Equine Involvement Therapy
Mindfulness, Complete Acceptance, Transformation and Healing - in the Company of Horses.
Adolescents/children
Changing damaging thoughts and behaviours in the company of horses - acceptance, simplicity, true empathy, intuitive listening and guidance.
Horse Harmony - Hopethruhorses helping disadvantaged, special needs and disabled young people. http://www.foundationsuk.org/training6.html
Children with behavioural problems quickly respond to the horse’s reaction to their behaviour. They learn that they can build an extraordinary relationship with the horse through communicating silently - a relationship of acceptance and forgiveness. Horses have unique and remarkable gifts - they have the ability to look far beyond the surface – beyond the behaviour and the subsequent label, to the good that lies beneath.
· Mindfulness – body and mind awareness
· Developing confidence and raising self-esteem.
· Improving communication and self leadership skills
· Resolving inner conflicts.
· Emotional freedom
· Self-acceptance and approval
· Emotional health and happiness
We are all unique, we all perceive the world and the people in it, in a unique way. We are all different, all of value, all lovable - it is only the the judgement and criticism of others that leads us to believe otherwise.
We come into this world our minds clear and free, like the clean white, empty pages of an incredible book waiting to be written. From the day we are born other people write their, sorrows, resentments, grievances, feelings of inadequacy, judgements and criticisms onto the pages of our book, filling it with their stories, so that eventually we lose sight of our own story altogether.
What if their stories had been of happiness, acceptance, and un-conditional love and of freedom?
What if you were free to tear out some pages and completely re-write them? Would you want to? What stories would you write on those fresh clean sheets, that would make you feel good about yourself and the world around you?
Horses do not judge or criticise and are only capable of unconditional love - communicate with them and listen to them communicating with you. They see you for who and what you really are - a person who can love and be loved, a person who is unique,beautiful, talented, strong, and of enormous value to your self and to others.
A combination of mindfulness and tuning into the way horse's communicate within the herd - having them connect so readily with us, learning to communicate with precision and complete clarity and allowing their perception on life to influence ours, can show us a way of becoming free of distressing behaviour and thought patterns, emotions and conflicts.
The involvement of horses provides an invaluable answer to endless concerns, including anti-social, disruptive and destructive behaviour, bullying, problems linked to a lack of confidence, introversion and social inadequacies, anxiety, depression, eating disorders or stress related disorders, but also to children and teenagers finding it hard, or impossible to adapt to school social pressures and disciplines.
Equine Involvement Therapy therapy helps children and adolescents through their fears, problems and issues, including those related to authority, communication and difficulties in adequately connecting with other people.
- Low self esteem
- Self hatred
- Anxiety/panic attacks
- Stress
- Depression
- Bullying
- Anger/aggression
- Destructive behaviour
- Addictions
- ADHD
- Autism
- Asperges
- Eating disorders
The definition of involvement means ‘to connect with’. The horses provide a perfect environment for adolescents and children, to learn how to fully connect with themselves, the horses and subsequently iimprove relationships with people.
Working with the horses encourages self-acceptance; promotes a strong sense of pride in the tasks that are being completed and nurtures a feeling of real achievement, fulfilment and satisfaction, sometimes for the first time ever.
Spending time in the company of horses, can offer release from some deeply rooted emotions; anger, aggression, low self-esteem and anxiety particularly, can be replaced by feelings of self-assurance, self-worth and self-respect.
Animals are far easier to relate to than people, as they are non-judgemental accepting and forgiving. Building up a two way, trusting relationship with a horse requires, focus, discipline and self-control; learning these skills can be hard, but the results are unbelievably rewarding. Each positive step along the way is highlighted by the horses’ response, so the incentive to persevere is constantly maintained.
The end result of a course of Equine Involvement therapy, will provide young people with all the tools and strength they need to form good relationships, maintain feelings of self-respect and self-esteem; accept authority and to sustain discipline and focus.
The tasks we do with the horses can be very very simple or quite challenging depending on your progress and how you feel. We want you to get better and that means succeeding, so we never ask you to do anything that you are not completely happy with.
Equine Involvement Therapy is a quiet, unthreatening, gentle and beautiful way to find an escape from emotional distress. Click here to find out more.
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