Equine Assisted Psychotherapy
Equine-assisted psychotherapy is an experiential, relationship-based approach that invites clients to engage in the therapeutic process alongside horses in a structured, intentional setting. Horses offer immediate, honest feedback through their responses to emotion, energy, boundaries, and communication, often revealing patterns that may be difficult to access in traditional talk therapy alone. Sessions are guided by a licensed mental health professional and focus on emotional regulation, trauma processing, self-awareness, and relational dynamics. No riding experience is required; the work happens on the ground, emphasizing presence, connection, and insight. This modality can be especially powerful for individuals who feel stuck, overwhelmed, or disconnected, providing a unique opportunity for growth through experiential learning and meaningful interaction.
WHo is it for?
Equine-assisted psychotherapy is particularly well suited for individuals navigating trauma, anxiety, burnout, attachment wounds, and major life transitions, as well as those who struggle to access or articulate emotions through traditional verbal approaches. Working with horses can help clients slow down, build distress tolerance, practice boundaries, and develop trust in themselves and others in real time. The experiential nature of this work often makes abstract concepts tangible, allowing insight to emerge through action rather than conversation alone. For many clients, the barn environment itself offers a grounding, regulating alternative to an office setting—supporting healing, resilience, and meaningful change through authentic connection.
How does it work?
Equine-assisted psychotherapy sessions are facilitated by a licensed mental health professional and take place in a structured barn-based setting with carefully selected horses. Sessions are goal-oriented and designed to support therapeutic objectives such as emotional regulation, trauma processing, communication, and relational awareness. Clients participate in guided, ground-based interactions with the horses—such as observation, movement, and intentional activities—while the therapist helps translate the experience into meaningful insight. The horse’s natural responsiveness provides real-time feedback, allowing patterns, emotions, and behaviors to surface organically. This process supports experiential learning, reflection, and integration, helping clients apply what they discover in session to their everyday lives.
What are "intensives" and how can they help?
Equine-assisted psychotherapy intensives offer an extended, immersive therapeutic experience designed for deeper exploration and meaningful progress. Intensives typically take place over several hours in a single day and allow for focused work that may be difficult to accomplish in standard weekly sessions. This format creates space for regulation, processing, reflection, and integration, while working closely with the horses in a supportive, intentional environment. Intensives can be especially helpful for trauma work, periods of acute stress, or when clients are seeking momentum or clarity around a specific concern. All intensives are thoughtfully structured, paced according to the client’s needs, and facilitated by a licensed mental health professional to ensure safety, support, and therapeutic depth.
investment
Weekly equine-assisted psychotherapy sessions are eligible for coverage under most commercial insurance plans, allowing clients to access this modality in a consistent, ongoing format. Intensives, however, are offered as a private-pay service due to their extended length, individualized structure, and immersive nature. Intensives are scheduled in either four- or six-hour blocks and are billed at a flat cash rate of $800 for four hours or $1,200 for six hours. This structure reflects the additional clinical preparation, coordination, and therapeutic depth involved in intensive work. Clients are encouraged to reach out with questions about insurance eligibility or to discuss which option may be the best fit for their needs.