Tag Archive for: therapy

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Corporate Training, Personal Development and Equine Therapy

Corporate Training, Personal Development and Equine Therapy

Corporate Training, Personal Development and Equine Therapy

Based on the title you may be thinking that these things are totally un-related, but you’re here, so thank you!  I lead a group therapy session a couple of times a week with about 10 attendees and the topic of animals and our connection to them recently came up.  We discussed different kinds of therapy approaches, like dog therapy, or equine therapy for example.  The same day I had a friend bring this topic up, which I figure is enough for me to write down some thoughts, since this is something I have experience with.   The interesting part is corporate training, personal development and equine therapy, are in fact, connected.

A few years ago I went through the process of getting certified through the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association (EAGALA).  This association is the international leader in equine training specifically for mental health and personal development purposes.  What this means is that they certify psychotherapists and horse professionals, to work together to facilitate different kinds of experiential learning. These experiences can be for the purposes of individual development, individual therapy, group therapy, couples therapy or corporate/group training.

So the question may be, what one thing has to do with the other?  For someone that has never seen this process unfold, it may not seem like a relevant fit.  The way horses and horse professionals can help to work through challenges with individuals or a group, is essentially through observation.  For example, a typical Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) or Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) session, consists of the facilitators (therapist and horse professional) giving the individual or group a task to accomplish with the horse.  This task could be to help move the horse through a gate, move the horse around an object or help a horse move in a direction without touching it. There are many activities/tasks that can be implemented but they are all ground activities, not requiring the participant to ride the horse.

During and after these activities both the therapist and horse professional make observations of how the person or people are engaging with the horse and each other.   What shows up here is powerful.  Just like in experiential education, when giving a group a task to accomplish together there are markers that form organically – personality styles, communication style, natural leaders/followers, conflict and/or resolution of conflict etc.  What is most interesting about the EAP/EAL process is that the horse acts as a mirror for behavior and engagement.

During my time training as an EAGALA practitioner I was astounded by how fast things came to the surface through this process.  For instance, when watching a family interact with an animal and attempt a task, it became immediately obvious what kinds of challenges the family had in their communication with each other.  In this example it was easy to see which member wanted to control and override the input from other members of the family.   This created conflict of course and made it more challenging for the family to accomplish the assigned task.  Part of the feedback came from the horse as it experienced the intensity from one individual.  Part of the feedback came from other members as they became frustrated with the challenge of the task, which the horse also reflected.  It was powerful to watch.

So how did their communication styles come up you ask?  This is the value of working through an EAP/EAL program. The response you get from a horse is authentic, immediate and not bound by the same kind of bias that people have.   In addition, the horse professional helps to make observation of behavior of the horse while the therapist observes how the person is engaging.

Horses are able to pick up on the subtleties of behavior and intention because they are sensitive prey animals.   So this means that if there is fear, anger, ease, curiosity or frustration – the horse will give feedback to these emotions/behaviors.   Because the horse is so sensitive it gives immediate clues and reactions to the behaviors and intentions of individuals and groups.  Some of these behaviors would be easily recognized while others are more subtle, which is why it is helpful to have a horse professional present. In the therapeutic context, understanding and processing behaviors and emotions can impact personal development and resolution of some of the challenges.

At this point you may be asking if this type of intervention has any credibility from research. The answer is yes, it absolutely does.   For example, one study found that well-being and reduction in psychological distress immediately improved after EAP and held stable after six months.   For a more detailed look at research as it compares to traditional therapy approaches, consider this article that acts an overview and comparison.

So how does this therapeutic approach have anything to do with corporate training or leadership?  This is where EAL enters the picture.  EAL differs from EAP in that EAL focuses more on education and learning rather than a therapeutic approach of resolving mental health issues or challenges.

In an EAL setting valuable skills can be obtained that would certainly impact the effectiveness of an organization.  For example, often times EAL is done with teams on an organization in order to improve communication skills, leadership or team building.  This process is still facilitated by a mental health professional and horse professional, but the intention is different.

