First Published in 2012. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Written by internationally renowned equine-assisted mental health professionals, this edited collection teaches counselors how to design and implement equine-assisted mental health interventions for different populations and various challenges. Supported by ethical considerations and theoretical frameworks, chapters cover common issues including depression, anxiety, grief, ADHD, autism, eating disorders, substance abuse, self-esteem, social skills and communication, couples and family work, and professional development. Each chapter provides practical tips for implementing treatment strategies, case studies with transcript analyses, and sample session notes. This book will appeal to both the expert equine-assisted mental health counselor and the seasoned counselor who is open to partnering with an equine practitioner to help their clients in new and innovative ways.

Equine-Assisted Counseling and Psychotherapy offers a comprehensive guide to the practice of working with equines in a psychotherapeutic setting. Chapters provide a research-informed approach to integrating the contributions of horses and other equines into mental health services. With a focus on equine welfare, the book uses a relational approach to explore a broad range of topics, including documentation and treatment planning, work with clients across the lifespan and with diverse needs, complexities related to horses in the therapeutic relationship, as well as ethical, legal, and best-practice considerations. Mental health and equine professionals will come away from the book with a strong understanding of both the theoretical and practical aspects of equine-assisted counseling.

This book will help licensed professional counselors incorporate Equine Assisted Counseling (EAC) into their practices, even those who have little prior experience working with horses. It provides a strong research foundation for understanding the efficacy of equine assisted interventions and the potentially powerful impact that a horse can have in creating a new counseling dynamic. Chapters address using horses to help clients dealing with various traumas and abuse, anxiety, depression, atypical behaviors, and social skills and communication issues. Additionally, a chapter by the internationally renowned "horse whisperer" Pat Parelli offers a look at EAC from the horse’s point of view and demonstrates developing a relationship with a therapy horse in a positive, safe, and respectful manner. Counselors will find this a valuable resource for understanding and utilizing EAC as a new resource in their own practices, as will students seeking to learn about this innovative approach.

Clinicians have long recognized that trauma therapy provides a pathway to recovery, and Equine-Assisted Mental Health for Healing Trauma provides that pathway for those who work with horses and clients together. This book demonstrates a range of equine-assisted mental health approaches and step-by-step strategies for facilitating recovery from trauma for children, adults, and families. Chapters address topics such as chronic childhood trauma, accident-related trauma, complex trauma and dissociation, posttraumatic growth in combat veterans, somatic experiencing and attachment, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), reactive attachment disorder (RAD), relational trauma, and sexual trauma. Experts also provide case studies accompanied by transcript analyses to demonstrate the process of trauma healing. Clinicians will come away from the book with a wealth of theoretical and practical skills and an in-depth, trauma-informed understanding that they can use directly in their work with clients.

The Equine-Assisted Therapy Workbook gives readers the tools they need to increase professional competency and personalize the practical applications of equine-assisted therapy. Each chapter includes thought-provoking ethical questions, hands-on learning activities, self-assessments, practical scenarios, and journal assignments applicable to a diverse group of healthcare professionals. The perfect companion to The Clinical Practice of Equine-Assisted Therapy, this workbook is appropriate for both students and professionals.

Designed for MFT students or those just beginning in the field, this text presents a case study and provides examples of how different models of marriage and family therapy, such as brief therapies, integrative models, and strategic therapies, handle the case.