Equine Therapy for Children and Teens From the State of Alaska
 (1).jpg "Equine Therapy Programs for Troubled Girls Alaska AK")
Equine-assisted therapy is particularly efficient in tackling the underlying issues of at-risk teenage girls from Alaska who suffer from trauma, clinical stress, depressive ailments, PTSD, and other severe mental health-related problems.
Equine therapy effectively treats troubled teens because teens feel less threatened and put on the spot as they would with traditional one-on-one talk therapy. This is particularly valuable because teens - whose frontal lobe is not yet entirely developed - regularly find it frightening and immensely difficult to communicate emotional pain and underlying issues.
Troubled teens generally find it challenging to loosen up and show well-hidden painful emotions and events. Equine-assisted psychotherapy enables teenage girls from Alaska to work on issues like:
- Self-reliance
- Cultivating and maintaining relationships or connections with others
- Emotional IQ
- Compassion
- Impulse control
- Problem-solving abilities
- Social skills
- Establish trust in others
- Trust in self
- Benefits of Equine Therapy for Troubled Girls from Alaska
Although numerous animals can be used in experiential, animal-assisted therapy, horses offer unparalleled characteristics that have made them a top selection for animal-assisted treatments. According to anxiety expert Dr. Robin Zasio, horses bring unique components to the therapy process for troubled teenage girls from the Alaska.
GET THE APP and BE TRANSFORMED THE IMAGE OF CHRIST!
GET THE APP NOW!Non-Judgmental and Unbiased - Promoting Work Ethics and Trust With Others
Horses are great motivators. For example, they force teens to wake up early and feed and water them. Girls from Alaska participate in myriad equine-related activities at an equine therapeutic program, including cleaning stalls. Some programs even allow their students to earn wages to buy additional provisions that help maintain horse properties. Moreover, horses must be brushed, walked, and closely attended to.
It is the same in the human world. Most of us have to work. Whether parenting children, going to the office, factory or running a business, many of us have no choice but to wake up early and handle business.
Awaken and see what is not so obvious, learning to discern and understand through the eyes of your heart.
At an EAT program, teenage girls from the Alaska area participate in activities that are not always easy or pleasant in any way.
While at such a program, teens tend to the daily needs of others (horses).
What's more, teens at an equine-assisted therapy program learn how to work to maintain their relationships. By interacting and taking care of horses, teens learn to take care of something other than themselves. However, these skills can be applied to human relationships by participating and immersing themselves in equine therapy.
As much as humans, especially therapists, do our best to offer a safe space for clients to explore deep emotional hurts and painful experiences, it can be uncomfortable for clients to share their thoughts openly.
Building therapeutic rapport can take time as participants work toward building trust and practicing vulnerability in session.
Having the horse present may offer a sense of peace, as they only will react to the client's behavior and emotions with no threat of bias or any judgment of their emotional experience.
Feedback and Mirroring
Horses are keen observers and are vigilant and sensitive to movement and emotion. As a result, they often mirror a client's behavior or feelings, conveying an understanding and connection that allows them to feel safe.
This also allows patients to have a sense of self-awareness, using the horse's behavior and communications for feedback and opportunities to check in and manner what is happening at the moment.
Managing Vulnerability
As clients might find themselves vulnerable when trying to open up about emotional challenges, past experiences, or life transitions, the horse can offer a reference point to use for processing.
If something feels too painful to speak of, it can feel a bit easier for clients to process using the horse as an example or to align their experience with the horse's experiences at the moment. But, again, externalizing the content in this way can make things easier to approach and process.
Other Benefits
- Some other potential benefits of equine therapy include increased:
- Adaptability
- Distress tolerance
- Emotional awareness
- Independence
- Impulse control
- Self-esteem
- Social awareness
- Social relationships
Horses also require work. They must be fed, watered, exercised, and groomed. Providing this type of care can often be therapeutic. It helps establish routines and structure, and the act of caring and nurturing something else can help build empathy.
Alaska Mental Health Resources for At-risk Teenagers
Families from Alaska have made MasterNet their top choice when it comes to the healing and rehabilitation of their troubled child battling trials related to ADD/ADHD (attentional disorder), alcohol dependence, or peer conflict. Parents can expect MasterNet to have a team of staff consisting of compassionate, licensed counselors and leaders. Our counselors operate with the understanding that rehabilitation must first come from the inside, rather than from external influences. MasterNet is faithful to the proper direction, not only for your troubled child, but your entire family as well.
As a result, MasterNet is faithful to meeting the particular needs of each teen with the utmost professionalism and compassion. MasterNet’s counselors and field staff discourage the use of judgments and labels, and never condone one’s diagnosis to interfere with a troubled teen’s sense of self or ability to form friendships with one another. MasterNet has provided support to numerous families from all over the nation. Our licensed counselors provide superior treatment to set the path of rehabilitation for adolescent girls troubled with obstacles such as behavioral or process addiction (porn, gaming), seasonal affective disorder, or even peer conflict.
Our purpose is to see your troubled child make a successful transition into adulthood, while living independently as a dignified young adult. Don’t hesitate to contact MasterNet’s admissions specialists for more information regarding enrollment, tuition, and insurance options. For testimonials from current and past MasterNet families, reach out to our team; call one of our professional admissions specialists at (435) 574-4518, and discover how we can provide a variety of relevant residential treatment strategies (equine, life training, behavioral therapy) for your at-risk child today!
“God will hear and answer them— Even the one who sits enthroned from of old— Selah. With whom there is no change, And who do not fear God.” Psalms 55:19
