At Liberty Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP)

The At Liberty EAP program addresses a variety of mental health and behavioral challenges ranging from anxiety, depression, PTS, abuse, trauma, addiction, grief, eating disorders, ADHD, bullying, low self-esteem, self-harm, anger management, boundary issues, relationship problems, family concerns, and effective communication.

Equine Assisted Psychotherapy can be an evidence-based treatment alternative or a complementary treatment to a traditional therapy plan. Equines aid in healing emotional and behavioral conditions. They can provide a source of comfort, consistency, and mutual nurturance, giving support to both the mind and the body. Nurturing interactions with equines allows humans to practice:

• problem-solving skills
• social skills
• emotional regulation
• empathy

The program incorporates equine assisted learning techniques and follows the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association (EAGALA) model that incorporates a licensed Mental Health Professional (MH) and a qualified Equine Specialist (ES) working together with horses and clients as equal partners in an experiential process that empowers life-changing outcomes.

EAGALA is a revolutionary mental health treatment model incorporating horses who are highly attuned and offer a safe space for clients to discover their answers within themselves. Horses are highly sensitive with distinct personalities, attitudes, and moods. They help clients work through their life struggles by interacting with the horse without feeling judgment or interpretation by another person. Horses are extremely sensitive to their environment and instinctively analyze and react to body language and other nonverbal cues that provide clients with valuable, metaphoric feedback and insights for other areas of their lives. Approaching horses helps clients reflect how they approach relationships and how they can face other big or overwhelming things in their lives.

The role of the MH and ES team is to provide guidance that assists a client’s own process and creates lasting solutions. All the work is done on the ground with no riding involved, which means no horse knowledge or riding experience is necessary.

Each session is designed to meet your unique treatment goals. Individuals, couples, families, and groups have enjoyed the benefits of being able to explore different ways of coping, problem solving, regulating emotions, and increasing self-awareness experientially with horses.

Please contact Diane Abitz, Executive Director/Program Director at (715) 359-6046 for more information.