Welcome to Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) at Restorative Pathways. Our approach merges horse physiology and psychology with the human experience, helping emotional healing for a variety of issues. Unlike traditional talk therapy, EAP is hands-on, allowing you to engage in practical learning that can lead to transformative positive changes.
Restorative Pathways excels in using horse-based counseling techniques. We use supervised interactions with carefully selected equine partners. These intuitive animals respond to us honestly, without judgment, quickly offering unique insights to clients that might take months or years in an office setting. Many of our horse partners have overcome challenges themselves, which adds depth to our clients' healing experiences.
Equine Assisted Psychotherapy is a good fit for those seeking to:
Uncover deep-seated issues efficiently with our advanced therapy
Benefit from a unique experience, tailored for profound healing
Experience a practical alternative to in-office treatment that delivers effective results
Equine Assisted Psychotherapy offers these benefits:
Deep insights through hands-on understanding, going beyond theory
Pattern recognition, value assessment and adoption of new approaches and life skills
Ways to experiment with new behaviors, and receive prompt feedback
"Aha!” moments with concrete progress and results
Equine Assisted Psychotherapy can help with
Youth and adolescent clients
PTSD and trauma
Anxiety and depression
Grief and loss
Couple’s counseling
Parental guidance
Professional challenges
Family Issues
EAP: Why choose Equine Assisted Psychotherapy?
Our EAP program is founded on research that shows it works for improving emotional regulation, social skills, and self-esteem, while also reducing symptoms of depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Our experienced mental health professional, Cesare Perlini, has over four decades of professional knowledge and understanding of horse behavior. He designed the program to help clients gain new perspectives, identify feelings, develop insight into their issues, and improve interpersonal relationships.
With our horses, clients can work through their struggles in a supportive and non-judgmental environment, receiving real-time feedback that often surpasses traditional talk-based therapies.
This psychotherapy offers both psychological and physical benefits for clients. Interacting with horses has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety levels, decrease blood pressure and heart rate, and increase levels of the hormone oxytocin, which promotes feelings of trust, bonding, and relaxation. Horses are known to have a calming effect on individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other trauma-related conditions. Horses create a non-judgmental, non-threatening environment where clients can feel safe to explore their emotions.
What to expect?
All EAP sessions start with a phone conversation. We’ll talk about your needs, go over the basics of EAP and answer any questions you have about the process. Once we decide together that EAP is a good fit for you, we will schedule an appointment and send you some paperwork prior to the session.
When you arrive at the barn, we’ll talk for a few minutes so Cesare can get a sense of your comfort level and so you can ask any more questions you have. Based on all of that, we'll come up with a therapy plan that will help you move towards your goals. While many of the challenges people face are similar, there is only one you. Because of that, the exercises and activities we do are driven by your individual needs. While we usually start with introductions to the horses and grooming, we can start with simply looking at and talking about horses. We always go at your pace and nothing is ever forced. There is no fast or slow, better or worse, there’s only what is best for you.
After each session, you’ll talk through the work with Cesare and process the experience.
How does it help?
Horses are big and powerful, and this may lead to feelings of vulnerability and anxiety for a client. Because horses are reactive and have the instinct to move away from unpleasant stimuli, keeping a horse nearby and calm by controlling your own body language, tone of voice and behavior helps with emotional regulation. It also gives clients a concrete awareness of how they affect people (and horses) around them.
Interacting safely with a horse in a supervised environment builds your skills in handling your own emotions. This can help people with anxiety face their fears and practice vulnerability in a safe space. Over time, you’ll develop a bond with the horse(s) you work with, which can establish trust and empathy. Maintaining calmness while still leading and controlling a horse also helps with impulse control. Caring for horses requires focus and concentration, a “be here now” mindset that lets you pay attention to the horse, which it will feel. Equine Assisted Psychotherapy programs can help people improve self-esteem, self-awareness, and confidence.