Equine Therapy Near Me
Are you interested in exploring an alternative form of therapy to find healing and grow personally?
Would you like to learn deeply about yourself and how to navigate through issues you may be facing?
Call 201-708-8448 to book Equine Assisted Therapy with us, request a callback or email us.
Equine Therapy Near Me - at BoPo NJ
Experiential learning is learning by doing, and it is the way that humans learn best.
Equine-assisted psychotherapy incorporates horses experientially for emotional growth and learning and is a ground-based collaborative effort between a licensed therapist and a horse professional working with clients and horses to address treatment goals.
Providing each client with a unique, non-judgmental space that offers real-time feedback through the horse response, equine-assisted psychotherapy helps you to gain personal insight through experiencing the self as reflected by horses. It can open you up to possibilities that you may have not seen with traditional therapy, as it is experiential and differs from office work.
Horses are honest teachers with personalities as varied as those of humans, and therefore, they react differently to each person and each action. They have a unique sensitivity to human feelings and tend to mirror our emotions and body language. As such, we can learn about ourselves through them.
Not only have studies shown that animal-assisted therapy reduces cortisol, the stress hormone, but being present with the horses can encourage you to be alive in the present moment. The horses realize that is the only moment we have.
Our equine-assisted psychotherapist holds space for you to care for and learn from horses so that you may find healing and freedom from what may be keeping you stuck or holding you back.
Our Equine-Assisted Psychotherapist
Wendy Coffey, MSW, LCSW
Wendy Coffey is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of New Jersey and has been practicing since 1991. She spent the beginning of her career working with children and adolescents in treatment foster care as well as with adolescent girls living in a group home setting.
She has also worked at the county level in a crisis intervention unit providing therapy to families in times of stress. Having been trained in crisis intervention, she is familiar with family dynamics and how these dynamics affect the individual.
She will use the modality that is most appropriate for the client, whether that be CBT, family therapy, Humanistic therapy or a combination of therapies. Therapy is an art that is tailored to the individual. Through conversation the best approach will present itself.
Wendy has worked with adults, adolescents, children and couples who present with anxiety, depression, grief and time-of-life stressors.
Wendy believes in a holistic approach to treatment, which includes the integration of environment, body and mind.
Admiration of horses has been part of her being since she was a child. Horses are able to heal people just by being themselves, connected to the present moment. Wendy is currently including equine therapy as part of her treatment approach. When clients work with the horses they learn about themselves.This can lead to breakthroughs in therapy.
A safe space for you to care for and learn from horses. Find healing and freedom from what may be keeping you stuck or holding you back.
Equine Therapy at BoPo - Who's it for?
We offer individual, family, and group equine-assisted psychotherapy for ages 12 to adult.
We work with people managing issues including but not limited to: addiction, anxiety, depression, disordered eating, grief and loss, family dynamics, impulse control, interpersonal relationship issues, life transitions, negative body image, self-acceptance, teamwork, and trauma.
The Benefits of Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy
Ben’s Story
Ben walked into the space with the horses wanting to be able to control his anger. As he felt it coming on without warning, he was looking for help. He was presented with one of the miniature horses and given the opportunity to move this horse from one space to another without force.
Ben’s level of frustration increased as the horse refused to do what Ben wanted him to do. After some questioning, Ben realized that he felt the anger building in his body. Able to identify the anger and take a deep breath, he then tried a different, calm, and patient approach with the horse. The horse accepted this version of Ben and easily moved where Ben had asked.
Ben left the session understanding his anger, where it originates, and how to breathe into it and let it go. This happened in one meeting with the horses. The physical and the mental coming together is experiential learning, and it is powerful.
Above is just one example of how powerful equine-assisted psychotherapy can be. The practice has also been shown to:
◐ Reduce stress
◓ Encourage presence and feelings of being alive
◑ Help to understand felt emotion, where it originates from, how to breathe into it, and ways to let it go
◒ Put you, as the client, in a position to come up with your own solutions to any challenges that you may be facing
◐ Support you in creating boundaries and increasing self-awareness, which, in turn, aids in developing relationships with people
Ready to book your Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy with us?
Whatever you bring to the pasture will be expressed through interactions with the horses.
Body Positive Works is offering equine-assisted psychotherapy as a treatment option to help you gain insight and find emotional freedom, growth, and healing.
Being outside and experiencing nature while developing inner growth is a welcome gift.
Call 201-708-8448 to book your massage with us, request a callback or email us.
Equine Assisted Therapy FAQ
An equine-assisted psychotherapy session is an experiential modality, and you can expect to be outside in the horses’ space, interacting with them on the ground. While no riding is involved in this type of therapy, a therapist and an equine specialist will be guiding the process throughout the session. Each session is unique and driven by you, the client, and the horses in the moment.
Equine therapy provides you with a way to look inside yourself while looking outside to the horses. You come with your own perceptions of life which play out through the horse’s interactions. This type of therapy gives you a new way of seeing your life. Equine therapy provides you with a way to look inside yourself while looking outside to the horses. You come with your own perceptions of life which play out through the horse’s interactions. This type of therapy gives you a new way of seeing your life.
Horses are sensitive herd animals who rely on picking up on subtle shifts in energy to stay alive. This sensitivity expands to whoever or whatever is in their space. When you recognize your own feelings through the horses’ behavior you can learn how to regulate yourself.
