5th Edition July 20
Contents Photographs from eagala
1
Welcome from Newsletter Team
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New developments from eagala
4-9
Eagala help!
10 – 11
Promotional activity
12 - 15
Insurance advice – Balens
15 – 17
Supervision
18 - 22
The Equine Therapy Project
23 -24
Equestrian Index – free listing for UK Members
25
www.eagala.org
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Welcome to the 9th Edition of the eagala EME Newsletter Dear Members, friends and followers It's been a busy past year and has seen many positive changes taking place with eagala as it prepares for its next level of growth and support for its members. We will aim to update you on all of these within this e-newsletter. Collaboration has been the theme of 2016/17, with promotional activities aiming to raise the profile of the eagala model and eagala certified practitioners. A voice of 4,500 practitioners worldwide is stronger and louder than our individual practices. This e-newsletter has two purposes, one: to keep you as members in touch with what is happening with eagala and two: to enable you as practitioners to share best practice and information on what you are up to. Please continue to send in your news, case studies, research & evaluation results and anything else you think will support members and promote eagala. We hope to hear from all countries in the EME region and will of course share developments from the region. At present we are only hearing from a limited number of members in only a few countries from the region. As we would really like to expand the scope and geographical area of the newsletter, please get involved and send us the news and stories from your area so that the region as a whole can be represented. Any members who are interested in supporting the production of the EME e-newsletter, contributions would be gratefully received. This would include researching, connecting with members for information, laying up and editing the e-newsletter. Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is a key element to your certification renewal. Reading this e-newsletter will qualify for CPD hours. To register fill out the online form and submit: http://home.eagala.org/enews_ce eagala EME Regional Coordinator team Carey Khan, Selina Joynson & Philippe D’Helft
www.eagala.org
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New developments from Eagala New training format 2017 has seen a change to the training format with the Part one and Part two training now combined into a five day training. There is a pre-training webinar which is an introduction to the eagala model, there are also post training mentoring hours and an assessment, plus the usual portfolio requirements for the full certification. If you did not see the announcement on the new format or have any questions please email eme@eagala.org Member questions have included… “What if I have completed Part One training and want to complete my certification?” There will not be another part II training in the EME region. Any trainees that have completed the Part I training can attend the new five day training at the rate of the old Part II. Trainees attending the new training instead of the old Part II will be required to attend for the full five days. This is to avoid disrupting the group dynamic and to ensure that the full benefit of the new training can be gained. In short, trainees that have completed the part one and would have done the part II can attend the new training for the part II rate of $750USD. Those who want to attend at the reduced rate can email me at EME@eagala.org or kara@eagala.org to get them booked on and to sort out payment. “Past training group sizes too large” The new Fundamentals of the eagala Model training is capped at 30 participants and will be delivered by three trainers. The feedback from participants so far has been really positive.
EME Training schedule for 2017 Confirmed training May 2017 – Wiltshire, UK July 2017 – Belgium September 2017 – Doncaster, UK September 2017 – Corporate training with TAAC - TBC
For booking online visit http://home.eagala.org/events
www.eagala.org
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Coming soon – the New website!
Development work is underway on the new website with lots of great new enhancements and features. The public facing pages will be more client focused to help support members in raising awareness of the eagala model to potential client groups. Networking groups will be able to manage meetings and communications online including booking your attendance, recording your CPD hours and promoting events. You will be able to manage your account, add and update your ‘find a program’ profile, register your team member, choose your mentor, renew your certification, review your continued education hours and lots more.
A new online learning platform for continuing education opportunities A new online learning platform is being developed to provide opportunities for members to develop their understanding of the eagala model with webinars, live and on demand quizzes and surveys. This will be key to support members in remote areas and for bringing the workshops and in depth knowledge from the US to be accessible to all.
