Frequently asked questions

Is equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP) a real type of psychotherapy?

Yes! For each psychotherapy session, the individual, couple, or family will work with a licensed mental health professional (therapist/counselor), an equine professional, and a horse who make up the therapy team. The therapist will be facilitating the psychotherapy while the equine professional attends to and supports the horse in the therapy session. The therapy team works together to provide experiential therapy.



What is experiential psychotherapy?

Experiential therapy differs from traditional talk therapy in that you learn by doing in therapy rather than just talking. While there will be talking in the EAP and EAL sessions, there is also room for silence for the client to work with their horse and practice new skills to form a relationship with a horse. At ConnEQction, we view the relationship the client engages in with their horse as the vehicle for healthy change and healing.



Can you form a real relationship with a horse?

Yes! Horses are social animals and seek to connect with one another as humans do. They use nonverbal communication, are nonjudgemental, and give immediate feedback about how the human is communicating with them. The same skills that are used in forming a healthy human to human relationship are the same skills used in forming a human to horse relationship. In EAP and EAL sessions, clients practice their relationship skills with the horse in a safe, nonjudgemental way so they can become more confident using those skills out side of the EAP and EAL sessions.



What is the difference in EAP/EAL, hippotherapy, and therapeutic horseback riding?

With hippotherapy, clients are receiving physical therapy, occupational therapy, or speech therapy while riding or interacting with horses. Therapeutic horseback riding is for individuals with disabilities and special needs as a physical activity, vocational learning experience, self-confidence builder, and a behavioral correction activity among many other uses. EAP and EAL attends to mental health, relationship, and behavioral challenges as a way to improve mental and emotional capacity in clients.



Will I get to ride a horse?

At this time, we will not be providing psychotherapy or learning experiences while riding a horse. Our work is done on the ground with the horse interacting at eye-level.



Who benefits the most from EAP or EAL?

Anyone! There are many benefits to EAP and EAL - EAP and EAL work for those who have tried other therapies which have not been as effective, such as traditional talk therapy. EAP and EAL are for those who are ready to take responsibility for their own growth and healing and who like to learn by doing.



Do you take insurance?

No. However, we will provide you with documentation to send to your insurance company to request reimbursement for services provided.



What are your EAP and EAL rates?

We can offer many types of sessions to our clients depending on their needs. Our standard sessions are: 50 minutes - $175.00 90 minutes - $275.00 We are happy to discuss custom session lengths if clients are interested. We value being transparent to our clients. Our rates are more expensive than other types of therapies because we pay our three therapy team members - the therapist, equine professional and the horse (through boarding, feeding, vet bills, etc.). We want to provide the highest quality of therapy and learning we can, but this type of therapy and learning has a larger overhead than other types.



Would you recommend the 50 minute session or the 90 minute session?

We recommend the 90 minute sessions for a few reasons: 1. In a 50 minute session, we typically get to the good work toward the end of the session, and before we know it, the session ends. In an 90 minute session, we can cover more ground in an effective and efficient way. 2. Clients attending 90 minute sessions typically do not have to come every week because we covered so much in the previous session. If a client came to an 90 minute session every other week or once a month, the cost of the session broken down into weeks is less than the cost of a regular weekly talk therapy session which costs on average $120.00. Therefore, the 90 minute session is more cost effective.



Do you give riding lessons or board horses?

No. However, we know many people we can refer you to if you are interested in riding lessons or boarding.



Why should I choose EAP over other types of therapies?

There are many reasons, but here are some top reasons: 1. It’s more fun, and it works. 2. Many times, children benefit from this type of therapy because it does not rely on verbal processing and is more action-oriented. 3. In one session of EAP, we can typically get to the core of the issue where it would take about 6 sessions in an office setting to really understand the issue. 4. It is more comfortable for many people than discussing problems in an office.



Do you offer a preliminary free consultation to see if your services are right for me or my loved ones?

Yes. We offer a free 20 minute consultation to discuss your needs, if our services are a good fit for you, and to answer any questions you may have. To schedule a consultation, please email Info@ConnEQction.com.