Health is about relationships; how we relate to ourselves, everybody and everything around us.
Our specially trained clinicians and mental health team recognize that it is difficult to learn and/or function when the brain and nervous system are hijacked by fear. They approach relationship dynamics with a trauma informed lens and an understanding of attachment to help clients shift out of survival mode into greater safety, security, and functionality.
Our specially trained clinicians and mental health team recognize that it is difficult to learn and/or function when the brain and nervous system are hijacked by fear. They approach relationship dynamics with a trauma informed lens and an understanding of attachment to help clients shift out of survival mode into greater safety, security, and functionality.
"We finally heard about Stable Connections and how they use horses in their therapy. I thought, why not it can’t hurt. It has been one of the best decisions I have made for my child and my family." - Parent.
How does it work?
The foundation of trauma healing with horses was wonderfully explained by horse trainer and clinician, the late Ray Hunt …
“First you get the feel of the horse,
Then you get the feel of the horse feeling back for you.”
“First you get the feel of the horse,
Then you get the feel of the horse feeling back for you.”
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Our equine partners live primarily in the moment and are all about feel. Horses are not weighted with the human stress conditions that we are often incapable of healing from on our own. When truly joined up and connected with a horse, the client can softly direct their healing path, often in much less time, and with tremendous results.
Resilience is the capacity to recover from stress and trauma. Resiliency requires body-brain connections. The horse environment is rich with opportunities to enhance and teach many of the resiliency skills. We help build resiliency skills by integrating mind and body. Helping clients learn tools and strategies to bring their stress levels down to a place where they can function. Incorporating nature and energy work we help clients become truly aware of their internal state. Horses help us teach clients how to be grounded. Horses bring us into our bodies by engaging all of our senses. In turn, learning to live more fully in our bodies helps us relate better in relationships. We provide a space for clients to find connection with horses in order to find connection to themselves, which opens the connection to others. |
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Did you know emotions are contagious? Information related to our physiology and emotions is contained in the frequencies of vibration of our heart biofield…. And can be altered by other biofields with which we interact = co-regulation. Horses are sensitive to these frequencies and create opportunities for our clients to recognize patterns of dysregulation and strategies and/or tools to co-regulate and learn to self-regulate.
"My family actually gets along and functions now. Stable Connections have helped us work through the worst time in our lives and have unique ways by using the horses to help better to connect to ourselves and others. I've never seen anything like it before and didn’t know it even existed but I’m glad we found them and have been able to have this experience." - Parent.
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It does not matter whether the traumas are relational in nature, or because of physical injuries, brain injuries, falls, or other experiences – the resulting impact can be pervasive, complex and impact functioning for human and horse on many levels. By working one-on-one with clients, Stable Connections clinicians and mental health team help clients develop the skills, such as those listed below, for independence and quality of life. |
- Interoception skills: Growing the capacity for body awareness & tracking sensations
- Self-regulation skills and distress tolerance: tolerating and managing difficult emotions
- Exploring co-regulation and connection, and recognizing patterns of disconnection
- Social skills: building healthy relationships based in mutual trust and respect & developing recognition of subtle body language within yourself and others
- Building resiliency by cultivating access to internal resources and strengths
- And so much more!
Just think! Redirecting the destructive thought process into hopeful life skills.
Then teaching all ages how to diffuse their own stressful situations and self-regulate.
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"After only a few short weeks under Stable Connections wings, our daughters have made significant gains and continue to move in a healthy direction. The holistic therapeutic approaches around mind, body and soul through equine-assisted therapy are magical." - Parent. |
