm: The child-horse bond in person-centered equine-assisted psychotherapy. Person-Centered And Experiential Psychotherapies, 8(4), 319-332. Masini, A. (2010). Equine-assisted psychotherapy in clinical practice. Journal Of Psychosocial Nursing And Mental Health Services, 48(10), 30-34. doi:10.3928/02793695-20100831-08 Siporin, S. (2012). Talking horses: Equine psychotherapy and intersubjectivity. Psychodynamic Practice: Individuals, Groups And Organisations, 18(4), 457-464. doi:10.1080/14753634.2012.719744 Schultz, P. N., Remick-Barlow, G., & Robbins, L. (2007). Equine-assisted psychotherapy: A mental health promotion/intervention modality for children who have experienced intra-family violence. Health & Social Care In The Community, 15(3), 265-271. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2524.2006.00684.x Symington, A. (2012). Grief and horses: Putting the pieces together. Journal Of Creativity In Mental Health, 7(2), 165-174. doi:10.1080/15401383.2012.685017 - This article centers on EAP helping with grief, a theme that I have not seen in any of the other articles.
Greta Munger ( talk) 13:22, 22 April 2014 (UTC)
|
Will editors here please review Wikipedia's medical sourcing guidelines. Text sourced to non-MEDRS removed:
Therapists who specialize in equine-assisted therapy adapt Cognitive Therapy as well as play and talk therapy. Depending on the disorder and its severity the Equine therapist is able to make decisions about the processes or techniques applied in the sessions. Main techniques used are Cognitive Therapy, practicing activities, activity scheduling, play therapy and story telling and talk therapy.
- Cognitive Therapy: This type of therapy is often used as a treatment for anxiety. Horses sense danger and respond with heightened awareness of their surroundings, oftentimes trying to flee if the situation seems too dangerous to them. Individuals suffering from anxiety disorders may be able to feel these changes through observation, then allowing them to discuss anxious activities with the therapist. Focusing on the apprehension of the animal rather than oneself can greatly reduce the individual’s anxious response and allow them to challenge automatic thoughts. Throughout this process the patient would practice remaining calm and taking responsibility of his or her own thoughts.
- Practicing activities: This technique allows an individual to choose an activity, which may be outside of their own skill level. The therapist or horse professional will then assist them as needed and talk with them about thoughts or feeling that are stimulated by these activities. For example, longeing, bathing, and feeding the horse are all activities that involve coordination, planning and active communication.
- Activity scheduling: Oftentimes planning or developing a schedule to care for a horse throughout the day can teach an individual a sense of responsibility as well as flexibility because the physical needs of horses can change anytime.
- Play Therapy and Story telling: Many horse characteristics can be identifiable to individuals including the instincts of play, curiosity, freedom and social drive. Play therapy allows and inspires creating relationships and setting limits. Story telling encourages developing stories about what the animal is thinking and conveying emotion. This is a great tool for encouraging the development of language skill and creativity.
Equine Assisted Therapy is often used as a team building exercise or as family or group therapy because horses also show interpersonal behavior. Also because equine therapy is often goal oriented, it allows the group to work together to achieve something. [1]
Some reliable secondary medical sources ( WP:MEDRS) are listed here: please use them. SandyGeorgia ( Talk) 17:58, 9 December 2014 (UTC)
- ^ "What Is Equine Therapy?" CRC Health Group. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2013