Equine-Assisted Mental Health Interventions

Kay Sudekum Trotter, PhD, LPC-S, RPT-S, NCC, CEIP-MH, is a licensed professional counselor supervisor, author, speaker, and consultant, as well as the founder of Kaleidoscope Behavioral Health in Flower Mound, Texas, where she has developed and taught animal-assisted therapy workshops. Dr. Trotter’s groundbreaking research led to one of the first published studies on the effectiveness of equine-assisted mental health. She is the author of Harnessing the Power of Equine Assisted Counseling: Adding Animal Assisted Therapy to Your Practice.Jennifer N. Baggerly, PhD, LPC-S, RPT-S, is a professor of counseling at University of North Texas at Dallas, a licensed professional counselor supervisor, and a registered play therapist supervisor who also provides counseling at Kaleidoscope Behavioral Health. She is a former chair of the board for the Association for Play Therapy. Dr. Baggerly has taught and provided counseling for children for more than 20 years. She is the coauthor of Counseling Families: Play-Based Treatment, Group Play Therapy: A Dynamic Approach and Child-Centered Play Therapy Research: The Evidence Base for Effective Practice.

"This text truly offers a new level of understanding for how horses can contribute to human health and healing. Equine-Assisted Mental Health Interventions, powered by more than 40 authors and leading equine specialists from a kaleidoscope of transdisciplinary perspectives, explains the many practical applications and skills needed for incorporating equine therapy into numerous critical therapeutic interventions. This practitioner-friendly and comprehensive book might be the closest opportunity to being offered personal guidance and mentorship from leading experts. Their ideas and knowledge are generously shared with close attention to safety, well-being, and ethical considerations for the human and equine participant. This book will undoubtedly influence the next generations of students specializing in our academic programs at the University of Denver." Philip Tedeschi, executive director, Institute for Human-Animal Connection, clinical professor, Graduate School of Social Work, University of Denver "Animal-assisted therapy has historically been an important part of mental health treatment. In Equine-Assisted Mental Health Interventions, editors Kay Sudekum Trotter and Jennifer N. Baggerly have collected a treasure trove of experts who expound on the uses of horses to work with clients experiencing a wide variety of disorders. This book not only covers equine-assisted treatment of common problems such as anxiety and depression, it also lays out treatment strategies for helping individuals suffering from major maladies. This text is a must read for anyone interested in or involved in animal-assisted therapy."Samuel T. Gladding, PhD, professor of counseling, Wake Forest University"As interest in the field grows rapidly, the professional practice of mental health involving animals requires thoughtful, up to date, and diverse resources. This book provides one such resource on the involvement of equines in psychotherapeutic work. I am impressed that it starts with excellent chapters on ethics and theory, followed by the application of equine-assisted mental health practice to a wide range of problem areas. The chapters provide theoretical backgrounds, specific program descriptions, practical details, and case material, all of which are invaluable for both experienced clinicians and novices interested in the responsible, ethical involvement of equines in their work."Risë VanFleet, PhD, RPT-S, CDBC, CAAPT-I, International Institute for Animal Assisted Play Therapy™ , coauthor, Animal Assisted Play Therapy"Rich in information and clinical case applications, this compilation contains valuable information for clinicians and other professionals. If you had any doubt about the usefulness of equine-assisted therapy for a range of mental health disorders, look no further!"Nina Ekholm Fry, MSSc, CCPT, director of Equine Programs and Equine-Assisted Mental Health, Institute for Human-Animal Connection, University of Denver

• Section One: Ethical Considerations and Theoretical Framework 1. Ethical Considerations in Equine-Assisted Interventions: Meeting the Needs of Both Human and Horse Kirby Wycoff and Maya Gupta 2. What Science Says About Equine-Human Interaction in Equine-Assisted Therapy: An Outline to a Theoretical Framework Felicia Lundgren Section Two: Depression 3. Equine-Facilitated Psychotherapy for the Treatment of Depression Molly DePrekel and Natalie Runge 4. An Eagala Model Approach to Using Equine-Assisted Counseling with Teens Suffering from Depression Karen Frederick Section Three: Anxiety 5. The Transitioning Families Equine-Assisted Model for the Treatment of Anxiety Rebecca F. Bailey and Elizabeth Bailey 6. Natural Lifemanship’s Trauma-Focused Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy and Treatment of Anxiety Disorders Bettina Shultz-Jobe, Laura McFarland, and Tim Jobe 7. Walking with the Wisdom of Peace: A Horse-Guided Practice to Leave Anxiety in the Dust Sara B. Willerson Section Four: Grief 8. Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy, Grief and Loss Patti Schlough Section Five: ADHD 9. ‘Combing’ through ADHD Symptoms Utilizing Mindful Grooming Carlene Taylor Section Six: Autism 10. Equine-Assisted Play Therapy with Clients with Autism Spectrum Disorder Tracie Faa-Thompson 11. Improving Social and Communication Skills for Participants with Autism Spectrum Disorder Through Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy Saan Ecker and Joanne Byrnes Section Seven: Oppositional Behavior 12. Equine-Partnered Play TherapyTM for Children with Oppositional Behavior Hallie Sheade 13. Integrating Body-Mind-Attachment Practices into Equine-Facilitated Psychotherapy: A Case Example of Oppositional Defiant Disorder Leslie McCullough Section Eight: Eating Disorders 14. The Human–Equine Relational Development (HERD) Approach to Working with Clients Suffering from Bulimia Nervosa Veronica Lac Section Nine: Substance Abuse 15. Equine-Assisted Mental Health Therapy and Alcoholism: Issues in Early Sobriety Alita Buzel 16. Triggering Transformations: An Equine-Assisted Approach to the Treatment of Substance Abuse Shelley Green, Monica Schroeder, Cynthia Penalva, Michael Rolleston, and Valerie Judd 17. Beyond the Couch: An Object Relations Approach to EAP Substance Abuse Treatment Natasha Filippides Section Ten: Self-Esteem 18. The 7 C’s of Well-Being Corey L. DeMala-Moran 19. Stepping into the Arena with Your Inner Ally Sara B. Willerson and Vanessa M. Sanford Section Eleven: Social Skills and Communication 20. Social Skills and Communication: The Path of Life through Mindfulness and Experience Rob Pliskin 21. Teaching Social Skills and Communication to Adolescents through Equine Interventions Phyllis Erdman and Sue Jacobson 22. Equine-Assisted Social Education as a Co-Intervention to Prevent Dropout by Improving Social Skills and Engagement in Learning Ritva Mickelsson Section Twelve: Couples and Family 23. Couples in Balance: Realigning Roles Vallarie E. Coleman 24. The Four Agreements in Equine-Assisted Therapy for Relationships Corey L. DeMala-Moran 25. Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy with Couples and Families: A Relational Approach Shelley Green, Michael Rolleston, and Monica Schroeder Section Thirteen: Professional Development 26. Partnering with Horses to Train Mental Health Professionals Shelley Green