Overview
Lowcountry Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy’s (LEAP) Colts and Fillies Program provides mental health treatment for children and teens, ages 8-18, incorporating horses in a unique therapeutic approach. The Colts and Fillies Program focuses on helping youth overcome a variety of life and mental health challenges including:
ADHD and learning difficulties.
Autism and sensory processing challenges
Disruptive behavioral concerns
Anxiety and depression
Low self-esteem
Bullying and social conflict
Communication skills
Emotional-regulation skills
Why Horses?
Horses are social animals with many of the same needs as humans. Because they are prey animals, they are highly intuitive and tuned in to their emotional environment. Herd structures are representative of human social and peer groups, mirroring similar dynamics including power struggles, nurturing, testing limits, sharing, and even corrective behaviors. The hierarchy in a herd is built on trust, loyalty, and mutual concern.
Horses are honest and nonjudgmental. They provide immediate feedback. This allows clients to actively observe the effectiveness of their communication and problem-solving skills. Human-horse partnerships are especially powerful bonds that promote connectedness with self and others, as well as increased confidence and resilience.
Services
Child (8-11)
Although feeling deeply, children are typically less able to express their thoughts and feelings in words. Working with the LEAP therapy horses allows a child to tell his or her horse's story, which is actually a version of his or her own, to the LEAP therapists. As the child attempts to achieve a goal with the horse, he or she readily learn that their characteristic, problematic behavior takes them farther away from success, while emotional regulation, good communication, and creative problem solving lead to success
Adolescent (12-18)
Adolescents characteristically 'act out' their feelings and issues. Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy at LEAP is especially suited to this developmental stage because it allows the adolescent to work in an action-oriented, experiential way with the horses to better understand themselves and the feelings that are driving their problematic behavior.
Family
Child: LEAP helps children come together with their families in a fun, play-like way to address family issues. Every member of the family is important in achieving the goal(s) with the LEAP therapy horse(s), and children who can often feel discounted or of diminished value become an important part of family success. Family dynamics become readily apparent as the family works together to achieve a goal with the therapy horses, and parenting issues can be more easily identified.
Adolescent: Adolescence is a difficult transition between the dependency of childhood and independence of adulthood. LEAP helps adolescents participate with their families in an engaging, creative way to address family issues. Relying on action and the experiential modality, LEAP is less threatening to adolescents and they are less likely to be resistant than in traditional, office-based family therapy.
Group
Child: Children learn valuable emotional/psychological skills working in groups at LEAP. Communication, problem solving, interpersonal awareness and social skills groups are conducted regularly at LEAP.
Adolescent: Adolescence is a time for peer relationships, and group therapy at LEAP allows adolescents to be together in a fun, engaging activity. A great deal of vicarious learning takes place as the teens explore solutions to challenges set by the therapeutic team and the horses. Communication and problem solving are enhanced, as well as a better understanding of their behavioral impact on others. LEAP learning readily carries over to school and home environments
