Equine Assisted Mental Health and learning

Mental Heartland Equine-Assisted Counseling integrates evidence-based mental health treatments while clients are observing and connecting with horses. The interaction with horses provides feedback to the client that can highlight authentic emotions and behaviors during sessions. This allows for increased self-awareness, grounding and mindfulness practice, and a tangible shift of perspective for the client.

During Equine-Assisted Counseling sessions the Licensed Mental Health Counselor (and PATH Certified Equine Specialist in Mental Health & Learning) facilitate experiential activities with horses, based on the client’s treatment goals. These activities offer tangible experiences for clients to receive bio-psycho-social feedback from the horse while practicing client’s nervous system regulation and therapy skills in real time. The client and therapist then process the experience with the horse within the context of mental health treatment modalities and goals thus establishing self-reflection, expression, insight, and shifts in cognitive perspective.

Equine -assisted counseling allows for holding space for clients both emotional and physical surroundings by being near the horses in nature.

Mental Health Counseling reduces symptoms of anxiety, depression, and traumatic events. It helps with behavioral challenges by increasing self-awareness of thoughts and behaviors. Additional benefits are increased self-confidence, clear and direct communication, relationship skills, identity exploration, physiological relief and recovery from traumatic experiences.

Individuals (ages 8+), couples, and families will benefit from a custom treatment plan.

Equine-Assisted Group sessions are available for therapy and/or team building, please reach out for additional information.