At our facility, we harness the unique bond between humans and horses to foster healing and growth. But why horses? And why integrate somatic healing into our practice? The answer lies in their remarkable ability to connect with us on a profound level and address the body’s needs, offering a unique form of therapy particularly beneficial for individuals with PTSD, trauma, and children. Let’s delve into the reasons why we use horses and somatic healing, exploring the profound benefits of working with these magnificent animals and holistic practices.
The Unique Bond Between Humans and Horses
Horses are incredibly perceptive creatures. Their heightened sensitivity to human emotions makes them exceptional partners in therapy. Unlike many animals, horses respond to the subtle cues in our body language and emotions, reflecting our internal states back to us. This mirror-like quality provides an invaluable tool in therapy, helping individuals become more aware of their feelings and behaviors. These amazing animals are incredibly intelligent, they know our nervous system better than we know it ourselves.
Why Horses for PTSD and Trauma?
1. Non-Judgmental Presence: Horses offer a non-judgmental presence that can be immensely comforting for those who have experienced trauma. Their acceptance helps individuals feel safe and understood, which is crucial for healing.
2. Emotional Regulation: Working with horses can help individuals with PTSD and trauma learn to regulate their emotions. The process of grooming, riding, or simply being around horses can have a calming effect, reducing anxiety and stress levels.
3. Building Trust: Trust is often shattered in individuals with PTSD and trauma. Forming a bond with a horse, an animal that relies on trust for cooperation, can help rebuild this essential life skill. The relationship developed with a horse can serve as a foundation for rebuilding trust in human relationships.
4. Empowerment and Control: Trauma often leaves individuals feeling powerless. Managing and caring for a horse can restore a sense of control and empowerment. The responsibility of caring for such a large and powerful animal can boost self-esteem and confidence.
Why Horses for Children?
1. Emotional Expression: Children often find it difficult to express their emotions verbally. Horses provide a non-verbal outlet for children to express and process their feelings. The interaction with horses can help children articulate their emotions in a safe and supportive environment.
2. Building Social Skills: Working with horses teaches children important social skills such as empathy, patience, and cooperation. These skills are essential for healthy development and can significantly improve a child’s interactions with peers and adults.
3. Physical Activity: Engaging with horses involves physical activity, which is beneficial for children’s overall health. Activities such as grooming, feeding, and riding not only improve physical fitness but also contribute to a child’s sense of responsibility and routine.
4. Confidence and Independence: Learning to handle and ride a horse can significantly boost a child’s confidence and sense of independence. The accomplishment of mastering skills associated with horse care and riding fosters a sense of achievement and self-worth.
Integrating Somatic Healing
Somatic healing focuses on the connection between mind and body, addressing the physical manifestations of trauma. This approach recognizes that trauma is not just a psychological issue but is deeply rooted in the body. Traditional talk therapy can be limited because it often fails to address these physical aspects of trauma.
Here’s how somatic healing makes a difference:
1. Body Awareness: Somatic therapy helps individuals become more attuned to their bodies. This increased awareness can help them identify physical manifestations of trauma, such as tension, pain, or discomfort, which are often overlooked in traditional therapy. Being more aware of our nervous system is the key to unlocking our own healing .
2. Release of Physical Tension: Trauma often causes physical tension and holding patterns in the body. Somatic practices help release these tensions through various techniques such as breathwork, learning to regulate and learning about our own fight and flight response is key to not only understand horses more but also ourselves and what our default primary response to danger is .
3. Emotional Release: Emotions are stored in the body, and somatic therapy provides a pathway to release them. Through guided slow work through the nervous system and activities, individuals can process and let go of deeply held emotions, leading to emotional and psychological relief. This is essential for symptoms like PTSD
4. Integration of Mind and Body: By integrating somatic practices with equine therapy, we address the whole person. This holistic approach ensures that healing happens on all levels – emotional, psychological, and physical. A bottom up healing method is essential for anyone who has had a trauma, for which most of us have by now.
The Therapeutic Process
In equine-assisted therapy, the therapist, client, and horse work together to address specific therapeutic goals. Sessions may include learning how to connect, learning how animals use their own instincts and how we have disconnected from ours. We certainly aren’t aware of our own fight and flight and freeze response so by exploring this we can bring awareness to the patterns and behaviours we have created to cope with our experiences that have shaped us from the past. Each activity is designed to promote healing and personal growth, tailored to the individual needs of the client.
Somatic healing techniques are woven into these sessions to enhance body awareness and release physical tension. This combination allows for a more comprehensive therapeutic experience, addressing both the emotional and physical aspects of trauma. However, we also do one to one sessions with adults without the horses as well but the horses just give us that profound ‘Ahhhahh’ moment.
Conclusion
The use of horses in therapy, combined with somatic healing, offers a unique and powerful way to promote healing and growth in individuals with PTSD, trauma, and children. The intuitive nature of horses and the holistic approach of somatic practices make them ideal partners in the therapeutic process. At our facility, we have witnessed the transformative power of these therapies and are dedicated to continuing to harness these incredible resources to help our clients heal and thrive.
Whether you are seeking help for yourself, a loved one, or exploring therapeutic options for a child, we invite you to experience the profound benefits of working with horses and somatic healing. Join us on this journey of healing and discover why these methods are at the heart of our therapeutic practice.