A client's perceptive of equine assisted psychotherapy

There is pain in everyone’s life,it just takes different forms.  Some times the pain is caused by your own decisions, and sometimes it is caused by wrong actions against you.  Either way, there solution of that pain is your responsibility, and that’s where Unbridled Change can help.  The truth is none of us have the answers all by ourselves.  What most people don’t know is that a solution can come from a friend with four hooves, a mane and a tail.

As a woman who experienced abuse in her childhood and marriage my life held pain.  A life crisis helped me to make some decisions to pursue greater health physically and mentally.  My first step on the journey to mental health was realizing that I may not be equipped with the right tools to make excellent decisions.  Being a highly verbal person did not mean that “talk therapy” had solved all my problems.  I was stuck and I knew I was stuck.  Enter some four footed friends with distinct personalities assisted by some two footed therapists who provided the safety to explore my world inside my head while I spent time inside a corral.

My adaptive and evasive coping mechanisms quickly were exposed by the actions of the equine part of my team.  We all have them you know, and they come in different forms.  They may even be choices that were protective and appropriate when you were younger, but no longer serve you well now.  There is nothing like a horse to bring those things to light.  A horse is a safe way to work through deep pain because they live in the moment. Your past is not held against you and your future is wide open with them.  Each session provides an experience that is safe for learning and growing. Pardon the pun, but equine therapy provides a safe “arena” to learn about your weaknesses and your strengths. 

During my twelve week process my fears were exposed.  I got to see where my fears were appropriate and where they were not.  I realized that fear was preventing my growth and health.  I realized that I was living a life that was not true to my heart, and that my heart was grand indeed.  Like the horses I spent time with, I was able to make a choice about how to live my life despite my past.  I was able to make choices “in the moment” in response to my relationship with each horse in the corral on any given day.  I got to exercise flexibility.  Through their unique personalities I experienced how I interact with the people in my world.  My days between sessions were spent practicing the new skills I had learned. At the end of my twelve weekly sessions I made a healthy decision in regard to my future.  I had been unable to make that healthy choice in the past, and the consequences of my inability followed me for years.  The reason I was able to make that decision was because I applied a little horse sense.  Sometimes being exposed to something unique and different can be the catalyst for good change.  I know it was for me.