The Horse Report
Equine Assisted Therapy offers rewarding career By JANE FAULKNER Director, Equine Assisted Therapy Australia
I just want to be an equine assisted therapist, so why do I need counselling skills? You want to be an Equine Assisted Therapist and you want to help people but you don't want to be a counsellor? Equine Assisted Therapy (EAT) is an amazing career - it is deeply rewarding, satisfying and fulfilling and you get to work alongside horses with people from all different backgrounds, of all different ages and you get to see these people change, grow and heal. When people get close to horses and feel supported by a therapist, their “stuff� comes up. they may get emotional and triggered in both good ways and bad ways. They will talk about things that they have not shared with anybody and it's important to know how to support and keep them safe as they share from an emotionally raw place. This is where the skills gained through studying Counselling are invaluable. You will be able to guide and support your client through emotionally rocky and sometimes terrifying terrain and help them to come out the other side with more understanding and insight into themselves and their issues. This is what EAT is about - supporting our clients to become more aware of themselves and their issues and assisting them to build the inner resources and skills to live a happier, healthier life. Counselling skills are especially important when you work with certain client groups like people suffering from drug and alcohol addic-
Relationships with horses can reveal a lot about what may be troubling the individual.
tion, PTSD, eating disorders, anxiety and depression or anyone with a background of abuse and trauma. It is amazing how common these issues are even in high functioning clients that live 'normal' lives. It is important to have an understanding of what may be going on for these people and to have the skills to help and support them. In a Counselling course, you will learn how to support your client and also how to support yourself. Developing counselling skills gives you the tools to deal with all kinds of issues and the awareness of when to refer your clients on to
somebody else. You also develop the skills to support your practice so that you are less likely to burnout and are more able to engage with people without taking their issues home. Studying Counselling also gives your practice a standard of professionalism that is recognised and trusted. Other professionals feel safe in the knowledge that you have done the study and that anyone that they refer to you will be in good hands. As the field of EAT grows, having a mental health qualification and horse handling experience will help you to stand out from the crowd. For more information, visit www.equineassistedtherapyaustralia.com.au
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