www.eagala.org
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Horses Help APP The horses help APP was launched in March and was running campaigns over the conference period to leverage social media to raise awareness of the eagala model. There are some great resources for members to use including articles, videos, case studies etc. and all actions in sharing are rewarded with points and prizes. Check it out if you haven’t already‌ You can go to your apple or android app store and search for Horses Help, or here are direct links: * Here is the link for iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/horses-help/id1209659200?mt=8 * And here is Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.horseshelp.horseshelpapp&hl=en
www.eagala.org
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Restructuring and communication for the region Eagala has made some structural changes to enable the next level of growth in the organisation. This includes Jacque Baumer as the new Chief Operating Officer to support Lynn Thomas as CEO with the business operations. Everything to do with the EME region should now be directed through the EME team who will support members. This also includes scheduling training, contracting, promotions and liaison with members etc. Please contact Carey Khan, Regional Director on eme@eagala.org
Network Group Activity We have had a number of positive changes to network groups including strengthening some areas with Co-coordinators. We thank Becky Hughes and Ilka Parent for their past support as coordinators and wish them well with their practice. We welcome new coordinators: UK London and South East: Nickie Swain Hi my name is Nicola Swain, I am 42years old and currently a Police Officer on a career break, I spent the last 5yrs working with vulnerable people, domestic violence victims, sexual offence victims, race hate crime, and FGM. I have attained the British Horse Society Assistant Instructor and I am working towards the Intermediate Teaching. However I am trained in classical methods and ‘natural horsemanship’. I am a freelance instructor and I occasionally work alongside a vet physiotherapist for horses. I mainly teach up to advanced dressage and a lot of groundwork. I have also competed in Show jumping, cross country and dressage and most recently have been competing with Forces Equine Herts Police Team and we have been competing at Royal Windsor and Hickstead. I am also a mother to two, my daughter 19yrs and my son 5yrs. I have recently completed Eagala Part 1 and 2 as an ES, and am about to start soon with my mother a MH. Although I am fairly new to Eagala, I have a wealth of experience, with all members of society, I have good communication skills, and organisational skills, I have some knowledge of law, risk assessments, victims, vulnerable persons, mental health, communities and horses.
www.eagala.org
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UK South West Co-coordinator: Zeb Nawaz My name is Zeb Nawaz, and I am the founder of HHPDA (Horses Helping People with Depression and Anxiety). I have seen horses give people hope when they are at their lowest and create confidence when they had such low esteem, it is truly remarkable. It is the one of the many reasons I started HHPDA. After a bad fall back in 2010 I looked into Monty Roberts methods, attending courses at his farm in California, to understand more about horses, and why they act the way they do. This is when my ‘journey’ with horses began, learning how therapeutic and truly amazing they are. Monty is the reason I got back on a horse, and bought my own horse Harvey. I attended the EAGALA Part 1 and 2 trainings in 2014 in Rodbaston, and did both again Parts in California. It was very interesting to see the different perspectives in the UK and California. The cultural differences in how it was taught was fascinating and very exciting! Being from Gloucester we don’t have many meetings locally, and it can sometimes feel quite isolating, especially whilst trying to find a local MH to work with. I have travelled up to 4 hours to attend Networking Meetings, and have found them incredibly useful. Having the opportunity to speak to various EAGALA practitioners with various experience is so valuable. They can offer such insight in how they run their programs or centres. I strongly believe so much can be achieved together by sharing and collaborating. These networking meeting are so helpful in trying to find solutions to problems that people may be facing, especially when people are newly qualified.
North Germany: Nina Romanczuk-Seiferth Hi! My name is Nina Romanczuk-Seiferth and I am happy to introduce myself as the new network coordinator of the EAGALA North Germany group. I have a background in clinical psychology and psychotherapy and work as a professor at the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy of the Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Germany. Being both a practitioner and a scientist, I am very much interested in including new approaches in my work to better support people in their lives as well as understanding the underlying mechanisms in order to foster development in this field. Thus, I am happy to contribute to the EAGALA community by helping people to get in contact in order to support each other, to learn from each other and to enjoy our time with each other and with the horses! Many greetings, Nina
www.eagala.org
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Attending a networking group has many benefits including:
great way to meet with other eagala members gain continued education hours for your certification renewal enhance your skills and knowledge through the practice sessions discuss business development ideas with other practitioners network and develop friendships keep your passion and interest in the eagala model have fun while learning
We have 15 networking groups in Europe who are run by our dedicated team of volunteer network group coordinators. This important role in eagala supports our members through our region. Visit http://home.eagala.org/Global to find out more.
