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Helping With Horses: What You Need to Know About Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy

EAP Treatment for Addiction - Luxury Rehab

Horses have stood side-by-side with humans for centuries. And now, we’re working with horses to treat addiction and mental illness.

Equine assisted psychotherapy (EAP), also known as equine assisted therapy (EAT) or simply equine therapy, is a rapidly growing form of addiction recovery. It involves using horses to achieve therapeutic goals as designed by a health professional, the benefits of which include improved motor skills, sensory processing, and better social interaction.

Here’s what you need to know about equine therapy, and why it’s an effective way to treat those challenged by addiction and mental health issues.

What Is Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy?

Equine assisted psychotherapy is a highly specialized form of therapy that uses horses to help treat those suffering from trauma and addiction. Founded at the Sierra Tucson treatment center in Arizona, equine therapy has now been introduced in North America, in the U.K. and across much of Europe, and for good reason. Don Lavender, Programme Director at Camino Recovery, explains:

“It’s become a really effective therapy. We are working with addicts to teach how to work with personal boundaries and the boundaries of the self and others, as well as some healing. It’s therapeutic for the human because they get to learn connection with others. If they’re isolated and they’re using drugs, they will learn how to replace that with connection.”

Get a peek into equine therapy with Don Lavender from our visit to Spain.

Equine therapy takes an activity-based approach to healing to promote personal growth, responsibility and positivity. It’s designed to break down the barriers that prevent positive communication and encourage healthy interactions, first with the horse, and then with those around us.

How Does Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy Work?

The common misconception about equine assisted psychotherapy is that it involves horseback riding. In actuality, there is no riding of horses involved in this form of treatment. Instead, equine therapy is about groundwork. It’s about learning how to speak the language of the horse and build a connection with it through a series of ground-based activities.

One example is lunging. In short, lunging is getting the horse to move around the pen with you. You can pull on a horse’s rope and drag it around the pen next to you, or you can develop a “join up” and walk in unison with the horse at its own free will. It’s the latter that you want to achieve, but to do this requires the patient to understand, read and tend to the horse’s emotions.

A big reason why equine assisted psychotherapy is so effective is that the horse emulates a non-judgmental, open and entirely honest human being. They are a “divine mirror” to human emotion and give a patient the ability to understand how certain actions and behaviors affect those around them.

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Sierra Tucson in Arizona uses equine therapy to “explore emotional regulation, relationships, and present-moment mindfulness.”

What Are the Benefits of Equine Therapy?

Oftentimes, those suffering from addiction, trauma and mental health issues suffer in silence. It’s not a matter of having no support around you, but rather, it’s about failing to open up and validate hardship.

Working with horses, then, breaks down these barriers to effective communication and healing. It helps people adjust their perceptions and focus on attending to the needs of something other than themselves, and consequently, it builds a bond of trust and support.

When it comes to horses, we consider them to be non-judgmental creatures. As Don explains:

“Horses are perfect animals to do this, because every cell of their being is to join up and connect.”

And that’s what using equine therapy in treatment is all about. It’s about togetherness and understanding the needs and requirements of other people, it’s about building confidence and self-esteem, and it’s about improving both verbal and non-verbal methods of communication.

Healing Through Experience

Psychotherapy is often dubbed “talking therapy.” In the media, it’s depicted as a person lying on a sofa explaining their problems to a therapist and the therapist asking, “how does that make you feel?” And for many, this is an effective way of treating addictions and trauma, but treatment shouldn’t be limited to verbal communication.

Equine-assisted psychotherapy is a non-verbal method of therapy that uses experiential principles1 to encourage positive behavior. To accomplish simple tasks, a patient must first learn and understand “the language of the horse” and build a connection through non-verbal communication methods like body language.

From there, they can begin to understand how their communication approach affects the horse and learn how to improve on it, working to better understand themselves—it’s the understanding of one’s self that’s the ultimate goal to better recovery.

Find out more about the best treatment centers offering equine therapy.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is equine-assisted psychotherapy?

Equine-assisted psychotherapy is a therapeutic approach that involves interacting with horses as a means of promoting emotional growth and healing.

What conditions can be treated with equine-assisted psychotherapy?

Equine-assisted psychotherapy can be effective for treating a variety of mental health and behavioral issues, including anxiety, depression, PTSD, addiction, and relationship problems.

