An Introduction to Equine Assisted Psychotherapy: Principles, Theory, and Practice of the Equine Psychotherapy Institute Model

By Meg Kirby

Equine assisted psychotherapy is a professional, innovative, and experiential approach to counseling, psychotherapy, and mental health that supports clients of all ages with horses as assistants and co-facilitators in the process.

Meg Kirby’s book has made a significant contribution to the field of Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP), in articulating a Model of EAP that has foundation in psychological theory, therapeutic technique, accountable professional integrity, and utmost respect for our animal counterparts. A much needed contribution for the field, globally. Melissa Johnstone, Psychologist

Meg Kirby’s insight and ability to integrate psychotherapy theory and practice closes ‘the gap’ (the fields’ current deficit or ‘gap’ in rigorous theoretical underpinnings), and provides a comprehensive relational psychotherapy model for working with horses to support clients. In line with best practice therapy, this book offers an introduction to an ethical equine assisted psychotherapy model, and is an ‘appetiser’ for curious mental health practitioners, students and the global community interested in professional animal assisted practice.Naomi Rossthorn, Counsellor and Researcher

The Equine Assisted Therapy movement we’re all so passionate about will benefit from Meg Kirby’s strong theoretical approach that is firmly grounded in psychotherapy practice, and has a uniquely Australian modelling and voice.Dr Anna Cohen, Clinical Psychologist and Author

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press AU
• Release date: Jan 12, 2016
• ISBN: 9781504300483

Meg Kirby

Meg Kirby, BA, MASW, Dip Gestalt Therapy, is an experienced Mental Health Social Worker and Psychotherapist, founder of The Equine Psychotherapy Institute, the EPI Model and I-Thou Horsemanship. She is passionate about horses, personal growth, health, and happiness. She trains and certifies students in the EPI Model in Australia, and works in private practice as a psychotherapist, equine psychotherapist, and consultant.

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Copyright © 2016 Meg Kirby.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or

mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the

written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do

not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of

treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or

indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest

for emotional and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself,

which is your constitutional right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

Andrew Bock for back cover photo & Michelle Van Kampen for interior photos.

ISBN: 978-1-5043-0047-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5043-0048-3 (e)

Balboa Press rev. date:   01/06/2016

CONTENTS

Acknowledgements

INTRODUCTION

Chapter 1     Welcome

Chapter 2     The Current Climate in the Equine Assisted Psychotherapy Field

Chapter 3     EPI Model Vision and Mission

PRACTICE PRINCIPLES

Chapter 4     Equine Assisted Psychotherapy, Equine Assisted Learning, and EPI Model of Equine Assisted Psychotherapy

Chapter 5     Seven Principles of the EPI Model

Chapter 6     Working with Horses in a Therapeutic Setting

Chapter 7     Therapeutic and Learning Goals in the EPI Model

THEORY

Chapter 8     Psychotherapy Theory Underpinning the EPI Model—Gestalt Therapy, Buddhist Psychotherapy, Mindfulness Psychotherapy, Somatic Experiencing and Somatic Trauma Practice

Chapter 9     Theory of Change – Overview of Seven Key Ingredients

Chapter 10   First Key Ingredient—The Horse’s Contribution to Client Change

Chapter 11   Second Key Ingredient—the Therapeutic Relationship: I-Thou Relationship

Chapter 12   Third Key Ingredient—Awareness, the Paradoxical Theory of Change, and the Phenomenological Method of Inquiry

Chapter 13   Fourth Key Ingredient: Working with Patterns – A Developmental Perspective on Understanding Health and How Patterns Develop as Introjects and Contact Styles

Chapter 14   Fifth Key Ingredient—Contact, Relationship, and the Cycle of Experience

Chapter 15   Sixth Key Ingredient—Experiments: Equine Experiences as Relational Experiments

Chapter 16   Seventh Key Ingredient—Regulating, Resourcing and Trauma-informed Equine Practice

PRACTICE

Chapter 17   Holistic, Relational, Phenomenological, and Creative Practice in the EPI Model

