Equine-Assisted Mental Health Interventions*

Supported by ethical considerations and theoretical frameworks, chapters cover common issues including depression, anxiety, grief, ADHD, autism, eating disorders, substance abuse, self-esteem, social skills and communication, couples and family work, and professional development. Each chapter provides practical tips for implementing treatment strategies, case studies with transcript analyses, and sample session notes. This book will appeal to both the expert equine-assisted mental health counselor and the seasoned counselor who is open to partnering with an equine practitioner to help their clients in new and innovative ways.

Table of Contents

Section One: Ethical Considerations and Theoretical Framework 1. Ethical Considerations in Equine-Assisted Interventions: Meeting the Needs of Both Human and Horse Kirby Wycoff and Maya Gupta 2. What Science Says About Equine-Human Interaction in Equine-Assisted Therapy: An Outline to a Theoretical Framework Felicia Lundgren Section Two: Depression 3. Equine-Facilitated Psychotherapy for the Treatment of Depression Molly DePrekel and Natalie Runge 4. An Eagala Model Approach to Using Equine-Assisted Counseling with Teens Suffering from Depression Karen Frederick Section Three: Anxiety 5. The Transitioning Families Equine-Assisted Model for the Treatment of Anxiety Rebecca F. Bailey and Elizabeth Bailey 6. Natural Lifemanship’s Trauma-Focused Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy and Treatment of Anxiety Disorders Bettina Shultz-Jobe, Laura McFarland, and Tim Jobe 7. Walking with the Wisdom of Peace: A Horse-Guided Practice to Leave Anxiety in the Dust Sara B. Willerson Section Four: Grief 8. Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy, Grief and Loss Patti Schlough Section Five: ADHD 9. ‘Combing’ through ADHD Symptoms Utilizing Mindful Grooming Carlene Taylor Section Six: Autism 10. Equine-Assisted Play Therapy with Clients with Autism Spectrum Disorder Tracie Faa-Thompson 11. Improving Social and Communication Skills for Participants with Autism Spectrum Disorder Through Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy Saan Ecker and Joanne ByrnesSection Seven: Oppositional Behavior 12. Equine-Partnered Play Therapy^TM for Children with Oppositional Behavior Hallie Sheade 13. Integrating Body-Mind-Attachment Practices into Equine-Facilitated Psychotherapy: A Case Example of Oppositional Defiant Disorder Leslie McCullough Section Eight: Eating Disorders 14. The Human–Equine Relational Development (HERD) Approach to Working with Clients Suffering from Bulimia Nervosa Veronica Lac Section Nine: Substance Abuse 15. Equine-Assisted Mental Health Therapy and Alcoholism: Issues in Early Sobriety Alita Buzel 16. Triggering Transformations: An Equine-Assisted Approach to the Treatment of Substance Abuse Shelley Green, Monica Schroeder, Cynthia Penalva, Michael Rolleston, and Valerie Judd 17. Beyond the Couch: An Object Relations Approach to EAP Substance Abuse Treatment Natasha Filippides Section Ten: Self-Esteem 18. The 7 C’s of Well-Being Corey L. DeMala-Moran 19. Stepping into the Arena with Your Inner Ally Sara B. Willerson and Vanessa M. Sanford Section Eleven: Social Skills and Communication 20. Social Skills and Communication: The Path of Life through Mindfulness and Experience Rob Pliskin 21. Teaching Social Skills and Communication to Adolescents through Equine Interventions Phyllis Erdman and Sue Jacobson 22. Equine-Assisted Social Education as a Co-Intervention to Prevent Dropout by Improving Social Skills and Engagement in Learning Ritva Mickelsson Section Twelve: Couples and Family 23. Couples in Balance: Realigning Roles Vallarie E. Coleman 24. The Four Agreements in Equine-Assisted Therapy for Relationships Corey L. DeMala-Moran 25. Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy with Couples and Families: A Relational Approach Shelley Green, Michael Rolleston, and Monica Schroeder  Section Thirteen: Professional Development 26. Partnering with Horses to Train Mental Health Professionals Shelley Green