For those who are new to equine therapy, the work itself can seem groundbreaking. However, for those of us in the field, there are only a few true pioneers. It is these people who perform the imperative research with the devotion necessary to give validity to a therapeutic modality that is inherently hard to prove.
For one thing, equine therapy is not as easy to define as say, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and further, practiced in much less structured ways. Combine this fact with traditional psychotherapy’s natural skepticism, and you have a research study that is very hard to publish.
And yet there are those who have persevered. However, few among them rival the work of Dr. Kay Trotter. With a published twelve week treatment manual for equine therapy, and an article published in the Journal of Creativity in Mental Health, a peer reviewed publication of the American Counseling Association, Trotter has set herself apart in not only the field of psychotherapy, but in equine assisted counseling as well.
Trotter has also created the Equine Partners in Counseling (EPIC) whose efforts include, research, publication, speaking engagements, consulting and training. Here is a short description:
“Equine Partners in Counseling (EPIC) is leading the way to develop empirical research that clinically proves the value of using horses in therapeutic applications.
Through the use of Equine Assisted Counseling (EAC), mental health professionals can quickly and effectively establish rapport with clients, break through plateaus and significantly improve their clients’ positive social behaviors while decreasing negative social behaviors.
Even though there is increasing anecdotal evidence that EAC can facilitate desirable behavioral changes in clients, there is still too little clinical proof to make EAC a popular mainstream choice for licensed counselors and their clients. EPIC strives to change this.”
For those who are interested in the work of Dr. Kay Trotter, more information can be found at www.kaytrotter.com.
Equine therapy is lucky to have a devout and educated professional, however, I suspect none are so lucky as her clients.