Horses can help people with problems.

Horses can help people with problems.

Horses as therapy

By Justine Thompson

General news

10 December 2008 11:17

All horse owners know how therapeutic it is to be around their animals – and now there is a therapy centre offering just that.

Equine Assisted Psychotherapy has been developed in the US and imported into Britain. Now it is available at a therapy centre in Gloucestershire and – according to The Sun newspaper – footballer Gazza is one of the beneficiaries.

The Stepps centre in Gloucestershire offers treatment for all sorts of addictions, including gambling, sex addiction and drug and alcohol dependency.

The centre says that Equine Assisted Psychotherapy is an emerging therapy using horses as tools for emotional growth and learning. The therapy is intensive and therefore can be very brief.

Apparently there is very little, if any, riding involved, but clients participate in activities with horses and then discuss them, usually these will involve non-verbal communication, assertiveness, creative thinking and teamwork for example.

http://www.steppsrehab.co.uk/
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article2022426.ece