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eagala help Support to get you started eagala provide a wealth of information, resources, consultancy and support to help get you up and running in business. Click here for eagala membership benefits
Bridging the gap between training and delivery Current organisations looking for volunteers: Manx Equitherapy in Isle of Man http://www.manxequitherapy.com/ We are always glad to have volunteers through the EAGALA network site. We are happy to accommodate volunteers who are interested the EAGALA model and would like the opportunity to work with clients, observe, learn and develop their skills and generally help with our therapy horses. We are flexible with hours and dates etc. and we have available a two berth caravan on site with all mod cons to hire on a weekly basis if volunteers want to be self-catering and onsite rather than in a hotel/B&B etc. We are close to amenities and the beach and the mountains. We have a quiet and secluded, country location for great walks and scenery and we are also on a bus route. Contact Wendy (07624) 427527 for more details.
Equus Solutions in Cornwall, UK http://www.equussolutions.co.uk/
Finding a partner If you are looking for a partner to work with please email eme@eagala.org and we will be happy to support you and connect you with potential partners.
www.eagala.org
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Marketing Resources available from eagala for use by members
We now have a Mental Health Brochure and an Addictions Recovery brochure for practitioners to use focusing on using the eagala model. This can be provided in pdf form for emailing, or as print ready files or purchased from eagala to contribute to the costs of printing. As well as the new certification brochure which we can send. PDF marketing materials can be found online here If you are carrying out promotional work on a national basis to support all members then please email eme@eagala.org to be sent hard copy brochures.
Tips on running a demonstration Guidance and top tips on how to run a demonstration can be found by clicking here.
Facebook group - Stay up to date with latest sharing and advice – click here to join Eagala EME facebook group
www.eagala.org
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Planned promotional activity to raise the profile of eagala in 2017 Health+Care conference – 28-29 June 2017 http://www.healthpluscare.co.uk
Eagala is exhibiting again at the Health+Care conference at Excel on 28-29 June 2017. Eagala have also run a quarter page advert and event listing in the Health Business publication as the official media partner. https://issuu.com/psi-media/docs/hb17.02. As part of this, eagala get a database of 19,000 healthcare professionals. Around 10,000 of these are relevant to eagala professionals in the UK and are decision makers/budget holders. We are happy to work with you and to send on contacts to members wishing to contact these people in their area. Eagala's vision is that everyone has access to eagala's services to support that vision and promote the model as leading in the mental health field and raise awareness to generate business for members within this area. Last year’s conference Last year eagala had a list of practitioners in Europe which was handed out at the event (this was taken from the find a program listing on the eagala website) as well as had various demonstrations taking place after the event which was promoted at the event. The idea behind this was to have a co-ordinated and collaborative approach to raise awareness amongst key decision makers to raise the profile of this work using the eagala model. We www.eagala.org
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appreciate all of us run demonstrations/promotional events anyway to get clients under our own brand. However the purpose of this initiative is as a collaborative voice it will be louder and stronger and of benefit to all practitioners! The AIM is to generate awareness about eagala, and the practitioners who have eagala programs with clinical commissioners, GPs, mental health providers/charities etc. At the event itself we had the large horse balloons and a pantomime horse running around the event which generated a lot of interest! Interested in being involved? (1) Demonstration - In order to generate awareness about eagala and the practitioners who use the model, and for potential funders to see it in action the plan is to arrange a demonstration. The idea is for this to be a COLLABORATIVE approach, where the aim is for practitioners to come together to run the demonstration together maybe through the network group. Although we are happy to include individual organisations who are hosting an event. The benefit of a group event is more resources can be used to spread the workload and it will provide a good learning opportunity. For example, one organisation could be involved in organising volunteers, another with the marketing/ advertising, another with hosting the event and also promoting the event to potential attendees. It would be great if all organisations would be involved in promoting as it would be beneficial for ALL. EAGALA can provide promotional leaflets, invitation templates, banners and other support. Although last year EAGALA was asked if they would pay for facilities etc. – this is not feasible due to the investment in exhibiting at the conference. Hopefully members will see the benefit in them providing their facilities and marketing input to potentially generate business! EAGALA will also coordinate press releases and pre Health+Care event promotion centrally from EAGALA. (2) Program Listing - EAGALA Certified Members to be included in the Promotional Listing. Please could people ensure your listings are up to date on the eagala website http://home.eagala.org/find so that the promotional material distributed has your correct details. (3) Attend - Any EAGALA Certified members interested in helping on the EAGALA stand? Last year some members managed to register for free attendance. EAGALA promotional information will be there representing all members. If you want to bring your own promotional information then please send it through to me in the first instance eme@eagala.org We need to monitor how successful it is to determine if the resources should be spent again in this area or elsewhere next year. www.eagala.org
