Equine-Assisted Therapy
These programs are provided by licensed therapy professionals who work within the scope of their particular discipline to provide these services.
Equine-Facilitated Psychotherapy (EFP) has the same goals and characteristics as traditional psychotherapy but incorporates connection with an equine to facilitate progress and healing. Participants do not need any previous experiences with horses to participate in EFP.
Occupational or Physical Therapy Utilizing Equines (Hippotherapy) refers to how an occupational or physical therapist or speech language pathologist uses the purposeful manipulation of equine movement as a therapy tool to engage the sensory, neuromotor and cognitive systems and promote functional outcomes. It is just one of the tools or treatment strategies that a therapist may use to help a client work towards their goals.
BINA Farm Center, in collaboration with Mass General Brigham McLean Hospital,
hosted women with trauma histories to try a new type of therapy. Dr. Sherry Winternitz
summarized her experience by saying, "I’ve been working with survivors of childhood
abuse for the last 30 years, and I have never seen anything with such immediate benefit
to folks who struggle with trauma-related issues.”