Chapter 18   EPI Experiments: Equine Experiences

Chapter 19   EPI Model Case Studies

Chapter 20   EPI Values, Principles, and Code of Ethics

Chapter 21   Safety and View on Horses—Client Safety, Horse Safety, General Safety

Chapter 22   I-Thou Horsemanship

Chapter 23   Research

Chapter 24   A Way of Life

References/Bibliography

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

First and foremost, I acknowledge and thank my husband and colleague, Noel Haarburger, for his theoretical, professional, and personal contribution to both the EPI model and the writing of this book. Many of these chapters are full of Noel’s practice wisdom and never-ending interest in psychotherapy, trauma, and neuroscience. I appreciate all the evenings you have patiently listened to me, responded to me, provided me with your up-to-date knowledge and thoughts about psychotherapy, and tolerated my natural tendency to question, chew over, and understand in this way. I learn so much when I am co-facilitating with you, Noel, and you balance out my passion with your gentleness and compassion.

Much thanks and love to my daughters, Rose and Jasmine, who tolerate, the best they can, their mum on the computer working when I know they would love me to be with them.

Thank you, Valma Ffrost, for your patience and reliability. I do not know how I would have managed to put the book together without your assistance.

To my beautiful herd of horses, I thank you, for teaching me something new every day, supporting me to ground, become more aware and present, and, giving me poignant feedback when I most need it!

Thank you, Naomi Rossthorn, Melissa Johnstone, Keli MacCrae, and Anna Cohen for reading my book and giving me valuable feedback.

Thank you to all my assistants, students, blossoming EPI practitioners, and clients, as I learn so much teaching, supervising, supporting, and working together with you.

A special thanks to the EPI practitioners who contributed to the case-studies section of the book, including Jane Hall, Melanie Keen, Victoria Perowne, and Rebecca McLennan.

Finally, thank you, Michelle Van Kampen, for your beautiful photography included in the book and your ongoing and developing passion for the work of equine assisted psychotherapy.

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INTRODUCTION

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CHAPTER 1

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Welcome

I am passionate about this wonderful work with horses supporting, assisting, facilitating, modelling, and teaching us about psychological health, relationship, leadership, and well-being.

My husband, Noel Haarburger, and I have been working in the mental health and wellness field for a collective forty years. Together we have worked in the psychotherapy, mental health, psychology, counselling, consultation, organisational development, psychotherapy training, equine assisted psychotherapy (EAP) and equine assisted learning (EAL) practitioner training, trauma, and personal development fields, and we continue to do so with much to learn.

After researching and training in many diverse EAP and equine facilitated learning (EFL) models over the years to advanced levels, it became clear that the field is very much in its infancy in terms of theoretical development, training standards, and research outcomes supporting the efficacy of the work. This became my mission:

To support the development of a theoretically sophisticated psychotherapy model, to offer a comprehensive training and assessment pathway for students wishing to learn to practice this work, and to develop a research tool to capture the outcomes of this outstanding and engaging psychotherapy.

The institute is well underway in achieving its mission, having trained over one hundred students, from 2011 to mid-2015 across Australia and New Zealand, with student registrations for 2016 from as far abroad as Russia. The demand for the training is strong, as people are exposed to different training models and are looking for something more, something with a solid theory foundation, professionalism, ethics (human and equine practice ethics), and relational practice principles—a psychotherapy model.

The EPI model is founded on solid psychology, psychotherapy, facilitation, and conscious horsemanship theory and practices. There is no other model of EAP and EAL like the EPI model in Australia and perhaps internationally. This is in part because of our unique and collective wealth of qualification, experience, and expertise in the field as psychotherapists and trainers. We are a registered mental health, social work, and psychology team independently trained as psychotherapists (in gestalt therapy—three- and four-year training programs) with approximately forty years in mental health and personal development experience.

Noel is a psychotherapy trainer at Gestalt Therapy Australia and training assistant in the Somatic Experiencing (Trauma) Training Program in Australia, with a keen interest in body work and spirituality. He has expertise working with trauma and complex trauma. I have a strong passion for personal development, psychotherapy, and horses. Significantly, I have a keen interest in strengthening this field of EAP globally, hopefully to new heights in terms of theoretical underpinning, practice ethics, and conscious and relational horsemanship foundations for practice. Both Noel and I learn with our herd of twelve dynamic and colourful horses. We live with our two gorgeous daughters in the beautiful region of Daylesford, Victoria, Australia.