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Any ideas, suggestions, questions etc. please let me know. Carey Khan, EAGALA Regional Director for Europe and Middle East eme@eagala.org 07949 862464
We welcome member feedback and ideas on what we should be involved with, please email your ideas and suggestions to: eme@eagala.org
www.eagala.org
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A short introduction to insurance for therapists with David Balen Cert PFS Managing Director of BALENS
Insurance is often viewed quite negatively, but it can be the difference between losing your livelihood or not, and is essential in promoting a professional image to the outer world and to protect the public. In today’s claims culture aided by the rise of “no win, no fee” solicitors, the ability to sue is no longer restricted to the rich or famous. If you carry out a treatment or give advice regardless of to whom or how frequent, you are at risk! How can individual therapists protect themselves? “I would recommend ensuring that you have a good quality Insurance to help protect against clients or others who have chosen to make a claim or complain. Cover should include Public Liability, Medical Malpractice, Breach of Confidentiality, Financial Loss, Criminal and Tax defence, Loss of Reputation and Products Liability, – there is a glossary and other useful information on our website www.balens.co.uk which explains the terminology, and various educational topics in our Balens Guide also now available online. If you don’t have an adequate wording, you could find yourself held financially liable if it were proved that it was your advice or treatment, or the products used that were responsible for the clients’ alleged situation. There are of course other types of protection available that can cover contents, buildings, items taken away from the premises such as mobile equipment and laptops, loss of profits arising from damage to your clinic premises, protecting yourself or colleagues for loss of income due to illness, accident or death and so on. For corporate entities with multi therapist clinics, businesses selling health products or other commercial ventures, there are various special packages available.”
www.eagala.org
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Are there any common pitfalls in this? “I would say that most of the pitfalls we experience are due to a therapist’s lack of knowledge, or from not letting insurers know of any material facts or changes relevant to the risks being insured-for example if you start working from home, you need to advise your home insurer about this if they were not previously informed. Many home insurance providers do not cover for working from home and they may choose to refuse a claim – even an unrelated one, if they discover you have been working from home and they were unaware of this. Other common pitfalls include individuals under insuring themselves (i.e. taking out cover for their business contents for less than its value), and when the business becomes slightly larger with more therapists working in the same place, they do not grow their insurance cover with the business. I.e. it may be that they do not have a corporate policy in place as they believe they will be adequately covered by their own individual Professional Indemnity insurances. This is not always the case, and practitioners should always seek professional advice on what cover they need at every stage of their business’ development. There can also be confusion as to how long cover will last if discontinuing a policy. Some types of policy are on a “claims made” basis and may not continue cover for an adequate period after terminating, or indeed, at all! Some do not pick up previous work performed under another policy when changing insurer. These are key elements to check when choosing your insurance products” What are the most common complaints? “Many complaints arise within the first few sessions with a new client, and often result from misunderstandings, miscommunication, and inadequate advice given at outset, failing to manage a client’s expectations or inappropriate behaviour. Remember to keep your boundaries, show good listening and communication skills: Never claim or imply that you are able to cure a condition and manage the clients’ expectations regarding your services, including cost, length of time it could take, and explain both the possible positive and possible negative effects of the treatment. Remember to keep good records (for at least 7 years – preferably indefinitely) of what you have told the client, your records are your first line of defence if a claim is made against you. Choosing a Broker with a good track record in giving expert and sympathetic claims support is vital.” What should a therapist do if a claim is made against them? “First don’t panic. Contact your Broker; they should be able to give advice on how best to deal with the situation. Never admit liability or promise to pay, this prejudices your insurers position, and may mean that your insurance becomes nullified. There are ways of dealing with this. If in doubt, ask. We all make mistakes, it is part of being human, but with good quality support you can be reassured that you will not be paying the price of that mistake yourself: you can then reflect, learn and move on”. www.eagala.org
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Further information and articles on the different types of insurance available, the importance of good record keeping, home insurance and professional development together with CPD films can be found on Balens Website www.balens.co.uk To discuss your insurance requirements or receive a quote please contact 01684 580 771 or e-mail info@balens.co.uk
Members offer! eagala has a block discount scheme for eagala members with Balens. Quote eagala when purchasing insurance through them. Click here for advice on other insurers.