What should I look for in an equine-assisted psychotherapy program?

When choosing an equine-assisted therapy program, look for a reputable rehab with certified therapists, trained horses, and comprehensive surrounding support.

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5 Ways to Help Someone Struggling With Depression

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Watching someone you love struggle through depression can make you feel helpless: you want to offer support, but you feel unsure of how to help. With approximately 300 million people worldwide suffering from depression,1 many of us will at some point be close to someone experiencing this disorder. Although it may feel exasperating at times, with a little research and the right approach, there are some steps you can take to help.

1. Learn How to Recognize the Signs of Depression

Being able to spot the signs of depression will help you distinguish between who your loved one is and how their depression makes them act. This helps you take their behavior less personally, allowing you to better protect your own well-being. And, in turn, you can more supportive to them.

Common Characteristics of Depression2

  • Sleeping or eating more or less than usual
  • Low energy
  • Unexplained physical pain
  • Loss of interest in work, school, activities, or sex
  • Pervasive feelings of sadness, hopelessness and guilt
  • Talking about suicide

2. Express Your Concern

Though it may not be comfortable to bring up, the first step to getting help is to acknowledge that there’s a problem. Severe depression can be life-threatening,3 and people lost in its fog can’t see what others see. If you’re concerned about your loved one, kindly and compassionately let them know—it could be a vital step in the right direction.

3. Listen With an Open Heart

There’s a reason depression has been called the “disease of loneliness”4—depressed people often get labeled as “downers” and further isolated from their would-be support circles. But just like we care for loved ones struggling with any other ailment, we can do the same for someone who is struggling with depression.

Depression can be downright debilitating. Simply offering a listening ear, bringing over a hot meal or sitting with your loved on to watch a movie are great ways to show your support. Since this illness makes it difficult to express any positive emotions like gratitude or appreciation, you may feel like your kindness goes unnoticed. But the truth is that thoughtful deeds like these can give someone strength to get through the day.

It also puts you in the best position to encourage them to get help.

4. Encouraged Your Depressed Loved One to Get Proper Care

The good news is that depression is treatable.5 Because it’s such a motivation killer, the role loved ones play in getting a depressed person into treatment can’t be understated. Depression that remains untreated can get worse over time, so getting your loved one into treatment is paramount. And although setting boundaries with a depressed loved one6 is often easier said than done, it’s also equally important to protect your own physical and mental health in the process. Leaving the counseling up to the professionals is the best course of action, especially for severe depression.

5. Look Into Depression Treatment Options

Treatment comes in many different forms, including inpatient rehab for depression, which can yield great results. This can be a good option for people whose depression is more acute, or who weren’t happy with the outcomes of previous approaches they tried. Treatment methods for depression vary, but typically consist of some combination of medication, counseling, and holistic therapies.

To learn more about what programs are available and browse centers based on location, specialization, and more, visit our collection of luxury rehab centers specializing in depression.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some ways to help someone struggling with depression?

You can help someone with depression by offering emotional support, listening without judgment, encouraging them to seek professional help, and promoting healthy habits like exercise and good sleep. Be sure to avoid making assumptions about their condition.

What should I do if someone I know is suicidal?

If you know someone who is experiencing suicidal thoughts, it is important to take their statements seriously and seek professional help immediately. You can encourage them to call a suicide prevention hotline and accompany them to get emergency care.

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The Wave Youth Clinic Opens, Putting Families Back Together in Asia and Beyond

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We are excited to share about an international teen and young adult treatment center who just opened their doors this past month in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Wave Youth Clinic, or just The Wave for short, has a far-from-new team behind it, though. The leadership has a breadth and depth of experiences in treating individuals and families affected by alcohol and drug abuse and mental health disorders.

I had the opportunity to speak to one of the co-founders, Fiona Yassin. It’s hard to sum up Fiona’s accomplishments in a one-sentence intro. She’s both highly skilled and incredibly compassionate. (Read more about The Wave Clinic here.)

Great Need for High-Quality Care for Youth

Fiona mentioned “a massive hole for this age group.” She’s right. For luxury, international treatment dedicated to adolescents and young adults, the selection is quite limited. We recalled The Edge (Thailand), who serves only young adult males, and then, Yes We Can Youth Clinics (Netherlands), who serves adolescents and young adults, both female and male.

