Equine-assisted psychotherapy is an experiential mental health service that incorporates purposeful, ground-based interactions with horses into the counseling process. Amanda Martin LPC, PLLC provides equine-assisted therapy informed by the Eagala and Natural Lifemanship service models and guided by trained mental health and equine professionals.
What Is Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy?
Equine-assisted psychotherapy combines experiential, animal-assisted, relational, and integrative approaches to mental health treatment. Instead of relying exclusively on traditional talk therapy, clients can explore emotions, behaviors, relationships, personal boundaries, and patterns of connection through experiences involving horses.
This service is entirely ground-based. Clients do not ride the horses, and no horseback-riding experience is required.
The therapeutic experience is individualized and may include observing horses, interacting with them, completing activities, or reflecting on what occurs naturally during the session. Clients are supported in developing their own insights and meaning rather than being given a predetermined interpretation of the horse’s behavior.
Amanda Martin LPC, PLLC incorporates principles from established equine-assisted service models.
The Eagala Model is a structured, collaborative model of equine-assisted psychotherapy involving a mental health professional, an equine specialist, and horses in a ground-based environment. The model emphasizes experiential, client-centered work without riding.
Natural Lifemanship is a relationship-focused approach to equine-assisted services informed by the science of relationships, connection, trauma, and nervous-system regulation.
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Horses are highly responsive to movement, body language, boundaries, emotional energy, and changes within their environment. Their responses can create opportunities for clients to increase awareness of their internal experiences and explore how they approach relationships, safety, trust, and connection.
Equine-assisted psychotherapy may help clients:
- Increase emotional and behavioral awareness
- Explore trauma and distressing life experiences
- Identify patterns that contribute to feeling stuck
- Strengthen emotional regulation
- Develop healthier boundaries
- Improve communication and relationship skills
- Build trust, confidence, and self-efficacy
- Explore physical and emotional safety
- Increase empathy and connection
- Practice new responses in the present moment
The horse is viewed as an active partner with individual needs, preferences, and boundaries—not as a tool. All interactions prioritize the physical and emotional well-being of the client, horse, and professional team.
A Collaborative Equine-Assisted Therapy Team
Equine-assisted psychotherapy uses a collaborative team approach that may include:
- The client
- One or more horses
- A licensed mental health professional
- A trained equine specialist
The mental health clinician supports the client’s therapeutic process, treatment goals, and emotional safety. The equine specialist contributes expertise in horse behavior, the environment, and physical safety. Horses participate as responsive partners within the therapeutic experience.
Through this collaborative process, clients may discover new perspectives, recognize relationship patterns, and experiment with different ways of responding. Change can develop through experience, reflection, and the client’s own meaning-making process.
Equine-assisted psychotherapy is offered at the Special CHEERS location and Southern Star Farms location by appointment. Because sessions take place outdoors, availability is limited to designated days and times and is subject to weather, site conditions, and horse availability.
Equine-assisted psychotherapy individual sessions (50 minutes) are $190 for each session. Equine-assisted group therapy (50 minutes) are $50 per person with a 4 person minimum.