08/26/2026
Equine assisted psychotherapy Wednesday
In the example we have been following for the past few weeks, the therapy team’s facilitation has focused on understanding how the parent-child dyad understands and sees their world. But what if the facilitators already had a good sense of how the dyad understood and saw the world? How would the facilitation change?
Let’s revisit the situation and see what it might look like if the therapy team facilitated the session differently.
A young teen client and their parent arrive and are greeted by the therapy team. As the group moves out to the pasture, they see Juno in a pen separate from the rest of the herd. Juno calls out to her herd mates, pushes her chest against the gate, and runs from one side of the pen to the other. Every once in a while, she bucks as she runs.
Client: “Look, Mom, Juno is throwing a fit.”
Parent: “She sure is.”
Teen to Team member 2, “Why is she being so bad?”
Team member 2: “Well, let’s stop for a moment and watch.” The group stands and watches Juno run, buck, and call out to the herd. “What is happening in your body as you watch Juno?”
Teen: “I feel nervous.”
Team member 2 to Teen: “Where in your body do you feel your nervousness?”
Teen: “My stomach.”
Team member 2: “What is your stomach doing that tells you you feel nervous?”
Teen: “Getting tighter and kind of hurting.”
Team member 1 to Parent: “What’s happening in your body?”
Parent: “My chest feels tight, and my heart is pounding.”
Team member 2: “Let’s take a moment and be with those sensations in our bodies. If it feels right to you, place your hand gently on the area of your body that you noticed and allow your attention to shift to it. As you bring your attention to that area, be with the sensation and notice it. Try not to ask the sensation to change or go away. Just be with it.”
There is a moment of silence as each person is with their body.
Parent: “That’s weird my heart is slowing down, but I didn’t ask it to.”
Team member 1: “You are noticing that as you are with your heart and chest, your heart responded by slowing down some.”
Parent nods and smiles slightly.
After a few moments, Team member 1 asks: “What are y’all noticing now about your bodies?”
Teen: “My stomach isn’t hurting, but it is still kinda tight.”
Parent: “The overall tightness in my chest has lessened, and my heart isn’t beating as fast.”
Team member 1: “Now, let’s continue to listen to our bodies while we watch Juno.” After a few moments, continues. “What are y’all noticing now?”
Teen: “My feet have a lot of energy. They want to move.”
Parent: “I think I could use some movement too.”
Team member 2 to Parent: “How do you know you could use some movement too?”
Parent: “I feel a pull forward toward Juno.”
Team member 2: “Where in your body do you feel that?”
Parent thinks a moment, “Right above my belly button.”
Team member 2: “What does that pull forward feel like?”
Parent: “Almost like a line slightly tugging on my middle.”
Team member 2: “So, both of you are feeling the urge to move your bodies.”
Team member 2 to Teen: “Your mama wants to move toward Juno; where does your body want to move?”
Teen: “Juno is fine.”
Team member 2: “Moving toward Juno is fine with you? How do you know?”
Teen: “I don’t really care where I move.”
Team member 2: “You are feeling a strong urge to move, and you don’t care which direction. Can you focus on your feet and let them make the decision where to go?”
Teen scrunches up their face but starts moving their feet away from Juno and toward a cat sleeping in the sun.
Team member 2 walks a little behind the teen. The teen arrives at the cat, then plops down next to him.
“Team member 2: “Your feet wanted to come to the cat.”
The teen smiles. “I love him.”
Team member 2 sits down next to the teen and the cat and watches. The teen wraps their arms around their legs and watches the cat sleeping. Team member 2 notices the teen’s shoulders drop and their breath slows.
Meanwhile, the parent moved into the pen with Juno. Juno immediately approaches the parent, then moves back to the fence.
Team member 1: “What’s happening in your body right now?”
Parent: “My chest is feeling tight again.”
Juno trots up to the parent, and the team member stays just a moment, then trots back to the fence.
Team member 1: “Now, what is happening in your body?”
Parent squirms, then replies, “I don’t like this.”
Team member 1: “Can you identify what you don’t like?”
Parent: “Juno running back and forth.”
Team member 1: “What does your body need right now?”
Parent: “To move.”
Team member 1: “Let’s move.”
Team member lets the parent decide the direction and speed of movement. The parent moves away from Juno.
Team member 1: “What is happening in your body now?”
Parent is quiet.
Concerned that the parent may be moving down the arousal continuum, Team member 1 suggests they move even further away from Juno. Team member 1 observes the parent and notices reduced muscle tension as they move farther away.
Team member 1: “Is this far enough or do we need to exit the pen?”
Parent: “It’s good.”
Team member 1: “What changed in your body that tells you this is good?”
Parent: “I can breathe better.”
After a pause, parent says, “All of a sudden I remembered my mother running around screaming the day my dad died. I was eleven. I haven’t thought of that in years.”
Team member 1: “Juno’s frantic movement reminded your body and mind of the time your mama was very upset about the death of your father.”
Parent nods: “Maybe that’s why I wanted to be in here with her. I wanted to help her like I helped my mom.”
Team member 1 and Parent stand quietly reflecting on the moment.
Meanwhile, Team member 2 and the teen are still sitting with the cat.
Team member 2: “I noticed your body change a little once you came over here.”
Teen: “Yeah. I feel calmer with him.”
Team member 2: “There is something about being with Milo that helps you feel calmer.”
Teen reaches out and touches Milo’s head. Milo opens his eyes, then squirms into the dirt.
Team member 2: “When you were standing at Juno’s pen, you said you felt nervous. Can you identify what contributed to you feeling nervous?”
Teen: “I thought it was Juno cause she’s acting like a fool, but she’s still acting like that, and I feel less nervous.”
Team member 2 remains silent.
Teen: “My mom’s weird.”
Team member 2: “Yeah, how so?”
Teen is silent for a few moments, then says: “I don’t know.” Teen stares off into the pasture where the cows are resting under a large oak. “I felt that thing happening where she tries to control everything.”
Team member 2: “Something was happening that caused you to feel that your mom was going to try and control everything.”
Teen: “Sometimes, she gets all weird and needs to have everything her way. You can’t even have any feelings when she’s like that.”
Team member 2 nods. After a few minutes, says, “What was happening in your body that gave you the feeling she was going to try to control everything?”
Teen: “Her body gets all tight, and this panic feeling comes off her. I just want to get away.”
Team member 2: “You felt her body tighten and her feeling panicky. Where in your body do you feel that?”
Teen: “Kinda all over. Sort of like an electrical feeling.”
Team member 2: “Do you feel any of those things from your mom now?”
Teen turns and looks over at their mother, who is standing on the opposite side of the pen from Juno. Teen watches their mother for a long time. “She is sad.”
Team member 2: “How do you know?”
Teen: “The way her hand goes to her mouth; that is a sign she is sad but trying to hide it.”
Team member 2: “You watch your mama very carefully.”
Teen: “It’s either that or get caught up in the crazy.”
Team member 2: “You said a moment ago that you felt that your mother was going to try to control everything. Is that happening right now?”
Teen studies their mother. “No.”
Team member 2: “I wonder what changed?”
Teen looks from mother to team member, then at Juno who is still trotting around the pen. “If I did that, she’d yell at me and send me to my room. She doesn’t like big expressions of emotion.”
This example will continue next Wednesday.
