Equine Assisted Psychotherapy
Today we have the privilege of learning from Kelsey Law LMHC who is passionate about Equine Assisted Psychotherapy. She gives us a glimpse into the neuroscience and benefits of working with these majestic creatures. She currently sees clients in Ballard at Folktown Counseling and holds her Equine certification through Natural Lifemanship. Kelsey enjoys being with her horses at Eagle Mountain Ranch in Smokey Point, WA.
How did you fall in love with this work of intertwining psychotherapy with equestrian engagement? “It all started with my love for horses which began when I was a really young girl, something about them just drew me in. Being able to communicate and interact with such large, majestic animals felt so incredible. I always loved the way I felt when I was around them, it was a really grounding experience for me. Caring for them, brushing them, riding them, I always felt so embodied. I saw horses being used in therapy for a lot of developmental delays and never felt called to that work specifically; but when I saw that they could be used for psychotherapy and trauma care I got super interested. It just made so much sense as to why I was so drawn into them.”
What intimidates people from getting involved with this style of therapy and of these what obstacles or barriers can actually be integrated within the work to help people overcome fears in life through this form of therapy? “Horses are so much larger and their presence is so powerful that it makes you more self aware. Being in touch with those parts of yourself provides you the opportunity to begin working through fears. A lot of the work I do is principle based, which can apply to other aspects of life as well. In a healthy relationship it is believed that both parties are able to be responsible for appropriately controlling themselves and you can enter into a connected relationship. Part of what’s so powerful about this work is you can’t control a horse, it’s a thousand plus pound animal. If you use intimidation tactics you will get hurt. Anytime control shows up in a relationship you lose the opportunity for connection. I teach from an empowerment perspective, which highlights what you do have control over is yourself. It’s powerful to see what happens when you take away the element or illusion of control. Everything we do is about experiencing what it’s like to be in a connected relationship and that’s what we get to do with the horses, you can feel when that connection shift happens.”
Have you noticed that there’s a shift when someone connects with themselves as well as their horse, whether anxiety reduction or a soothing sensation to their depression? “Yes! I’ve noticed that with an equine assisted therapeutic connection there will be a moment when a client and the horse are in a round pen together and if that client is dysregulated then the horse will respond somatically to the energy their putting out. Their eyes might get sharp, ears may start twitching or the horse might yawn repeatedly. If I notice a horse yawning 6-7 times it means the client is very tense and the horse has to care for itself by releasing some of this felt tension through yawning. It’s a visual representation of what’s happening energetically between the two (a similar concept to mirror neurons). If I notice this dynamic happening, I lead the client through grounding exercises of breathing, rhythmic walking, counting and simply getting them to be less in their head and more in their body. Horses respond to the safe place within the person, once the person is more connected it gives the horse something relational to connect to. That’s when the shift happens and it’s a powerful thing to witness!”
What research resources do you find helpful when cultivating spaces of care for clientele and how do you balance your own care rituals when supporting others? “A few resources would be Bessel Van der Kolk’s The Body Keeps the Score, Peter Levine’s work in relation to Somatic Experiencing and of course Natural Lifemanship they have some incredible CEU’s available if you’re interested! Personally, I always make time to have my own horse playtime. Which includes riding, working with them in the stables or brushing the horses. I try to be intentional about engaging in self care that feels embodied like going to the gym or cross-fit. Being in healthy relationships, having my own therapy and quality supervision.”
On a personal level how do you feel that equine assisted therapy has brought healing into your life and what do you hope to offer your clients who try this holistically integrated form of therapy? “I hope most for my clients that they would discover themselves in a new light, in a new way. In doing this discover how much they’re capable of through more somatic awareness. Learning that their body is a safe place and they don’t have to be a victim of it. The beauty of just being able to delight and feel the joy of being seen and known. There’s such a playfulness that emerges. It can be so fun! Horses are so forgiving, they’re not judging just craving connection and that emerges through your shared body energy.”