This month, we are committed to creating more awareness about the need for access to mental health services and the ways in which we offer those services. At MH, we offer low to no cost groups and individual sessions for those in need, and have created a community based on mutual support and care that supports the well-being of us all. This month, we would like to continue to share how we…
Reduce stigma: needing support is a natural and often necessary part of being a human. Our groups and sessions are based on the idea that we all struggle, we are not alone, and that we can get the support we need by coming out of our isolation and fear. Horses remind us that we are stronger when we find our herd.
Encourage help-seeking behavior: asking for help is one of the most important steps towards a more resilient and sustainable support network. Whether it’s asking for help with a new horsemanship skill, reaching out to other group members, or allowing our vulnerability to be seen by the herd or others, knowing that we are designed to heal and grow in relationship is the foundation of our work.
Promote mental well-being: our work with horses and other animals seeks to create ways to move forward with new ways of being and seeing ourselves rather than examining “the problem.” Horses teach us HOW to improve our mental health and support ourselves with ways of being such as increased self-awareness through embodied and mindful practices, and expression of needs and wants, and how to make assertive, confident choices.
Improve access to resources: we are growing! We are adding new groups for teens in recovery, young adults experiencing homelessness, women in the probation system, family of cancer patients, and more! We are increasing the number of students who will be able to offer free/low cost individual sessions, and are offering a community mindfulness with horses event in June! The first session will occur on June 21st from 6:15-7:30. Check back on our website next week or follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/medicinehorseprogram or on Instagram at www.instagram.com/medicinehorseco for registration details.
Enhance understanding: we offer many opportunities to learn about how working in the natural world with our animal partners increases well-being. In our groups and sessions we teach our clients and participants about the ways in which mental health struggles are natural ways that our mind-bodies protect us and take care of us, rather than disorders or problems to be fixed. We are not broken… We are learning what we need to grow!
Alison McCabe, Hon. B.A, B.Ed., GEP, M.S.
She | Her | Hers
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