WHAT IS EQUINE THERAPY?
Equine therapy for psychological well-being harnesses the unique bond between humans and horses to promote emotional healing and personal growth. In this therapeutic approach, trained professionals guide participants in activities that involve grooming, riding, or simply interacting with horses, creating opportunities for self-reflection and emotional expression. The presence of horses, known for their sensitivity to human emotions, can help individuals confront feelings of anxiety, depression, and trauma in a safe, non-judgmental environment. This experiential learning fosters skills such as communication, trust, and emotional regulation, empowering participants to develop healthier coping mechanisms and improved self-awareness. As a result, equine therapy has shown promise in supporting individuals with a range of psychological challenges, enhancing their overall mental health and quality of life.
EQUINE THERAPY PROGRAMS
Used to treat anxiety, anger, depression, PTSD, adoption transition difficultly or trauma, behavioral challenges, relationship problems, and more, our equine partners help adults and children learn through their experiences together, making the therapeutic process more efficient and engaging. Horses allow us a safe space to be in Self, without judgement, and build our comfort in connections with others. Horses will not protect us from our feelings or our consequences, but they will not punish us for them either- they will simply maintain their own healthy boundaries, offering us insights into ourselves. Our horses can help you individually or with families together in session. Our equine-assisted sessions can be any combination of ground or mounted work (so long as safety can be ensured). There is no horse experience required and we can meet you with any comfort level you feel around your gentle giants.
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Touchstone Therapy and the Mustang Adoption Academy have teamed up to create a program that simultaneously serves our country’s veterans and horses in need. Our MOS Program helps veterans and their families with reintegration into the community, decreases PTSD and/or depression symptoms, and improves quality of life. In this program, we will bring the adrenaline and excitement back into our veterans’ days and make them a part of the solution once more.
Mustangs are overpopulated in the western United States as they have no natural predators, but they are also protected from slaughter and hunting by federal law. When land set aside for the mustangs becomes too overcrowded, many are rounded up and become available for adoption. While this is done in an effort to save their lives, it often inflicts more trauma on the horses and forces them to move into a domestic world they never would have chosen. The alternative can be equally devastating for their wellbeing, leading to scarcity of resources and unnatural levels of aggression between the animals.
We see a striking number of similarities in our mustangs and veterans: once they learn to live in the wild, using their basic instincts and gut to keep them alive, it can be very difficult to reintegrate into the domestic world. It often fees mundane and as though they cannot relate to others. Relationships feel scary and veterans may keep those they love at an arm’s (or hoof’s) length. Many choose to redeploy soon after their return in order to seek the relative safety of how their brains now know to live, but this only serves to perpetuate the trauma creating the problems we seek to resolve.
Unfortunately, like the mustang, our veterans may not always have a choice in the matter. When that time comes, the Mustangs of Service Program seeks to re-engage veterans with feelings of control over themselves and safety in the domestic world. Our veteran volunteers will participate in the gentling process with the horses from Day 1 and offers help to both horse and human to learn to re-regulate their brains and bodies. We reintroduce connection to another being who understands their state of being and allow them to show one another the path forward.
Expertise you can trust.
Empathy and insight.
Provided unconditionally.
There’s no shortage of therapists in the Evansville, Vincennes and Princeton areas and deciding who to choose can feel overwhelming. When you work with us, you can trust you’re getting a true expert in psychology — someone who is well-established in the field, dedicated to their craft, and who will go above and beyond to support you. We encourage you to read our bios to see who feels like the right fit for you.