Transitioning from military to civilian life can be an extremely difficult and a long process. At Courage Reins, service members going through this phase receive some of the best equine-assisted services that are uniquely catered to the client.
Courage Reins has established relationships with several local VA offices and other veteran agencies that assist active service members, veterans, and their families. These relationships provide a pipeline of clients in need of our services. We work with local news outlets that help spread the word concerning veteran services. Courage Reins staff is trained and has achieved Military-Specific designations to effectively interact and serve veterans. Modalities for trauma informed psychotherapy will include the EAGALA model, EMDR, and DBT with natural horsemanship. Our therapy team will provide valuable services with entrance and exit surveys to track the impact of our services on this veteran community.
Courage Reins is the longest standing, most reputable and most qualified equine-assisted therapy center in Utah. As compared to other therapies, adding horses to the treatment team creates a physically and emotionally interactive experience that facilitates impactful therapy and keeps veterans interested in returning to learn coping skills on how to deal with their trauma. Courage Reins is an amazing fit to address the needs of the veteran community.
The unique qualities of horses help speed emotional breakthroughs. This is especially true for those suffering from PTSD. Horses are highly attuned animals that offer safe reflection and compelling feedback for fears and anxieties military clients may be facing. In the hands of a skilled treatment team, the horses’ unique sensitivity can help clients understand their own internal processes more readily than hours of talk therapy.
Herd dynamic can help clients understand their own lives. Observing the dynamics of a herd of horses can help clients better understand the dynamics of their own family, military unit and community and provide another positive model for fostering collaboration, support, and trust. The horses provide an emotionally safe way to work through and strengthen relationships in life – whether it is with others, the environment, beliefs, or themselves.
The EAGALA Military Services approach is based on experience and doing. Treatment sessions re-create life experiences, including those involving frustrations, high stress, and relationship problems. This provides opportunities for service members and their families to re-discover their resources and strengths to overcome obstacles in a new context of civilian life after deployment and/or military service. They can apply this experience and gain in-the-moment feedback from the horses.
Clients experience activities with horses that remove much of the perceived stigma associated with traditional talk therapy treatment methods. When treatment is about doing it’s more engaging, and engagement increases impact. Data is showing that this population is more likely to start and complete treatment with this model with less dropout than traditional talk therapies. Military clients repeatedly report how quickly and deeply they get to the root of their issues and experience meaningful changes.
Find real world solutions to the toughest challenges. Clients find their own solutions to the struggles in their lives. Under the direction of an EAGALA Military Services Treatment Team, clients build on their resilience and learn through self-discovery the changes they can make in order to be more successful in both military and civilian life.
We were fortunate to receive funding for our veteran program that allowed us to offer our services for free. Unfortunately, the company sponsoring our program discontinued their sponsorship. We are in need of a community partner that will allow us to continue to serve those who have serve.
