More people than ever before are beginning to see the benefits that therapy can provide for them. For the past five years, the demand for the services of behavioral therapists has been increasing at a rate of about 8.2% each year. In the United States alone, this market is now worth above $16 billion every year!
Part of this growth comes from increasing interest in equine psychotherapy. Although some people have still not heard about this method of therapy, many people are also beginning to appreciate the benefits that it can provide.
In fact, for some people, nothing seems to be as effective as equine therapy. But what is equine psychotherapy, and how does it provide so many benefits?
Read on to learn all about the top reasons equine psychotherapy is often the best option for teens!
What Is Equine Psychotherapy?
Equine psychotherapy is an approach that uses horses to help people improve their mental and behavioral health. It consists of learning how to take care of horses as well as how to ride them. As part of this process, teens also learn how to understand horses and the relationship that they can have with them.
On top of that, therapists help teens learn how to apply the lessons they learn about horses to the other relationships in their life. That can include their personal relationships as well as their relationships with themselves and even with addictions.
One of the reasons equine psychotherapy works so well is that horses are known to be skittish animals that require careful attention and gentleness. On top of that, horses are social animals that form close bonds and can learn to trust or distrust people based on their behavior. All of this helps equine therapy provide a long list of benefits.
1. Equine Assisted Psychotherapy Benefits Self-Esteem
One of the biggest benefits of equine therapy is that it helps teens to develop self-esteem. For one thing, people’s self-esteem often increases when they learn new skills and realize that they can become capable of doing new things.
At first, most teens have no idea how to relate to horses. On top of that, they might feel some trepidation about interacting with such a large animal, especially if they have never done so before.
However, with time, teens can learn to overcome this initial trepidation. They will also learn that they can improve their skills and succeed at showing horses that they can be trusted.
2. Learn Physical Skills With Equine Therapy
One of the most beneficial ways to manage mental health problems is exercise. Unfortunately, many types of therapy neglect the physical side of things. However, equine therapy combines intellectual and emotional learning with physical learning as well.
This can also help teens to connect with their own bodies more and understand how they affect their emotions and thoughts.
3. Equine Therapy for Teens Teaches Patience
Sometimes, impatience can make it much more difficult to improve mental health or overcome an addiction. However, patience is vital when you are learning to work with horses. Teens who receive equine therapy learn how to take their time both with their horses and with their own feelings as they learn how to relate to horses.
They get to see for themselves how things that seem difficult at first can be achieved with perseverance and patience.
4. Benefits of Equine Therapy Include Stress Management
Sometimes, teens experience negative thought patterns that lead to huge amounts of stress. It can be difficult to snap out of negative patterns when you are used to relating all of your thoughts and feelings to the problems in your life.
However, equine therapy is the perfect way to get people to focus less on their own problems and more on the task at hand. In equine therapy, teens learn to focus on cultivating healthy relationships with horses and performing the necessary work to take care of them and improve their skills at riding them. All of this can help teens develop a long list of ways to manage stress when they find themselves in the middle of negative thought patterns.
5. Increase Empathy With Mental Health Therapy
One of the most powerful ways to improve mental health is to increase empathy. As we have discussed, horses can be sensitive animals that need to be treated gently before they learn to trust someone.
This sensitivity helps teens learn that they need to pay close attention to horses while working with them and read their body language and cues. This can also help teens learn to interact with other people in a more sensitive and empathetic way.
6. Learn Impulse Control With Equine Therapy
Impulse control is one of the most valuable skills that a person can learn in their life. Horses can help teens learn greater impulse control because they do not like most surprises. In equine therapy, teens will learn to be steady and maintain that steadiness even in the face of the impulses they feel.
7. Learn Trust With Equine Psychotherapy
Equine therapy can also help teens understand how trust is built and lost. They will get to see for themselves the kinds of behaviors that lead to a strong trust between them and their horses.
Know the Top Benefits of Equine Psychotherapy
Many people are amazed when they hear about all of the many benefits that come from equine psychotherapy. The more you know about equine therapy, the better you can appreciate why so many people are interested in it. Depending on your situation and needs, equine therapy might be the perfect solution.
To learn more about how you can find the best rehab services for teens possible, reach out and get in touch with us here at any time!