Animals play an important role in therapy. However, dogs and cats aren’t the only animals that can help people feel better. With equine therapy, horses have their own role to play. However, how does this type of therapy help people who struggle with substance abuse?

What Is Equine Therapy?

woman during Equine therapy or horse therapyEquine therapy is a type of therapy that involves taking care of and bonding with horses. People use it to promote personal development and growth. It’s also a good option for those who have lost sight of their short- and long-term priorities.

Horse therapy works for people of all ages, from children to adults. It also works equally well for men and women and those who struggle with drug dependency. In fact, experts turn to equine-assisted therapy when people don’t show much improvement with traditional psychotherapy methods.

People can learn a lot though horse therapy because of the interactions that they have with the horses. Some important lessons and skills that they learn include:

  • Self-acceptance
  • Social skills
  • Confidence
  • Communication
  • Trust
  • Perspective
  • Boundaries

How Does Horse Therapy Work?

Like any type of therapy, equine therapy differs depending on the facility and people’s needs. Not everyone has the same needs. Thankfully, experts can tailor therapy with horses to fit their clients.

With that said, equine therapy typically involves people spending time with horses every day. In between, they continue to work with their therapists. During these sessions, they often reflect back on the time that they spent with the horses.

When spending time with the horses, people tend to their needs, including exercise, feeding, and grooming. Tending to these basic needs gives them a sense of worth. It provides a sense of responsibility when another living creature counts on them for support.

Benefits of Using Therapy With Horses

Horse therapy is fairly new in terms of treating mental disorders such as anxiety and depression. However, it has shown great promise as an addiction treatment method as well. Studies show that people who engage in these addiction therapy services have better-coping skills and higher self-esteem.

Equine therapy provides immediate feedback as well. Horses are pack animals, so they respond to the feelings of other creatures, including humans. They can detect feelings of anger, sadness, and happiness, and they react to each emotion differently.

Another benefit of horse therapy is that it teaches people about social interactions. Therapists can evaluate how they interact with horses and use that information to enhance their human interactions too.

Taking care of horses is also an exercise in trust-building. The bonds that form between horses and people are strong. The horses put all of their faith into those who care for them. In return, they provide completely, non-judging relationships.

Find Out How The Willows Rehab for Women Can Help You

At The Willows, we provide addiction treatment services for women only. Offering gender-specific treatment allows us to focus on the unique needs of women completely. We create a unique treatment plan for each woman. Everyone recovers from drugs at a different rate, and we take that into consideration.

The Willows also aims to provide a large number of treatment services. To that end, we combine several holistic and traditional therapies. We find that this mix offers the best chance of overcoming substance abuse. A few of the programs that we offer include:

Find out what equine therapy can offer you. Let The Willows provide you with women-only treatment. Reach out to our friendly staff today at 855-773-0614 to get started with your treatment.