Today I figured out the population I want to work with!!! I decided adolescents is absolutely the population for me. In sessions Saturday I just knew. All I could think was "yea I remember high school. It sucked. I can help these kids." I mean seriously who wasn't miserable in high school.



I also realized how can you not open up when you're petting a soft furry animal. whether the animal is large or small you just feel all warm inside when they want your attention. And if you met Dewey, our resident "guard" dog you'd understand what I mean. -->

Today's Adventure

Today I was again impressed with the power of horses. This above dog happens to be incredibly neurotic and always on the move. Today, he ran circles around one of our therapy horses and she did not even flinch. Seeing her so calm in the face of neuroticism gave me one more insight into EAP. I realized even when a clients energy is off the charts the horse has the ability to remain controlled. I must admit I wish humans (read: I) had this ability as well.

Late start

I started my internship at Horse Inspired over a month ago so I figure I'm a little behind with the blog. I thought I would give you my overall opinion of Horse Inspired thus far. I have found working with Pam and Robin to be one of the most helpful experiences out of everything I have done in graduate school. They work so well as a team it inspires me to find someone I can work that well with (perhaps someone with a giant horse with a big head). Not only are they excellent at their jobs, but they are excellent in aiding others to understand what they do. they have been very pateint with me in teaching me about the EAP modality.

Robin's farm is amazing and it is a great place to do therapeutic work at. I feel more relaxed the second I step onto her property. Of course it helps that she has a new adorable puppy, Charlie:

First attempt at a blog post!

So this is the first time I have ever blogged. I thought I'd share my experiences at the Horse Inspired Growth and Learning Center with the world.

I must admit even when I started at Horse Inspired I was skeptical about Equine Assisted Psychotherapy. However, I am now a believer. I have seen horses hug people, shove people (who really need a push in their life), and mimic the emotions of people before they are even aware of the emotions themselves. It is amazing how these animals are in tune to our body language. They even know when I'm nervous in a therapy session!! Sometimes when Luna is shoving me around I am sure its because she is trying to get me to relax.

Hopefully this is one of many posts to come. Stay tuned for the next great adventure.