Horses Guiding Humans has been based on EAGALA since our work first began in 2010, and our founder has been EAGALA certified since 2002. Here’s why:
The EAGALA Model is highly professional.
EAGALA is the leading association offering a fully-developed, professionally endorsed treatment model for mental health professionals practicing equine-assisted psychotherapy. The EAGALA Model stands alone in the world of equine-assisted psychotherapy and personal development because of the model’s standards, code of ethics, continuing education requirements, replicable framework, and team approach.
Under the EAGALA Model, both a registered,
credentialed Mental Health Professional and a certified Equine
Specialist work together collaboratively at all times to assure
clients get the therapeutic attention and support they need as they
make life changes.
The most effective work happens on the ground.
The EAGALA Model involves no riding or horsemanship, making it both safe and effective. Clients work directly with horses face-to-face on the same footing. This ground level work enables clients to better perceive the horses’ actions and reactions as they work to process and solve their life challenges.
Under the trained eye of the EAGALA Treatment Team, horses offer clients honest feedback and usable information that helps them understand how their process and actions affect others and impacts their lives.
The EAGALA Model is client-centered and solution-oriented.
The work is built on the premise that it’s the clients who best determine the kinds of life changes they need to make in order to improve their lives. The job of the EAGALA treatment team is to put the EAGALA Model to work to meet the clients’ goals by engaging the unique intuitive power of horses to help them understand their process and practice the changes they want to make in a safe, supportive setting.
Source: http://home.eagala.org/about/model
Why Horses?
EAGALA Model Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy and Personal Development is experiencing rapid growth around the globe.
Why? In two words: STRONG OUTCOMES. Equine-assisted work often helps clients change and grow more effectively and quickly than traditional clinical and psycho-educational approaches.
That’s because people typically learn best by doing. Life lessons take deeper root when individuals both understand them in their heads and experience them in their bodies.
Working with horses is engaging, real time and hands-on. The experience is immediate and fully felt.
So why horses, and not other animals?
Horses are large and powerful. This creates a natural opportunity for some to overcome fear and develop confidence. Working alongside a horse, in spite of those fears, creates confidence and provides wonderful insight when dealing with other intimidating and challenging situations in life.
Horses are social animals, with defined roles within their herds. They would rather be with their peers. They have distinct personalities, attitudes and moods; an approach that works with one horse won’t necessarily work with another. At times, they seem stubborn and defiant. They like to have fun. In other words, horses are a lot like us socially – when we work on our relationships with them, we in turn are learning how to improve our relationships with others.
Horses respond with unique insight into exactly who we are in the moment. They are profoundly gifted reflectors of our true selves because their very survival depends on reading us right.
Because they can read and respond to the nonverbal messages we are always sending, they begin to act in ways that feel familiar to other relationships or dynamics in our lives. They become our spouse, partner, colleague, children, dreams, fears, addictions, etc. and begin to act out these very dynamics in our lives. This gives us a chance to work through those relationships and issues in a safe and nonjudgmental environment.
Clients repeatedly report that the horses seem to act and be exactly
what is needed in the moment.
It’s all on the ground
EAGALA sessions involve no horseback riding. Why? In this work, the horses are able to be themselves and do not have to act a certain way, just like our clients can do. This is a space to explore, be ourselves, and build relationships on equal footing.
Solution-oriented for all ages
EAGALA sessions are facilitated by a certified team of a mental health professional and an equine specialist who hold the space for clients and horses to interact. Life stories begin unfolding symbolically in a safe and supportive setting. We believe that clients of all ages and needs truly have their own best solutions. As the horses play out scenarios, clients gain insights and begin to see and feel shifts in themselves as well.
Whether working with facilitators trained primarily in EAGALA or ARCH, the multi-faceted process that unfolds in each session is deep, rich, and rewarding long after the client has left the farm. We look forward to sharing this process with you!