Complex issues can leave a family feeling hopeless. Teens and young adults are struggling with high levels of anger, anxiety, fear, isolating; they’re failing or have dropped out of education, abusing drugs or alcohol increasingly, and are often considered a letdown. Parents feel like they’ve done everything and there’s nowhere else to go. They’ve given up and, in a sense, start grieving for the outcome of death or prison rather than a pursuit to medical school for their child, yet weighed down by immense guilt.

This led Fiona and her team to start The Wave—to provide a place where young girls and young boys can go, especially when they seem to be failing other treatment options. Fiona believes it’s the other way around, “Treatment is failing them, not them failing treatment; treatment has to move with them.” She adds, “There has to be someone at some point who’s going to sit with that; they have to have hope.”

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A client room at The Wave. The Wave has set out to create a personal, safe space for each client that is ideal for reflection and growth.

Putting Families Back Together

Not only does The Wave offer high quality and individualized care for the youth themselves, but also for the family. The program has a family week every 5 weeks, so mid-way and at the end of the 10-week program.

“We’re keen on taking the whole family. We want to offer as much family space and time as needed,” says Fiona. Often, complex issues mean a complex family with everything very intertwined.

She enjoys “putting families back together when everyone has had enough and seeing families being able to re-function.” Fiona shares a story of one family who had sent a little thank you. They were able to go out as a family on a Sunday—something that was not possible a year ago.

Potential of Hope and Learning to Do Life Differently

I asked her why this age group and why the complex cases, something that she’s gained a reputation for taking on. Fiona’s answer was simple, yet profound. “The potential of hope,” she replied.

“Everyone around them is saying they’re not good enough, not well enough, not going to be successful. Everyone around them has given up hope, thinking they’re going to die or go to prison. And then you can see small changes. First, they don’t want to go to therapy at all. Then, after a week, they’re actually looking for a therapist because they have something they want to say,” Fiona continued.

She describes The Wave like a family, a small space, where a teen or young adult cannot hide, but rather they will be seen. Staff is around all the time, so it’s easy to make a connection, which then fuels more connections.

“We do not rely on punishment; it’s about learning to live life in a different way,” says Fiona as she describes the approach. “Life as a teenager can actually be fun. They learn they can do things quite fun and exciting without substances. We’re surrounded by really cool stuff to do, water sports, adventure sports; they’ll get to build other friendships, start short courses for education … It’s a lifestyle option.”

An example of learning to live life differently while at The Wave:

It was inspiring to hear Fiona’s passion first-hand. You can read more about The Wave’s program or contact them for specific questions about the program. It’s an ideal fit for teens, young adults and their families facing complex issues. Treatment is offered in English and Arabic.

NOTE: While the above post is editorially independent, we would like to mention that The Wave Clinic is a paid advertiser on our site.

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[Video] Understanding the Relapse Process

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While visiting McLean Borden Cottage as part of our Destinations series, Catherine Milliken, the Program Director gave us an excellent explanation of the “relapse process.” Watch this 3-minute video to get a better understanding of what causes relapse and how it can be prevented each step of the way.

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Buyer Beware! The Dangers of Referral Fees for Addiction Treatment

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Deciding to look for help is a massive step in the right direction when you’re struggling with an addiction or mental health disorder. However, finding a residential treatment center that meets your or your loved one’s needs can sometimes be an even harder step to take.

With an overwhelming number of options and approaches, you’re trying to find high-quality treatment within your budget, in hopes that it will save your life. That’s where a recommendation from a trusted professional can be so helpful.

But what if that recommendation from your doctor or therapist wasn’t completely unbiased? What if you were to find out that the treatment facility your doctor recommended gave your doctor a cut from the costs you paid for residential treatment?

Unfortunately, referral fees and “kickbacks” have been a reality—most recently highlighted in the UK—for some time now in the mental health field. Some facilities who are desperate for clients, especially those offering private, residential treatment, will gladly pay referrers 10, 20, sometimes 30% of the costs they collect from the referred client.1 In recent months, this practice has been brought to light by The Sunday Times in a few comprehensive articles based on undercover reporting. Most recently, a June 3rd report exposed a number of high-profile kickback arrangements,2 causing at least one psychiatrist to promise to return all the referral fees he received.

Are Referral Fees Legal?

It depends on a variety of details—on the location, the definition of a “referral fee,” who is doing the referring, which healthcare program is involved, etc.