www.eagala.org
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Do I need supervision working in Equine Assisted Therapy? Background For some of us working in the field of Equine Assisted Interventions, Supervision will be a familiar and normal part of the way we practice. Many practitioners working in the fields of mental health, as well as health and social care (including counsellors and psychotherapists), will belong to organisations such as the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP), the National Counselling Society (NCS) or others. These organisations include regular supervision in their guidelines for members and the BACP require 1.5 hours of supervision on a regular monthly basis as a central part of their way of working, in line with their Ethical Framework. Occupational Therapists, Clinical Psychologists, Social Workers and Psychiatrists working in this field have their own professional bodies, ethical codes and National Occupational Standards and will also have regular clinical or organisational supervision, or both. For the Equine Specialists amongst us many will be operating out of yards with Local Authority Riding Establishment licences, they will be members of The British Horse Society as well as organisations such as EAGALA. They may well hold current BHSAI or other equine qualifications, attend regular team meetings and CPD events and some may also have supervision for their EAT/L/P work, either with their MH or separately. What is Supervision? So what is Supervision and what does it offer EAGALA practitioners? I want to be brief here and keep it simple as I could talk for some time about the developmental, supportive and qualitative functions of this role, not to mention a supervisory approach which is relationship based. I could also talk about the supervisor as model, counsellor, consultant and evaluator. In addition there are different models of supervision in the helping professions as well as different types of supervision, including peer and consultancy. Many books have been written on this subject and learned articles but I would like to talk about my own experience of supervision, both as a supervisee since 2002, and as a supervisor in EAP/T since 2009 and hopefully the benefits of supervision will become apparent this way. When I first started doing this work I had far more questions than I could find answers to! I was often unsure, uncertain of the ‘right’ way of working. I went on many training courses www.eagala.org
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and workshops and gradually some things became clearer, whilst other aspects felt more confusing! I had doubts; about the horses’ welfare; clients’ vulnerabilities; and all sorts of other things besides. What I noticed however was that each time there was an opportunity to work alongside another practitioner who was a little more experienced than I was, my perceptions and responses started to develop and change and I felt more confident in my practice. It wasn’t always that I agreed with their way of doing things but I started to work out my own model, distilled from what I saw going on around me, some competent good practice, as well as some less helpful experiences. These supervisory sessions were on the whole supportive, reassuring and provided new and innovative ideas on different ways of working with clients. Over the years, and thanks to some skilled supervisors, this process has continued and if I were to break it down into its constituent elements these are some of the things that I have most appreciated as a supervisee whilst working in the world of Equine Assisted Interventions: Supervisory relationships characterised by warmth, trust, congruence and mutual respect. In these settings I think my creativity has been able to flourish and the polarity between the creative and the clinical aspects of my work has been successfully bridged. Supervisory work that provided education, helping me to learn and develop as a practitioner. Where the teaching/developmental role was skilfully facilitated and reflective practice as well as experiential learning were a core part of the process. Learning through play is effective, where the dynamics and pressures of the work can be felt, explored and understood, alongside the development of new ways of working, cocreated by supervisor/supervisee together. Supervisory work that has a supportive or resourcing element, where my wellbeing has been acknowledged and my doubts/lack of self-confidence addressed. I have felt validated and supported, both as a person and as a worker and not left on my own to carry problems and projections. I have been given space to explore and express personal distress as well as issues of transference and counter-transference that have been brought up by the work. Supervisory work that has focussed on the quality of the work/service I am offering my clients. It has been helpful when the supervisor has been able to offer a solid knowledge of the profession, as well as being able to model their own competencies and capabilities – i.e. talk the talk and walk the walk…!. Supervisory work that has paid attention to the wider profession, it’s developing models and approaches, as well as the context and systems in which the interventions of EAT/EAL/EAP rest. As an EAP/T practitioner I believe effective supervision offers me a working partnership where, with the help of my supervisor, I can use the reflective process to attend to my clients, and myself as part of the client/practitioner relationship, with the goal of improving the quality of my work with clients. Supervision also offers me ongoing personal and professional learning and development thus improving outcomes for myself, my clients, the future of my practice and my profession generally.
