Girls Equine Therapy at Clearview Girls Academy
Offers Better Outcomes!
Another unique aspect of Clearview’s therapeutic boarding school for girls is the school’s equine therapy program. We use girls equine therapy to help struggling teens learn and build:
- Self-Esteem
- Sensitivity
- Endurance
- Responsibility
- Relationships
Clearview’s therapeutic boarding school for girls uses horses to help girls build self-esteem, improve communication skills, and develop a sense of responsibility. Girls participate in grooming, riding, and caring for horses which can be a transformative experience for many.
Girls Equine Therapy activities are supervised by a mental health professional, often with the support of an equine professional. Both during the activity and after the patient has finished working with the horse, the equine therapist can observe and interact with the patient to identify behavior patterns and process thoughts and emotions.
Studies have indicated that girls equine therapy has been successful in helping patients show marked improvements in the following areas:
- Assertiveness
- Emotional awareness
- Empathy
- Stress tolerance
- Flexibility
- Impulse control
- Problem-solving skills
- Self-actualization
- Independence
- Self-regard
- Social responsibility
- Interpersonal relationships
Many of the benefits of girls equine therapy come about due to the nature of the animals with which the patient and equine therapist interact. Horses are typically non-judgmental, have no preconceived expectations or motives, and are highly effective at mirroring the attitudes and behaviors of the humans with whom they work.
While working with horses at Clearview’s residential treatment for girls under the guidance and supervision of an equine therapist, girls equine therapy patients have a unique and effective opportunity to note their tendency to engage in self-defeating and otherwise negative thoughts and actions. These realizations provide excellent bases for discussion and processing during and after the girls equine therapy experience at Clearview’s therapeutic boarding school for girls.
What Conditions/Disorders Does Girls Equine Therapy Treat?
Girls equine therapy has been successfully integrated into residential treatment for girls at Clearview Girls Academy who are being treated for behavior disorders, mood disorders, eating disorders, learning differences, ADD/ADHD, autism, Asperger’s, grief/loss, trauma, compulsive gambling, bipolar, depression, and related conditions.
Horse and Human Connection History
Humans have a long history of beneficial equine interaction. According to a 2019 concept analysis in the medical journal Nursing Open, “Horses and domesticated animals have been used as a medical treatment since the second century.” The authors also delve into specific instances where horses have been critical to healing human suffering.
The journal tells the story of how Florence Nightingale in 1898 was “using companion animals – pets that provide health benefits to a person – as the only pleasure of a confined invalid,” as well as how “accounts of horses’ curative physical, emotional and psychosocial qualities emerged in 5 B.C. and then again in World War I veterans early in the 20th century.”
Considering this history, therapists have found that these equine/people relationships can aid in an individual’s recovery from mental health and/or poor life choices.
Benefits of Girls Equine Therapy
There are many benefits to girls equine therapy, many of which vary for each teen enrolled at Clearview’s therapeutic boarding school for girls. Some of these benefits include, but are not limited to:
- Gaining a sense of empathy and emotional awareness
- Attaining a greater level of stress tolerance
- Building a greater catalog of problem-solving tools
- Learning independence and responsibility
- Finding a sense of self-regard and self-actualization
- Improving communication skills and relationship-building skills
- Bonding with something outside of yourself
One of the other key benefits of girls equine therapy is making a spiritual connection and creating a spiritual way of life.
Proverbs 21:31 states “The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the Lord.” What exactly does that mean? This means that our horses help us better find a spiritual connection to God at Clearview’s therapeutic boarding school for girls.
Three changes to one’s self maximize the chances of recovery at Clearview’s therapeutic boarding school for girls. These are emotional, behavioral, and spiritual changes. We have found that girls equine therapy can help facilitate them all. Because of its ability to address so many aspects of a person’s life, girls equine therapy is something we are pleased to offer. We want to help our young teen girls grow into their best selves and flourish in the greater world.
Unleashing Inner Strength:
How Equine Therapy Empowers Girls and Transforms Lives
At Clearview Girls Academy, we have a unique opportunity to offer girls equine therapy. Utilizing our beautiful Montana landscape, we provide this residential treatment for girls, which has been found to bolster a sense of responsibility and elevate spiritual growth. If your daughter struggles with mental, emotional, or physical issues, girls equine therapy at our therapeutic boarding school may transform her life and family relationships. For more information on our residential treatment for girls, call us at (888) 416-2144.
We look forward to speaking with you to see if Clearview Girls Academy is the right choice for your struggling girl.
