EQUINE ASSISTED PSYCHOTHERAPY & LEARNING
Horses provide a nonjudgemental, authentic experience to assist individuals in building healthy relationships. Along with the facilitation team, sessions focus on managing emotions, building trust, and improving communication.
NO Horse Experience Required FORM UP FRIDAYS sessions are offered monthly at no cost to participants
PROGRAMS WE OFFER
EQUINE ASSISTED PSYCHOTHERAPY
We provide private individual therapy for Veterans, Active-Duty Military members, National Guard, Reserve, First Responders, and their families. Participants work with a treatment team consisting of a mental health professional, a horse expert, and a horse. During sessions, horses offer military members and their families valuable feedback as they navigate past and present challenges related to communication, relationships, problem-solving, and self-awareness. By increasing responsiveness to their own needs and those of others, and by practicing skills to manage trauma and anxiety, active-duty service members, veterans, and first responders discover new ways to apply strengths gained in the field to their current situations.
The unique qualities and sensitivities of horses engage clients experientially, allowing them to work through issues and discover their own solutions. As prey and herd animals, horses are highly attuned to others (both animals and humans) and hyper-alert to their environment—mirroring the heightened awareness often experienced by those with PTSD. During sessions, horses reflect the client’s fears, frustrations, stress, and relationship challenges. With the guidance of the treatment team and the horses, clients gain critical insights into their thoughts, feelings, and behavioral patterns. This learning occurs in an emotionally safe environment, fostering lasting change.
FORM UP FRIDAYS
(EQUINE ASSISTED INTERACTIVE LEARNING)
Form Up Fridays allows Veterans, Active-Duty Military members, National Guard, Reserve, First Responders, and their families to learn and apply skills through Equine-Assisted Learning (EAL), based on the principles of posttraumatic growth. EAL is an experiential learning approach that utilizes the unique qualities of horses to enhance self-awareness, promote emotional regulation, and strengthen interpersonal relationships. The goal is to foster personal growth and develop life skills that improve relationships across all areas of a participant’s life. Veterans, active-duty service members, and first responders who participate in EAL programs experience significant improvements in their physical, mental, and emotional health.
HELPING HEROES THRIVE
Your support helps us provide these life-changing programs and services at little to no charge to Veterans, Active-Duty Military members, National Guard, Reserve, First Responders, and their families. With your help, our Warriors won’t just survive — they’ll thrive.
