Life In The Herd: Group Therapy for Teens
Life In The Herd is a therapy group for teens, focused on youth aged 13-18 years old. Our group can accommodate 4-7 members at a time and follows a 12 week curriculum. The goals of this group are to assist teens to process their feelings, support one another, and learn new life skills. Mindfulness and being in-the-moment will be themes throughout. By working with the horses and other group members, the teens are able to build confidence, develop trust, and practice positive social skills. This is an open group with rolling admission.
What Does a Session Look Like?
Each week a different theme will be explored via equine activities. Participants will work with a variety of equines throughout the 12 weeks of the group and learn basic horsemanship skills. Each session is 90 minutes.
What Topics Will Be Covered In Group?
- Safety
- Self-care
- Boundaries/Trust
- Communication
- Family
- Control/Empowerment
- Home
- Peer Relationships
- Trauma
- Transitions/Stability
- Grief
- Future/Hope
Who Can Benefit From Group Therapy?
Group therapy is beneficial for teens who are struggling with a mental health diagnosis, who are going through transitions in their lives, and/or who need to experience positive peer interactions. Animal-assisted and nature-based therapies have positive effects for many mental health conditions and working with horses can bring about powerful experiences that remain with you for a lifetime. In group teens can begin to see that they are not alone and can build meaningful connections with horses and humans alike in a safe and healing atmosphere. Once a group member has completed all 12 weeks, they will receive a Horse-Care Volunteer certificate and may, if they choose, sign up as a horse-care volunteer.