The Power of Equine Therapy with Madeline Ellis
I had the honor and pleasure of meeting with Madeline Ellis, LPC, NCC, MCOUN to learn about her amazing work as an Equine Therapist. From the young age of three years old, Madeline’s family friend would take her to pet and feed horses. From that moment, Madeline felt a strong connection to these magnificent animals.
After a prior career in teaching and then working as an Equine Specialist, she felt called to go to graduate school to become a therapist – both to help people, and because she is passionate about animal welfare and how horses are treated in therapy.
In her work, Madeline has seen first-hand how equine therapy can help her clients better understand their internal emotional states. She, along with her horses, helps guide people towards emotional healing and to improve their nervous system regulation.
What is Equine Therapy?
“Horses are the #1 teachers of attunement 2.” – Madeline Ellis
Equine therapy involves working with horses to promote emotional and mental healing. It is a form of experiential therapy 1 where a counselor partners with horses to facilitate a therapeutic experience for the client. Each session is different because there are three brains involved in the process, each one providing a unique perspective to the session.
In terms of benefits, it has been shown that equine therapy can help individuals process emotions, develop communication and social skills, improve self-esteem, and more! Horses are highly attuned to human emotions and can mirror back our emotional state in a way that is both powerful and non-judgmental, helping individuals build self-awareness.
How Equine Therapy Works
Equine therapy sessions typically take place in an outdoor arena or pasture, where the client interacts with the horse under the guidance of a trained therapist like Madeline. Madeline may ask her client to lead the horse, groom the horse, or engage in other activities that require communication and cooperation with the animal. Horse riding is not involved, all the work is done on the ground.
During a session, Madeline observes the interaction between the client and the horse and provides feedback and guidance to help the client develop new skills or gain insights, and build internal awareness. Clients who participate in this form of therapy learn a lot about horses, how they communicate, their innate functions and needs, mannerisms, and more! Each horse has a distinct personality that uniquely contributes to each session.
Benefits of Equine Therapy
Equine therapy offers a unique therapeutic experience, and provides a variety of benefits:
Improved Self-Esteem:
Working with horses can help individuals develop confidence and self-esteem as people learn to interact with the animal. Horses are non-judgmental and provide immediate feedback, which can help individuals feel more confident in their abilities.
Reduced Anxiety and Depression:
Studies have shown that equine therapy can be an effective treatment for anxiety and depression. The calming presence of the horse and the outdoor setting can help people feel more relaxed and at ease.
Increased Empathy and Compassion:
Working with horses can help people develop greater empathy and compassion as they learn to understand the animal’s needs and communicate with it in a way that is respectful and compassionate.
A Boost In Happy Chemicals:
Simply being in the presence of these magnificent animals has been studied to show a lowering of heart rate and blood pressure in stressful situations. Also, people experience an increase in “happy chemicals” such as dopamine!
Judgment-Free Connection:
People don’t have many opportunities to build connection in a judgment-free environment, but horses provide this safe place for people to experience feeling seen, heard, and valued. People also report feeling less isolated and lonely when experiencing a human-animal bond.
Improved Communication and Social Skills:
Equine therapy can help people develop better communication and social skills as people learn to interact and communicate with the horse and gain feedback from the horse on their own emotional state.
“I define connection as the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment, and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.” -Brene Brown
Understanding the Nervous System and its Impact on Emotional Healing
“How our nervous system functions is paramount to our overall wellness.” – Madeline Ellis
To understand how equine therapy works, it’s important to understand the role of the nervous system in emotional healing. Madeline is not only passionate about this approach because of her love for horses, but also because of her passion for nervous system work!
The nervous system is divided into two main branches: the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. The sympathetic nervous system is the body’s stress response and responsible for the body’s “fight, flight, freeze, or fawn” response, which is activated when we perceive a threat or danger. The parasympathetic nervous system, on the other hand, is responsible for the body’s “rest, digest, and heal” state, which is activated when we feel safe, composed, and relaxed – it is our restorative state.
