Addiction is a disease of disconnection. Its symptoms are isolation, loneliness, and fear. It is a sense of separateness that creates a lack of safety, not only in our thoughts and emotions but in our bodies as well. When that sense of separateness, or of being unsafe, is stored in our bodies, it becomes trauma.
Recovery is connection. When we feel connected, we experience a sense of belonging, of wholeness, and an acceptance of ourselves—just as we are. Connection is often experienced and described as loving-kindness, a deep sense of well-being, or a lightness of being. Although it is in our nature to seek connection with others—indeed, without connection we cannot thrive—oftentimes, addiction and other painful life experiences shatter our sense of connection to ourselves.
We become fragmented, separated from our true and loving nature, trapped in overwhelming emotional memories, or devoid of emotion altogether. We act out in our attempts to free ourselves from fear and uncertainty, striving to control, manipulate, or avoid (others and ourselves) to create an artificial sense of safety and security. As we travel further down this dark path, the idea of connection itself becomes frightening, vulnerable, and dangerous. At our luxury addiction treatment center, equine-assisted therapy teaches our clients to learn how to create safe, healthy connections that help foster lifelong recovery from drug and alcohol addiction.
Addiction is a disease of disconnection. Its symptoms are isolation, loneliness, and fear. It is a sense of separateness that creates a lack of safety, not only in our thoughts and emotions but in our bodies as well. When that sense of separateness, or of being unsafe, is stored in our bodies, it becomes trauma.
Recovery is connection. When we feel connected, we experience a sense of belonging, of wholeness, and an acceptance of ourselves—just as we are. Connection is often experienced and described as loving-kindness, a deep sense of well-being, or a lightness of being. Although it is in our nature to seek connection with others—indeed, without connection we cannot thrive—oftentimes, addiction and other painful life experiences shatter our sense of connection to ourselves.
We become fragmented, separated from our true and loving nature, trapped in overwhelming emotional memories, or devoid of emotion altogether. We act out in our attempts to free ourselves from fear and uncertainty, striving to control, manipulate, or avoid (others and ourselves) to create an artificial sense of safety and security. As we travel further down this dark path, the idea of connection itself becomes frightening, vulnerable, and dangerous. At our luxury addiction treatment center, equine-assisted therapy teaches our clients to learn how to create safe, healthy connections that help foster lifelong recovery from drug and alcohol addiction.
“Working with the horses is a way to return to nature, expand our hearts and minds in ways we never thought possible. It facilitates healing at a deep level, those wounds that have left us diminished and fragmented.”
– Mary Lynn Szymandera, LCDC, CEIP
Equine-Assisted Therapy at the Arbor
Our Texas rehabilitation ranch has the ideal location, culture, and facilities for an equine-assisted therapy program. Founded in the trauma-informed therapy model of Natural Lifemanship, The Arbor’s equine-assisted therapy program offers clients an experiential opportunity to access a felt sense of connection to themselves and others. At The Arbor, clients receive weekly one-hour equine-assisted therapy sessions with a licensed counselor and/or equine therapy professional. Sessions consist of individual, small, and large groups. Working with horses allows participants to focus entirely on accessing and creating safe connections. The nonjudgmental nature of horses and the wide, open space provided by the barn and pastures creates an open and accepting environment within which the client can explore and experience—free from shame, guilt or blame.
Healing Through Relationships
The Arbor’s equine-assisted therapy model is vastly different from traditional equine-assisted therapies that are founded in horsemanship principles. In a traditional horsemanship model, the human is in control and the horse is trained to comply. In other words, it is a relationship of dominance and submission. This does not translate to healthy, connected relationships! Only when the control-compliance dynamic is removed and attuned consent is achieved, can healthy, connected relationships form. It is through these connected relationships that an internal sense of safety is created, and deep healing occurs.
Through somatic experiencing, clients first learn how to regulate their own nervous systems—the first step in creating an internal sense of safety and connection. As clients become more regulated, they begin to explore their internal blocks to connection. This process deepens, enriches, and informs the client’s 12-step experience. Lastly, through guided interactions with their horse, clients explore their patterns of behavior that spring from ingrained, harmful, and/or erroneous belief systems designed to isolate and protect themselves from others and begin to replace them with behaviors that promote authenticity, vulnerability, intimacy, and compassion.
If you are interested in learning how an equine-assisted therapy program can impact the healing of someone you love, contact The Arbor by calling 844.413.2690 to apply for admission to our program.