Horses heal veterans through psychotherapy

HELENA — Rachel was feeling a little stressed out.

She and her boyfriend had returned to their apartment late at night and had a confrontation with her landlady, who had entered their unit without their permission. It wasn’t the first time this had happened, and Rachel was trying to deal with it as best she could.

After about a half hour of working with horses Tuesday, she left feeling better and with a new approach on how to deal with such problems in the future.

Rachel, 30, is part of the Montana Veterans Affairs Equine Assisted Psychotherapy program in an arena outside of Helena. The five-year Navy veteran said she is dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety.

“It’s not the same as a normal counseling session,” Rachel said. “It makes you think outside the box.”

Rachel’s real name is not being used for this story, nor is her face being shown in any of the photographs, in order to protect her privacy as she goes through counseling.

She is part of a unique program offered through the VA Montana Health Care System in which equine-assisted psychotherapy, also called EAP, is offered to veterans. Officials say it’s the only program of its kind in the country.

The program started in 2013 and follows the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association (EAGALA) model, according to information provided by the VA. The program blends the skills of a licensed therapist and a horse professional. Some of the mental health issues that can be treated include PTSD, depression, substance abuse and attention deficit disorder.

The EAGALA model believes all clients have the best solutions for themselves when given the opportunity to discover them, VA Montana officials said. Clients experiment, problem-solve, take risks, use creativity and find solutions that work best for them.

The Montana VA program is different than more common animal-assisted recreational therapy programs in that it is nationally accredited and the therapy is provided by a licensed behavioral health provider, officials said.

“It’s effective,” said April Brazill, an equine specialist, adding spouses say that the best thing about the program is that it decreases the symptoms. She said nearly 175 veterans participate in the program a year.

Brazill said it was local VA leadership that allowed them to start a pilot program.

Rachel said she tries to apply the advice given to her by counselors and “they observe how the horses respond to me.”

She said she has brought her boyfriend to sessions to work on improving their communication.

The horses are not specially trained, the counselors said.

Two horses waited for her inside the barn. Clients are not told the horses’ names or gender, to avoid any preconceived notions, counselors said.

“They want us to form our own opinion,” Rachel said.

She notices a miniature donkey that’s particularly headstrong is not in the barn that day.

“It’s definitely the most stubborn,” Rachel said.

Carl Cossitt, a licensed clinical social worker, said they are trying to get Rachel to think of a horse as a metaphor for her landlord.

One horse on this Tuesday afternoon is particularly friendly and likes to nuzzle. The other is a little more standoffish and yawns repeatedly, showing some pretty good-sized teeth.

“One horse represents how things go smooth and the other is more difficult,” Cossitt said.

Rachel, who up until a year ago had been living in her car, said she rode horses while growing up, but never owned one.

“I wasn’t a horse connoisseur or a horse whisperer,” she said.

Horses present a lot of issues, Brazill said, adding they have different personalities.

“The beauty of them is they pick up on the nonverbal communication,” she said. “The horse gives us a raw, natural instant response and gives the veteran instant feedback.”

Cossitt agreed.

“You get to see it as it happens,” he said. “We just cut to the chase so much quicker.”

He said the exercises are “not so much about controlling the horses as much as it is about learning about yourself.”

Rachel realizes the horses can pick up on her emotions.

“You can’t get frustrated around them,” she said. “You have to be calm. I’ve learned to keep trying.”

On this day Rachel is told to coax the horses to move from one area to another. She is given various knickknacks to use such as Styrofoam tubes. Without her knowing, the counselors have removed a rope she likes to use from the arsenal. They later joke about her reaction upon learning the rope was gone.

Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., who has nine veterans on his staff, recently toured the center and went through a session.

“This is a made-in-Montana solution for veterans who suffer service-related injuries, such as brain injuries and PTSD,” he said.

“I think there is an important connection made between a veteran and an animal,” Daines said, adding he had horses while growing up.

“I think it helps take the focus off your current problems,” he said.

Daines said there are 100,000 veterans in Montana, and 22 veterans commit suicide daily nationwide.

“Anything we can do to help veterans is a positive thing,” he said. Daines said he also thought a positive result of the therapy was to let veterans know they “are not walking this path alone, they are dealing with horses and some other team members.”

Daines noted that horses used as a therapeutic aid going to back to the ancient Greeks and Hypocrites discussed therapeutic value of horses.

By the end of the day Rachel talks through her emotions with the counselors and how she will deal with landlord problems in the future.

“I always leave here with a sense of accomplishment,” she said.

More online

To see Sen. Steve Daines talk about the program, go to: http://bit.ly/1TKO3ei.