Due to countless stressors we’re exposed to in this modern age, many people suffer from a dysregulated nervous system, meaning that they operate between states of hyperarousal (activation of the sympathetic nervous system) and hypoarousal (shut down of the parasympathetic nervous system). When horses have all their needs met, also known as the five freedoms of animal welfare3, they are masters of self regulation and can naturally oscillate between appropriate nervous system responses with ease.
What We Can Learn From Horses
Unlike humans, horses don’t have a prefrontal cortex, which spares them from ruminating on thoughts – they don’t get stuck in negative thinking patterns like humans do. Their flexible nervous system allows them to easily shift from a sympathetic state in response to an immediate threat to a parasympathetic state of relaxation when the threat has passed.
This is an important lesson for humans who struggle with managing stress and emotions. By spending time with horses, people can learn to self-regulate through the equine-feedback provided, and may even naturally co-regulate with the horses and find a sense of calm and balance. Horses can be a powerful anchor to help us stay grounded, both in our internal states and grounded in the present moment!
How Horses Mirror Back our Emotions
Horses are highly attuned to human emotions and can mirror back our emotional state in a way that is both powerful and non-judgmental. For example, if a client is feeling anxious or fearful, the horse may become agitated or avoidant. If the client is feeling calm and relaxed, the horse may respond by approaching and nuzzling the client.
This mirroring effect can help clients become more aware of their emotional state and how it impacts their interactions with others. Through this equine feedback, people can develop greater self-awareness – internally and externally – and strengthen their mind-body connection.
The Healing Power of Equine Therapy
Equine therapy offers a unique and powerful approach to emotional healing. By working with horses, individuals can develop greater self-awareness, learn to self-regulate, develop new communication and social skills, and have fun creating a meaningful connection with these amazing animals!
Finding an Equine Therapy Program Near You
If you are interested in trying equine therapy and you live in the Boise area, you can connect with Madeline here or follow her on social media here. If you have the pleasure of meeting her, you’ll see first-hand her passion for horses and how she absolutely loves this work!
If you are not local to Boise, there are many programs available throughout the country. To find a program near you, you can search online or contact a local therapist or mental health professional for recommendations. Also, you can explore the Psychology Today directory here.
Advice from Madeline
When I have the opportunity to meet with amazing therapists like Madeline, I love to ask that if someone is starting their wellness/healing journey, what advice would you give them? Madeline’s response: “#1 be curious always! Ask questions, think thoughtfully, and be non-judgmental of the journey. Do not put timelines on the healing process. Date therapists to find a good fit. Find someone you feel safe with and can trust.” Thank you Madeline!
Resources to Learn More About Equine Therapy
If you’re interested in learning more about equine therapy, there are many resources available. Some recommended resources:
Madeline’s Picks:
- The Welfare of Animals in Animal-Assisted Interventions Jose Peralta & Aubrey Fine
- The Horse Leads The Way – Angela Dunning
- How To Do The Work – Nicole LePera
Additional Resources:
- “The Tao of Equus” by Linda Kohanov
- “The Power of the Herd” by Linda Kohanov
- Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association (EAGALA) website.
You Were Made To Thrive!
Thank you so much to Madeline Ellis for taking the time to teach me about her amazing work as an Equine Therapist!
Thank you to the readers of Thrive & Co. I hope that by providing this information, it gives you hope that there are an array of approaches to therapy, so you can choose an approach and/or Therapist’s approach that resonates with you!
Please know – you were made to thrive! If you are feeling stuck, there are tools to help you get unstuck – tools like equine therapy!
It’s my honor to support you on your journey to find hope and healing.
In wellness,
Jeanna Rice, Thrive & Co
1 Experiential Therapy: Experiential therapy is a modern approach to mental health and addiction treatment that treats the whole person. Individuals are able to relive and reenact experiences associated with their past and learn to overcome the negative emotions that are attached to them. –www.northstartransitions.com
2 Attunement: “Attunement describes how reactive a person is to another’s emotional needs and moods. A person who is well attuned will respond with appropriate language and behaviors based on another person’s emotional state. They are good at recognizing moods and emotions in another person and adapting their own response in accordance.” -AllyDog.com