In an EAL session with a team of professionals for instance, a simple task will be given to the team to accomplish with the horse.  This task results in emerging behaviors and communication styles that will then be valuable for the team to later process.  For instance, within a given task there may be leaders that emerge, communication that happens (or doesn’t), response style of collaboration or anger. In addition, there may be partnerships that naturally form on the team that previously did not exist or resentments that manifest that perhaps hadn’t previously.

The same question may emerge regarding efficacy of this particular kind of experiential education.  One of the more interesting pieces of research on EAL has to do with Emotional Intelligence, a current point of focus in many leadership and team building approaches.   This research is a great review of the field of EAL as well as Emotional Intelligence. The research found positive results for EAL as an intervention for improving Emotional Intelligence.

So, as we’ve seen, horses, therapy and leadership are in fact related!  For more information about EAL and EAP, I recommend visiting the EAGALA website – http://www.eagala.org/.  For more information on Emotional Intelligence as it relates to leadership, consider this article by Daniel Goleman.   If you are interested learning more about this topic or discussing a potential workshop to build team or leadership skills, please contact us!

Keep Learning,

Michael

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How to Reduce the Stigma of Therapy

 

How to Reduce the Stigma of Therapy

During the last 100 years or so there has been an interesting evolution regarding the helping professions.  The stigma around seeking help for guidance is a somewhat unusual cultural phenomenon.  In most cultures, seeking guidance is a relatively accepted and supported endeavor and has been for many years.   For a more detailed exploration of stigma as it relates both to mental health as well as stigma towards seeking professional help, see this article on Help Seeking from the British Psychological Society. In this article there are many examples of sited research, as well as interventions, to help to reduce stigma of seeking help.  Some research suggests that normalizing issues that people are facing may help to reduce stigma for seeking help.  So the purpose of this post is to provide some anecdotal information from my own experience to help normalize seeking help.

Here are some reasons I have seen in my own practice that may impact how seeking help becomes stigmatized, as well as how to reduce the stigma of therapy.

Throwing out the baby with the bathwater –

I have come across many people over the course of the last decade who say that they tried therapy and didn’t like their therapist.  Not having a connection to the therapist is an important factor to consider.  Research shows that the goodness of fit or “therapeutic alliance” (how well you connect with your therapist) is one of the largest predictors for change.  So if we know that the connection experienced between therapist and client is so important, then this should be a focus.  Unfortunately, often time’s people will see a therapist that they don’t connect with, only attend briefly and then assume that therapy is not effective. This may be due to the therapist not checking in with the client or the client not having the understanding of the importance of this dynamic, but it does happen.  If you are looking for ways to explore the “goodness of fit” in more detail, see this article on How to Choose a Therapist.   An important thing to keep in mind when looking at therapy is that therapists are like many other professionals, there are great ones, good ones and ones that may not be the best fit for you.  To offer a comparison – if you hire a plumber and they do a bad job, would the assumption be to discount plumbing altogether or call a new plumber?

Therapy doesn’t work –

Sometimes people go to therapy once or twice or maybe three times and then assume that nothing is happening, so it obviously doesn’t work.  I often have the conversation with clients about how to get the most out of a therapy.  My hope is that these conversations take place in most therapy offices.  The truth is that when you have meetings with a therapist they are typically only one hour.  This also means that whatever is discussed in therapy may take implementation and practice outside of the therapy office.  For change to occur, practice and patience are important.  There may be times where someone continues to attend appointments even though they feel that nothing is changing for them.  Whatever the feeling is, bring it up with your therapist and see what is missing.   Remember, if something is not working, try to identify why, and fix it.

These problems aren’t bad enough –

We all have similar problems, to a certain extent.  We definitely all have things we are stressed about, are scared of, are hopeful for, are insecure about etc.   Therapy does not have to be only for those struggling with something that society deems “serious.”   Fortunately many people see therapy as an opportunity to self actualize, seek understanding of one’s self, process something confusing, determine what is most valuable to them or many other reasons outside of the context of exploring pain, trauma or dysfunction.  Therapy is not for sick people.  Therapy is an open platform to explore whatever you decide is important.  I repeat, whatever YOU decide is important.   People seek guidance and empowerment for a variety of reasons and the depth and importance of those reasons only get to be decided by the individual.   Reducing the stigma of therapy can be accomplished through recognizing a few simple statements:

It’s OK to take a look at who we are.

