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Equine-Facilitated
Psychotherapy & Learning (EFPL)
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Summer 2012
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What's New at HEAL in 2012?
Individual Sessions
Chehalis, WA
2012 Workshops
The Role of Horse-Human Interactions in Trauma Recovery
June 15-17, 2012
Oslo, Norway
HEAL-LEAP Institute: Level I
Sept 6-9, 2012
April 11-14, 2013
Gloucestershire, UK
2013 Workshops
HEAL-LEAP Institute: Level II
Sept 26-29, 2013
Gloucestershire, UK
HEAL-LEAP Institute: Level I
Dates TBA
Gloucestershire, UK
Facilitator Training Program
Dates TBA
Chehalis, WA
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 Partners in Healing: Highly Social Mammals
An excerpt from The Listening Heart by Leigh Shambo
How can a connected relationship with the horse help the client heal? The answer lies deep within the mammalian brain, in the brain's limbic system and its body-based partner, the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The limbic system is a set of related structures found in the mid-brain of humans and other mammals. It is located between the primitive, reflex-driven brainstem, and the topmost layer of the brain, the cortex.
Limbic neural pathways develop early, before verbal and logical capacities; they form templates for attachment and belonging throughout life. Trauma, family dysfunction and violence can set the brainstem, limbic brain and ANS on a permanent "false alarm"; imprinting the mind-body system with hyper- or hypo-arousal, impairing the development and functioning of the reasoning cortex (Szalavitz and Perry, 2010). Limbic patterns are especially impacted by interpersonal violence, when humans who should provide safety are abusers.
Moving a person from trauma to healing requires restructuring of emotional response. This must come in the form of new experiences that engage and soothe, or "regulate" this sensitive limbic region of the brain. The book A General Theory of Love (Lewis, Amini and Lannon, 2000) explains the neurological re-wiring that can happen within a bonded relationship. Limbic neuroplasicity - the remodeling of affective neural pathways and responses - requires three stages:
- limbic resonance, defined as a shared empathy in which two mammals become attuned to each other's inner states
- limbic regulation, defined asreading each other's emotional cues, adjusting to each other and soothing or regulate the physiology of the other
- limbic revision, defined as adaptation to healthier template for future relationships
(Lewis et al. 2000)
"Because our minds seek one another through limbic resonance, because our physiologic rhythms answer to the call of limbic regulation, because we change one another's brains through limbic revision - What we do inside relationships matters more than any other aspect of human life."
(A General Theory of Love, Lewis et al. 2000: 177)
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The HEAL-LEAP Institute of EFPL
Announces Level I date modifications and Level II dates
The first workshop for HEAL-LEAP Institute Level I is now set for 6-9 Sept 2012. The second of two workshops for Level I will be held 11-14 April, 2013. Applications are still being accepted for this program for therapists, counselors and professional educators.
The British Association of Counseling and Psychotherapy (BACP) has endorsed the HEAL-LEAP Institute EFPL training course. Completion of Level I courses [Foundations & Integration] earns participants 58 CPD hours through BACP, and graduates of Level I are eligible for the Advanced EFPL Practice Level II.
The HEAL Model™ of EFPL has been implemented in clinical practice with many types of difficult to treat clients. Ongoing research conducted at HEAL shows promise for treating PTSD in both youth and adults. The HEAL Model has also been used to treat sexually traumatized youth, addiction in clients with and without learning disability or trauma, and anxiety and depression in children and adults.
In this course students will gain understand of the bio-psycho-social foundations of EFPL, gain competency in treatment planning and service delivery for EFPL, and be able to design therapeutic treatment goals with EFPL interventions that will yield measurable and lasting outcomes for clients.
Level I dates have been modified to 6-9 September 2012 and 11-14 April 2013 and Level II dates have been planned for 19-22 September 2013.
HEAL - www.humanequinealliance.org
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Norway workshop focuses on trauma recovery
 Leigh will be spending 3 days at Oslo University Hospital teaching a workshop titled The Role of Human-Horse Interactions in Trauma Recovery. Sponsored by Hest og Helse's (Horse and Health) professional development process, this workshop will explore the theory and practice of EFPL in trauma treatment recovery processes and provide informed discussion about the future development of EFPL in Norway. A group of ~30 professionals will participate.
Special thanks to Olso University Hospital, with their equine facility, and to Ann Kern for organizing this event, and to all the participants. I look forward to a wonderful learning opportunity for everyone involved.
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Leigh to speak at PATH, International's National Conference in Bellevue, Washington
Targeted at the ever-growing group of professionals in equine-assisted activities and therapies (EAAT), the 2012 Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH Intl.) Conference and Annual Meeting, sponsored by Purina, will feature an impressive array of educational sessions presented by industry experts. The Horse Expo and keynote luncheon have been perennial highlights. Attendees also enjoy the opportunities to catch up with old friends at various discussion forums and social receptions and network while visiting our growing exhibit hall. And not to be missed is the annual awards banquet designed to celebrate the innovation, hard work and spectacular accomplishments of the EAAT industry.
At the Path Conference, Leigh will be presenting a synopsis of her paper on the HEAL Model of EFPL, which features qualitative research from HEAL EFPL groups for the treatment of Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The full article has recently been published in the Federation of Horses in Education and Therapy International (HETI) 2011 Scientific and Educational Journal of Therapeutic Riding.
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2011 HETI Journal Includes HEAL Sponsored Research
Here at HEAL, we just received the Federation of Horses in Education and Therapy International (HETI) 2011 Scientific and Educational Journal of Therapeutic Riding in the mail and we are proud to announce the inclusion of a HEAL sponsored research article written by Leigh Shambo, MSW, LMHC. The article is titled The HEAL Model of Equine-Facilitated Psychotherapy and Learning. The article proposes a unifying theory of EFPL and a research-based rationale behind EFPL treatment for Complex PTSD and other clinical disorders. This article compiles quantitative research conducted over a three year period with multiple groups of participants of different age ranges and gender referred to us by Cascade Mental Health Care, a local mental health care facility in Chehalis, WA. The abstract can be found on the HEAL website and the full article can be seen by purchasing the HETI 2011 Scientific Journal via their website.
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The HEAL Team has Grown
Please welcome Hawk and Spook to the HEAL team! With the loss of our irreplaceable Buddy dog, the HEAL Ranch was feeling incomplete until these two bundles of puppy joy joined us. Hawk and Spook are smooth collies, a short-haired version of the classic Lassie. Hawk is the big sable (male), and Spook is the smaller tri-color (female). They are siblings, too, meaning family/pack dynamics create training challenges!
Here at HEAL we teach about the neural circuits of emotion in mammals. Here's the challenge: Leigh and David do their best to stay out of FEAR, PANIC and RAGE (sounds simple - until two14-week old pups start chasing a frisky horse!). But it's a good deal- the puppies and humans together get to have lots of PLAY and SEEKING - that keeps training fun! They are definitely keeping us busy day and night with training and PLAY. They're not ready to work with clients yet, but they are a wonderful addition to the team, lifting everyone's spirits!
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Read more About...
Good Reads...
Videos to Watch...
PTSD Horse
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All content is (c) 2011 Leigh Shambo, MSW, LMHC unless otherwise noted.
Thank you!
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