Efectos De Equinoterapia En Paciente Con Paralisis Cerebral

Society and Animals 15 (2007) 257-267

www.brill.nl/soan

The Effectiveness of Equine-Assisted Experiential Therapy: Results of an Open Clinical Trial
Bradley T. Klontza Alex Bivensb Deb Leinartc Ted Klontzd
President, Coastal Clinics, Inc., P.O. Box 529, Kapaa, HI 96746 btklontz@aol.com b) Vice-President, Pacific Psychology Partners, Inc., P.O. Box 1080, Kalaheo, HI 9674 aibivens@yahoo.comc) Licensed Professional Counselor, Onsite Workshops, Inc., 904 Harpeth Valley Place, Nashville, TN 37221 deblemart@hotmail.com d) President, Onsite Workshops, Inc., P.O. Box, 1030 Old Highway 48 N, Cumberland Furnace, TN 37051 tedklontz@yahoo.com Sent 18 December 2006, Accepted 7 April 2007
a)

Abstract This article describes an equine-assisted experiential therapy approach and presentstreatment outcomes in 31 participants in an equine-assisted, experiential therapy program. Participants completed psychological measures prior to treatment, immediately following treatment, and 6 months after treatment. Reported reductions in psychological distress and enhancements in psychological well being were significant immediately following treatment and were stable at 6-month follow-up. Thearticle discusses the clinical implications and limitations of the present study and directions for further research. Keywords experiential therapy, equine-assisted therapy (EAT), animal-assisted therapy, treatment effectiveness, treatment outcomes, equine-assisted experiential therapy (EAET)

Introduction Documentation of the use of animals in mental health treatment appears as early as 1792 (Trivedi& Perl, 1995). Discussions about the use of companion animals (pets) in therapy have been present in the peer-review psychological
© Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2007 DOI: 10.1163/156853007X217195

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B. T. Klontz et al. / Society and Animals 15 (2007) 257-267

literature since the mid-1900s. Most writings to date describe animal-assisted therapy as consisting of therapy as usual withone or more companion animals present in the therapy room. Studies have shown positive results in the treatment of psychological and physical symptoms in various populations when pets are used in as part of the therapy milieu (Brickel, 1980-1981; Beck, Seraydarian & Hunter, 1986; Folse, Minder, Aycock, & Santana, 1994; Mason & Hagan, 1999; Marr et al., 2000). One such animal-assisted therapyapproach uses horses. Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) involves the use of horses in the treatment of psychological issues. Although it has been used to treat a multitude of psychological problems (Taylor, 2001; Tramutt, 2003; Tyler, 1994; Vidrine, Owen-Smith, & Faulkner., 2002; Zugich, Klontz & Leinart, 2002), quantitative studies on its effectiveness are almost nonexistent in the literature (Taylor,2001; Vidrine et al.). Typically, in EAP, the therapist integrates equine activities within their broader theoretical framework. In this study, equine activities were integrated with the theory and techniques of experiential therapy, a humanistic-existential approach that uses direct experience as the primary avenue to change (Mahrer, 1983).

The Treatment Model The present study examined theeffectiveness of Equine-Assisted Experiential Therapy (EAET). EAET combines experiential therapy with specific equine activities to give clients the opportunity to work through unfinished business, relieve psychological distress, live more fully in the present, and change destructive patterns of behavior. In EAET, horses serve as catalysts and metaphors to allow clinical issues to surface. The coreexperiential treatment modality in EAET is based on the theory and techniques of psychodrama (Dayton, 1994; Fox, 1988). This model of experiential therapy, without the inclusion of the equine component, is explained in detail in previous writings (Klontz, 2004; Wegscheider-Cruse, Cruse & Bougher, 1990), and participants have reported significant reductions in psychological symptoms and enhancements...