It’s OK to explore what is working and what isn’t working.

It’s OK to want to make changes to better ourselves.

Best,

Michael

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How to Choose a Therapist

 

how to choose a therapist

As I have been working through setting up this practice I have been reminded of an article I wrote a couple of years ago.  The article was designed as an overview of the different mental health professions that exist, educational requirements, as well as how the profession would fit into a hospital setting. To read the article, see this link – http://www.hughsdigest.com/mental-health-workers-an-overview-of-education-qualification-and-licensure/  This article seems relevant to me because one of the most common questions I hear regarding my profession is the question of how to choose a therapist.

While I think the article has some valuable information in it, I want to take a different approach here when discussing how to choose a therapist.   I have had many people ask me what is the difference between various kinds of helping professionals, and how to choose the best one.  For an overview of the fields within mental health that provide different kinds of therapy, see the article.  Typically though, when someone is looking for a mental health professional, the therapist or professional is either a Psychiatrist, Psychologist, Social Worker, Counselor, Marriage & Family Therapist or in some cases a Life/Leadership/Executive Coach.  Even though to be a coach, no licensure is required, I add it into the mix because I think it’s relevant for this discussion.

I mention the idea of “goodness of fit” on my Psychology Today profile as well on my website.  The term “goodness of fit” when referring to choosing a helping professional, is just as it reads; how good is the fit between the two people?  I think this idea is one that may be overlooked sometimes, but is a very important component.  When searching for a helping professional, one of the strongest variables that may determine success is the fit.  The question then becomes – “How do I decide if this professional is a fit for me?”

Most of the time there are websites, some online presence, or at least a phone call that can be accessed for free, in order to get a better idea of who the person is that you may be working with.  In my professional experience, as well as my own personal experience with coaches, mentors and therapists, I see a number of factors that may be important in identifying fit.  Here are 4 questions that may help to identify some of the nature of the fit, when speaking with or meeting with a prospective helping professional:

How does this person communicate?

When speaking to this person or having the opportunity to meet with them, what kind of communicator do I think they are?  There is probably not a wrong answer here, necessarily.  However, how the answer is interpreted will determine what kind of communication is important for you.   Some people like more direct interaction, some people prefer more inquisitiveness or curious nature, while others prefer someone who will just listen and reflect.

What is their philosophy about where growth and change comes from, and does this philosophy align with mine?

While there are many theories about what elicits change and what leads to progress, working with someone that has a similar philosophy may be beneficial.  If a helping professional holds the belief that change comes from working through someone’s past issues to uncover the meaning behind behaviors so that they aren’t repeated, and you identify with this, then perhaps this is a great fit.  Alternatively, some people approach change from a forward facing lens, where strengths are identified and built upon and past stories and behaviors are looked at limitedly.  Neither approach is wrong, there may be some people that will have greater success with one or the other.

Are the service details in line?

The details of the prospective helping professional’s services can be an important factor.   Some of these details may be price, location, availability, practice modality and experience.  Practice modality and experience may be important if you are specifically looking for someone that has experience in working with trauma for instance.  Making sure that someone does have the experience in dealing with the issue that you would like to address can be an important piece to consider.  Reading about the person’s background or asking lots of questions to clarify the person’s background can be an effective approach when evaluating this part of the “goodness of fit.”

How do I feel when I am speaking with this person or in their presence?

Trusting our gut can be a challenge.  However, asking ourselves the question of – how am I feeling in this moment? – can be valuable.  If we feel at ease, comfortable, curious or eager to share with this person, then these may be good cues that this may be a good fit.  Of course, our first impression can sometimes be off, but adding up our general gut feeling combined with some of the other questions, can add a sense of security in our decision making.

 

I’d like to add that there are many wonderful helping professionals out there with a wide variety of experiences and approaches.  Remember, that if you have an experience that is not what you are looking for; this may be a reflection of the “goodness of fit” and not the profession itself.   Seeking out a professional that is a great fit may bring up just as many questions about ourselves as it does for the person we are looking for.

Enjoy the journey!

Michael

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