www.eagala.org
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The BACP take a slightly different view when they state: ‘The primary purpose of supervision is to protect the best interests of the client.’ But if we were to ask the question a little differently, for example; ‘Who or what does supervision serve?’ then we might arrive at the broader answer of; the supervisee, their clients and the safety of the service they receive, as well as the reputation of the organisation itself, who may well be paying for the supervision. Why do we need Supervision in our work? Working as a supervisor since 2009 I have two issues that I have come to feel very strongly about; firstly the issue of Safety, which includes both the emotional and physical safety of client(s), horse(s) and practitioners in sessions, and secondly the issue of Standards when it comes to service delivery. For anyone reading this and still thinking that supervision doesn’t have anything to do with them, I invite you to consider the following scenario. You have a relative or close friend with a psychological injury who thinks that EAT might be helpful for them. What they don’t know however is that some practitioners offering this type of intervention in the UK, including those who are calling what they offer Equine Assisted Therapy, Learning or Psychotherapy, are not receiving regular, appropriate or suitably skilled supervision. Furthermore they are unaware that there are no National Occupational Standards (NOS) for their chosen intervention. NOS are statements of the standards of performance that are required and must be achieved by individual practitioners when carrying out their work with members of the public. They specify the underpinning knowledge and understanding required for the work and are statements of effective performance which have been agreed by employers and other stakeholders and approved by the UK NOS Panel. Animal and Equine Assisted Interventions have no National Occupational Standards. Neither will the concept of ‘Clinical Governance’ protect them as clients. For practitioners working in the NHS or in public health and social care settings the concept of ‘Clinical Governance’ will be familiar as a system through which NHS organisations are accountable for continuously improving the quality of their services and safeguarding high standards of care. This concept may exist as an idea in the mind of some practitioners in EAT/L/P but there is no mandatory requirement for it. If you are working solely in the corporate sector you might argue that supervision is not an issue for you, that you are providing workplace training; working on team building or problem solving skills for example. My hunch is however that some of the same issues will appear in your sessions that also appear for those of us working directly with mental health and wellbeing, so supervision might also be helpful for you. As practitioners in the fields of Equine Assisted Therapy, Learning and Psychotherapy we are often, or even usually, working with vulnerable client groups, young or old, with a wide range of mental health problems, from mild to moderate depression through to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and everything in between. And we are working with our www.eagala.org
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vulnerable clients in a work setting that has no National Occupational Standards, no Clinical Governance and where many, or even most mental health practitioners, if they are counsellors or psychotherapists, are themselves practising in an unregulated profession. This has come as a shock to many of the clients and students I have worked with. Those of us who belong to professional bodies such as the BACP or UKCP sign up to self-regulation but this is not mandatory for every practitioner and plenty of practitioners work outside this self-regulatory frame of reference. Should you decide to investigate the possibility of supervision you might wonder what type to choose, for instance, peer or consultative. I have both and I enjoy and benefit from each in different ways. Peer supervision can be a great way of working collaboratively. It’s low cost, usually fun, and can be very supportive but if most of the members of a group have been practising for a similar length of time it may not offer enough in terms of learning and development or improving the quality of the work. Competent consultative supervision will cost more but it should offer all of the benefits I have listed above, maybe more, and that needs to be taken into consideration. Supervision is probably best carried out face to face but I also work with supervisees via the telephone or Skype and for many practitioners this works well too. I want to add that I have worked with some practitioners who are not part of the existing framework, such as it is, but who are clearly working in very skilful ways, so I am not saying that we need to be prescriptive or take a purely clinical approach here but I do believe that good quality supervision is something which can be very helpful and which most of us could access if we chose to. I also believe that it would go some way to addressing standards of practice, as well as improving overall safety for our clients, our horses and ourselves as practitioners. This has to be a good thing for all of us doesn’t it……? In conclusion These are some of the things that other supervisees I know have said about their supervision sessions and are happy for me to share:“I think that professional clinical supervision is vital for practitioners in EAT/L for both personal and professional practice reasons. It is important to have peer supervision in a group/team situation in order to be able to discuss clients/participants within a context that information can be confidentially shared that an individual practitioner might miss, also for practitioners to all work to similar values/methods within the practice - including with the horses in order for consistency and so safeguard their wellbeing. Individual supervision with an experienced and qualified supervisor is also vital in order to be able to 'offload' and perhaps go more deeply into the personal side of the work that it may not be possible to do within the time-limited context of peer supervision.” ES/MH “Single most important element for me:- EAT supervision supports me in taking my psychotherapy practice outside with the horses from my traditional indoor clinic. My supervisor helps me to explore the wealth of possibilities working with my horses and www.eagala.org
