Our after school programs for next term start up the week after the Easter holidays. High school workshops have moved to Thursday afternoons and primary school age are now Friday afternoons.
Parents ask me which children will benefit from these programs and how.
Equine assisted therapy is an experiential therapy that involves interactions between clients and horses. Our program involves activities such as grooming, feeding, haltering and leading a horse and are supervised by a mental health professional. The therapy allows a child to become calm, more focused, feeling like they can accomplish something, feel a sense of fulfilment and it enhances a child’s confidence in his/her ability to tackle new projects which leads to improved self-esteem. It can be beneficial for children on the autism spectrum,
The benefits are many and varied, while working with the horses, children find that they have natural abilities and strengths they were not aware they possessed. They can then use that newfound empowerment in their interpersonal relationships within their peer groups and in the wider community.
Equine assisted therapy can also promote the skills of emotional awareness, emotion regulation, self-control, and impulse modulation. Research clearly indicates that animal-assisted therapy reduces agitation and aggressiveness and increases cooperativeness and behavioural control.
The sessions run over six weeks and each session lasts 90 mins and involves working with the horses on the ground, learning new skills, drumming, practicing mindfulness and stress reduction techniques, art activities and much more. Individual needs and goals are taken into account when placing participants. Teens group starts on Thursday the 2nd May and primary school age on Friday 3rd May. With only 4 spaces available per group early bookings are essential.
For more information visit this link to programs page: https://www.equilibriumtherapiesaustralia.com.au/services