I am thankful for the wonderful human wisdom that the model draws from—in the teachings of contemporary gestalt therapy, somatic trauma therapy, mindfulness psychotherapy, and incredible horse wisdom I draw from every day, living in relationship with horses. I like to think of it as one newer wisdom (psychology and psychotherapy wisdom) meeting and being supported by an older wisdom (horse wisdom and the natural world wisdom). Even though I created the model and founded the institute, my husband, Noel, has supported me and the development of the model tremendously through his theoretical and experiential expertise.

Though I have trained in many models of EAP and EFL, including Eagala and Kathy Pike’s Equine Facilitated Learning Coaching model, it was the Gestalt Equine Institute of the Rockies training that had the biggest impact on me personally and on the further development and refinement of the EPI model. Duey Freeman and Joan Rieger from the Gestalt Equine Institute of the Rockies have been inspirational trainers and wonderful people who walk the way of the horse and supported me to step into creating our wonderful training program in Australia. This has, in turn, supported the development of the institute. Every training has been an important learning experience for me, which supported further clarity regarding my practice ethics, professional integrity, and commitment to what I believe is EAP best practice.

I am passionate about our EPI work being perceived as a psychotherapy model akin to other psychotherapy models (e.g., family therapy, somatic psychotherapy, and so on) with clear theoretical foundations for practice and a training pathway. This model is much more than a collection of assumptions, rules, and activities with animals, which is presumed to be healing or therapeutic because of the presence of the animals and the presence of some people with some experience in mental health or horses.

Every day my dreams come true, as I witness clients and students come home to themselves, to a place of new awareness, embodiment, choice, emotional intelligence, and intimate connection to others—with horses supporting this deeper connection and healing process in a way that only horses can.

A word of caution: Please note that this text has been written in the service of contributing to the further global knowledge of EAP theory and practice and is no substitute for training. I hope that becomes very clear in the depth and scope of the model presented. A mental health practitioner or registered counsellor would not expect to read a textbook on family therapy, for example, and become a family therapist. In Australia that would be misleading and misrepresentation. Nor would a mental health practitioner or counsellor expect to read a text on equine assisted psychotherapy and become an equine psychotherapist. Most reputable psychotherapy training programs in Australia are of two to four year’s duration (after completion of social work or psychology degrees for example). The first two years being an introduction to the material and a basic understanding and application. Years three and four are a master’s level understanding and application. This is what we aim to offer at the institute in the future. For now, we offer a foundation program of three, five-day intensives for basic foundation certification (126 hours) and a further three, five-day advanced intensives for advanced certification (including supervision, exam, and video requirements). We are yet to develop a diploma and master’s level program, but you never know what the future holds.

This is my first book, and first edition, so I imagine there will be a lot of room for development, refinement, and change. I look forward to writing a text specifically on working with trauma in EAP and working with children and adolescents in EAP. However, for now, I feel confident in presenting this introduction to the EPI model.

Meg Kirby

CHAPTER 2

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The Current Climate in the Equine

Assisted Psychotherapy Field

The history and current development in equine assisted psychotherapy (EAP) since the 1990s has suggested a general gap in both EAP practice and EAP training models, of a solid, unified, and comprehensive theoretical underpinning to the work. This has interfered with both the development of consistent practice methodology and substantial research outcomes supporting evidence-based practice. Although there has been some more recently developed EAP/C models and training models addressing this need (and providing a comprehensive psychotherapy theory and practice methodology underpinning the work), this is still an area of concern for the development and integrity of the field. This perceived gap in the field fuelled The Equine Psychotherapy Institute’s vision and mission—to change the way equine assisted psychotherapy is practiced and taught globally, and, to offer a model of EAP that had a clear and unified psychotherapeutic theoretical underpinning and practice methodology.

In the ground breaking book Walking the Way of the Horse: Exploring the Power of the Horse-Human Relationship, Hallberg (2008) reviews the history, development, and dilemmas of the