Counselling and Horses
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We have been drawn to the horse for centuries because of his regal beauty. He represents freedom and strength, in many ways. Many have called the horse magical. Although they can appear magical, there is no magic about Equine Facilitated Wellness. There is the possibility of true connection. The horse has not been led astray from his inner wisdom and intuition. He has relied upon this ancient ability to feel situations and survive for thousands of years and he still does today. As opposed to humans, whose ability to access their ancient wisdom has been clouded by many things. |
The pace of life today is difficult to keep up with. We are loosing our connections to earth, to fellow humans and to ourselves. Humans are social beings much like horses and they find themselves more and more isolated with anxiety, depression, shame, etc. The way through this for us is connection… Connection to ourselves, connection to nature, connection to our environment and to other humans. Furthermore, I will add that it is a compassionate connection that can lead us the way.
I truly believe the horse can help us rediscover our inner wisdom. He does not judge. If we really listen, he can lead us back to the inner power we all have. He is equipped with the same nervous system as ours and he will interact with us from a place of truth. He is comfortable in the face of authenticity, whatever that may be for us.
The horse does not interact with us because we have money, nice clothes, a great car… He chooses to spend time with us because he can feel the comfort of our true nature. He can see past the façades we have created to survive our world. He will not give you the answer but he guides you back to your heart and he reacts accordingly to what you are holding within you at each moment. You see, the horse lives in the present moment. He has an itch, he scratches, he is hungry, he eats, he is hot, he seeks shade... His actions are motivated by his present moment needs for safety, food, comfort and play. If he reacts negatively, it’s because one of those needs are in jeopardy. And not because he made a negative judgement in regards to the personal worth of whomever he is interacting with. This is a human trait.
In many ways, when his basic needs are met, his need to seek comfort is what helps us learn about ourselves when interacting with him. He will experience some discomfort in the presence of incongruence. He will react to us, in different ways if we are acting (non-verbal) in a way that is different from the felt sense of our internal experience. As humans we tend to do this often. It is a protective mechanism. However, a lack of awareness and overuse of such mechanisms can lead us to lose our true selves. We imprison ourselves with the expectations of others.
With the skilful help of a qualified mental health or equine professional, you can achieve personal growth and development. The extent of this growth and development is determined by your personal goals. We all have different journeys and rhythms for change and growth. Somehow the horse has this beautiful instinctive ability to know how much to do, if we listen. It is the job of the human facilitator to help you pause and listen in this experience with the horse. The professional you work with will help you identify your goals and set up experiences between you and the horse to help you achieve them. He will know how to listen to the horse and guide you along to understand his message.
I truly believe the horse can help us rediscover our inner wisdom. He does not judge. If we really listen, he can lead us back to the inner power we all have. He is equipped with the same nervous system as ours and he will interact with us from a place of truth. He is comfortable in the face of authenticity, whatever that may be for us.
The horse does not interact with us because we have money, nice clothes, a great car… He chooses to spend time with us because he can feel the comfort of our true nature. He can see past the façades we have created to survive our world. He will not give you the answer but he guides you back to your heart and he reacts accordingly to what you are holding within you at each moment. You see, the horse lives in the present moment. He has an itch, he scratches, he is hungry, he eats, he is hot, he seeks shade... His actions are motivated by his present moment needs for safety, food, comfort and play. If he reacts negatively, it’s because one of those needs are in jeopardy. And not because he made a negative judgement in regards to the personal worth of whomever he is interacting with. This is a human trait.
In many ways, when his basic needs are met, his need to seek comfort is what helps us learn about ourselves when interacting with him. He will experience some discomfort in the presence of incongruence. He will react to us, in different ways if we are acting (non-verbal) in a way that is different from the felt sense of our internal experience. As humans we tend to do this often. It is a protective mechanism. However, a lack of awareness and overuse of such mechanisms can lead us to lose our true selves. We imprison ourselves with the expectations of others.
With the skilful help of a qualified mental health or equine professional, you can achieve personal growth and development. The extent of this growth and development is determined by your personal goals. We all have different journeys and rhythms for change and growth. Somehow the horse has this beautiful instinctive ability to know how much to do, if we listen. It is the job of the human facilitator to help you pause and listen in this experience with the horse. The professional you work with will help you identify your goals and set up experiences between you and the horse to help you achieve them. He will know how to listen to the horse and guide you along to understand his message.
If your goal is to enhance your relationship with your horse, and develop a true connection, you can do this with a horse professional qualified in Equine Facilitated Wellness. You will be able to develop a new way of being present and communicate with your horse allowing him to fully express his individuality and your relationship to grow.
If you wish to learn about yourself for personal growth, you can participate in sessions with a learning professional or life coach. Either in individual sessions or group workshops touching specific subjects you are interested in. Although quite helpful this is not therapy or counselling. It fits more in the realm of psycho education which is very helpful to facilitate personal growth. The goals are general and will not address specific mental health issues.
If you wish to work on a personal difficulty, you are having or have been struggling with for some time, you can work with a qualified mental health professional who is trained in the field of Equine Facilitated Wellness. They will have the knowledge to guide you to your goals with the help of the horse. Mental health professionals have the credentials, experience and education to support you through this personal healing or discovery process. If they do not have the knowledge and experience needed to help you they will be able to refer you to someone who does.
Equine facilitated work is not about riding. You are not expected to know about horses either. It is, however, about feeling safe. Your clinician and you, are in charge of keeping you physically and emotionally safe along the process. Nothing will go further than where you are comfortable. It is only in safety that we can favor growth and change.
If you wish to learn about yourself for personal growth, you can participate in sessions with a learning professional or life coach. Either in individual sessions or group workshops touching specific subjects you are interested in. Although quite helpful this is not therapy or counselling. It fits more in the realm of psycho education which is very helpful to facilitate personal growth. The goals are general and will not address specific mental health issues.
If you wish to work on a personal difficulty, you are having or have been struggling with for some time, you can work with a qualified mental health professional who is trained in the field of Equine Facilitated Wellness. They will have the knowledge to guide you to your goals with the help of the horse. Mental health professionals have the credentials, experience and education to support you through this personal healing or discovery process. If they do not have the knowledge and experience needed to help you they will be able to refer you to someone who does.
Equine facilitated work is not about riding. You are not expected to know about horses either. It is, however, about feeling safe. Your clinician and you, are in charge of keeping you physically and emotionally safe along the process. Nothing will go further than where you are comfortable. It is only in safety that we can favor growth and change.
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If you are drawn to this approach to counselling and horses, you will be able to find certified professionals by visiting the website of the Equine Facilitated Wellness Canada. You can access the website by clicking on the Pro-EFW Logo. The certified professionals have met the requirements of a rigorous in depth certification process. They will be identified as either Equine Professionals (EP), Learning Professionals (LP) or Mental Health Professionals (MHP). |
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My EFW Practice
I have achieved full certification for all three Pro- EFW designations as a an Equine Professional, Mental Health Professional & Equine Facilitated Learning Professional. I have also acquired the certified mentor status through Pro-EFW. My Equine Facilitated Counselling Practice is inspired by many wonderful existing programs and approaches I had the opportunity to study over the years. I am greatly influenced by the principals of relational horsemanship methods to help people discover themselves through experiences with the horse. I have included a list of trainings, readings that have influenced my Equine Facilitated Wellness practice. You can access it by clicking below.