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my clients, gently challenging me when I get in front & ahead of my clients. She works with me using the power of the metaphor and gives me space to find my way in this exciting and developing part of my work. I would be lost without it. But also without appropriate supervision I would be working unethically so I wouldn’t feel that I was able to protect both my client’s and my horses in their EAT.” ES/MH “A great opportunity to work with X as a 'sounding board' for thoughts or concerns about clients and also to run ideas by and to develop those into something tangible for client sessions. Plus X holds you to account which in my view is very important. I look forward to my Supervision sessions with her as I know they will be helpful and offer practical suggestions from someone who engages in this work herself.” ES Sarah Urwin, Reg. MBACP Accredited Counsellor/Psychotherapist Adv. Dip. Int. Couns., Dip. Supervision, FdA (Health Care), EAGALA Cert. 01363 85154 or 07792887870 www.sarahurwin.co.uk
Eagala mentoring Eagala offers mentoring to support members with supervision. More information on this can be found by clicking here.
www.eagala.org
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The Equine Therapy Project A young boy’s perspective
Background A young boy was referred to me due to his aggressive behaviour at home and school. He was fourteen and had recently moved in with his father full time due to his out of control behaviour while living with his mother. The young boy and his father found this transition difficult. He was not used to consequences or boundaries, this caused a lot of tension between father and son when his father enforced consequences for his behaviours. As a result, his behaviour in school got worse and he was expelled. He took part in home internet schooling using Iskull. As part of his home school project the young boy had to do an assignment on a topic of his choice. He picked his experience of Equine Assisted counselling as his topic and the attached is what he wrote. He won an award for this project that was presented to him by the Iskull foundation.
Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) May 2016 Equine Assisted learning is about learning about yourself and your growth through horses by interacting with them as they reflect off your emotions and behaviours. Equine Assisted Therapy is ground based you cannot control the horses they aren’t on any ropes or any bridles, if they want to interact with you they will there is no pressure on them. It allows you and the horses to have choices to do what they want, you are not allowed to control them which allows a relationship to form with the horse. There are two workers with you mine were Joe and Catherine. Joe’s job was to read my body language and ask me questions about the activities I was doing and how the horses were interacting with me to see if there are any similarities to the horses and relationships in my life. Catherine’s job was to read the horses and make sure they were all right and that I was safe around them if I had to been unsafe it was Catherine’s job to keep both me and the horses safe, Catherine was reading the horses body language as she worked with them every day so she knew how they were feeling by looking at them. www.eagala.org
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Horses are like teenagers because They all have distinct personalities. They prefer to be with their peers. They all have different roles in a herd/group of friends. Like people no two horses are the same, they can have different moods that might come across stubborn. Horses are really good at picking up energies reading body language etc. these are the skills that have kept them alive for thousands of years and have kept them from becoming extinct for e.g.: on one of my sessions I was in bad form but I let on that I wasn’t and the horse started running around the arena jumping and leaping and challenging me because he knew I was in bad form on the inside. After I told Joe how I was really feeling the horse calmed right down and came over to me again and I felt better after I told the truth. For another e.g.: the horse that I liked the most was snowy because on the first session he was friendly and came right over to me and I don’t know why but that stuck. On one of our sessions we were doing empathy and I was after been fighting in the school that day and I hurt the other lads eye so we were doing empathy anyway and I had snowy on a lead to go over a jump and right before the jump snowy pulled out and ran and the lead snapped and the buckle came back ant hit me in the eye so I knew how the other lad felt. On another session we brought in a new horse and I was petting her and snowy got jealous I know snowy got jealous because he started biting and trying to kick the other horse and I learned that I should not just pay attention to one horse because they are new I got a lot from equine therapy and would highly recommend it because its fun and you learn from it I learned about boundaries. I learned about respect for other’s around me. I learned about empathy and how to show empathy respectfully. And I learned that it’s not fair to single someone out
www.eagala.org
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www.eagala.org
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