J Bar J Boys Ranch and Healing Reins have partnered to enroll youth in their Substance Use Disorder treatment program. Healing Reins’ equine assisted mental health program is a holistic, experiential and highly specialized form of therapy that involves working in collaboration with a horse, a therapist, and an equine specialist. This groundbreaking model is being used globally as a dynamic, powerful tool in mental health therapy. We have long included Equine Assisted Psychotherapy at The Academy at Sisters and are excited about the possibilities for the boys at the ranch.
Adolescents are at a life stage where many prefer doing instead of talking. Trusting and verbalizing about themselves to another person, including their therapist, can be intimidating. This is especially true if they have experienced trauma or have been let down by an adult they trusted in the past. Talking directly about painful memories can be distressing. Animals have a great capacity to build bonds with humans, their presence can calm and relax us.
Equine Assisted Therapy doesn’t rely on language to facilitate communication. The immediate and honest reaction of the horse can help a teen understand a consequence of their own behavior, something that is often hard to perceive in their human relationships. The student-horse relationship can then provide a metaphor to understanding and interpreting the behaviors of people in the student’s life. Because the horse’s response is a consequence of the interaction, the feedback is clear and easy to accept.