For example, in the United States, Stark Law prohibits physicians from receiving payments for referrals when specific federal healthcare programs are involved. The Anti-Kickback Statute broadens the restriction to any federal healthcare program and any referral source. Additionally, laws vary by state. For instance, the states of California and Florida have several laws clearly prohibiting centers from patient brokering. M. David Meagher, a lawyer and addiction treatment professional in California, warns that continuing in illegal practices will have significant adverse consequences for the industry:

“The practice of paying for referrals3 calls into question our integrity. If examined closely by the media or the justice system, it is inevitable that families will lose faith in our ability to help their loved ones. The result will be another collapse of treatment centers across the country. Once our integrity is compromised, it will be a long and difficult road back to respectability.”

In the UK, the General Medical Council (GMC) prohibits doctors from receiving referral payments. It violates the 7 Principles of Public Life.4 Kickbacks could also be in violation of the Bribery Act of 2010.5

Legality Aside, Referral Fees Are an Ethical Issue

While kickback arrangements are a common practice for some treatment providers and referring professionals, many have realized that—legal or not—referral fees are an ethical issue.

In December, we visited Paracelsus Recovery in Zurich, Switzerland, and discussed this very issue with the center’s Managing Director, Jan Gerber. He was eager to share with us that he and his family-owned business passionately stands against this practice—even when they’ve lost business over it.

From his perspective, “it’s an ethical question.” And in the worst case, it can “cost somebody’s life.”

Jan Gerber summarizing Paracelsus Recovery’s stance on referral fees.

Castle Craig, a residential center in Scotland, clearly states their stance on referral agencies and fees: “We feel that using these agencies turns patients into commodities who are effectively brokered from agencies to treatment centres.” They do not pay referral fees and “refuse to work with any referral agencies currently operating in the United Kingdom.”

If you are a treatment provider or referring professional who would also like to go on record against this practice, we’re happy to add your quote to this post.

How to Protect Yourself

Be Careful of Free Helplines: A Source of Referral Fees

If you’re looking for treatment for yourself or your loved one, be cautious of websites that appear to provide independent information about treatment options but require you to call a hotline to learn about them. These hotlines often work with treatment centers on a referral fee basis, meaning they’re more likely to refer you to centers that are willing to pay them a fee. Sometimes they have centers of their own that they will try to recommend without disclosing the affiliation.

Ask Specific Questions

When your doctor, psychiatrist, therapist, etc. makes a recommendation, politely ask if they receive compensation or favors for recommending you those centers.

For example, you could say something like, “I’ve read in the news about referral fees and kickbacks, and I’m concerned. With the utmost respect, do you receive compensation for recommending me to that center?”

Ask the treatment provider you’re considering what their opinions are about referral fees. You could also ask if they can provide an itemized quote of the costs. Upon seeing line items, ask for clarification if the description seems vague or suspicious.

Look for Credible Accreditations and Memberships

This is not 100% fail-proof as complaints go unfiled and enforcement takes time, but it’s a very good sign if a treatment provider is licensed, accredited (by the Joint Commission or CARF), and belongs to an organizing body with relevant guidelines. For example, in the U.S., members of the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP) must adhere to its code of ethics6 which prohibits referral payments.

Finding Treatment You Can Trust

For more information on what to look for in a rehab, see our article on avoiding addiction treatment scams and identifying quality programs.

Visit our searchable collection of rehabs to compare programs, pricing, reviews, and more, and to reach out to centers directly.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are referral fees, and how do they work at luxury rehab centers?

Referral fees are a payment that a rehab center makes to a third-party service or individual in exchange for referring a new patient. At luxury rehab centers, these fees can be substantial, ranging from a few thousand to 10s of thousands of dollars per referral.

Q: Are rehab referral fees legal in the United States?

Referral fees are legal in the U.S., but they’re subject to certain regulations under federal and state law. For example, the Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits healthcare providers from paying or receiving kickbacks in exchange for patient referrals. Violations of these laws can result in civil and criminal penalties, including fines and imprisonment.

Q: What risks do referral fees pose for patients seeking treatment at private rehabs?

Referral fees create conflicts of interest. A healthcare provider may be more likely to recommend a particular rehab center based on the size of the referral fee rather than the patient’s needs. This can lead to inappropriate or ineffective treatment, as well as higher costs for patients.