Exploring Therapists' Conceptions of Equine Facilitated/Assisted Psychotherapy for Combat Veterans Experiencing Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Exploring Therapists' Conceptions of Equine Facilitated/Assisted Psychotherapy for Combat Veterans Experiencing Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Abrams Barbara Newell Ph.D. Thesis, Northcentral University. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 2013. 3569187., USA, 2013.

Paper abstract bibtex

Combat Veterans diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) represent a vulnerable population that requires effective psychotherapeutic interventions. However, not all established treatments are universally effective for the estimated 20% of Veterans diagnosed with PTSD. A need for innovative approaches to manage symptoms of combat-related PTSD has been suggested in order to support traditional psychotherapeutic methods. Consequently, therapists have embraced complementary and alternative interventions for Veterans that include equine facilitated/assisted psychotherapy (EFP/EAP). Therapists who include EFP/EAP have agreed that interacting with horses in a therapeutic environment can have a positive impact on the health and behavior of individuals experiencing symptoms of PTSD. This descriptive phenomenological study, pursued through a common factors lens, explored the lived experiences of five licensed/credentialed mental health professionals who included EFP/EAP with Veterans diagnosed with PTSD. Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted with participants selected from the East and West Coasts of the United States. The research questions addressed why therapists chose to include the EFP/EAP intervention, how they conceived the EFP/EAP treatment as efficacious for Veterans, and how the common factors of the client, therapist, and collaborative relationship, in addition to specific factors, were reflected and involved in the EFP/EAP therapeutic process. Therapists’ descriptions revealed seven major themes: “The horse-human relationship,” “Building trust,” “It engages people both mentally and physically,” “From the beginning,” “Nonverbal communication,” “Emotional safety,” and “A faster vehicle.” Additionally, therapists’ descriptions supported the common factors paradigm in

@phdthesis{abrams_barbara_newell_exploring_2013,
	address = {USA},
	title = {Exploring {Therapists}' {Conceptions} of {Equine} {Facilitated}/{Assisted} {Psychotherapy} for {Combat} {Veterans} {Experiencing} {Posttraumatic} {Stress} {Disorder}},
	url = {https://www.proquest.com/openview/6467c024bd453862baecbc3e552c0e8e/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y},
	abstract = {Combat Veterans diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) represent a
vulnerable population that requires effective psychotherapeutic interventions. However,
not all established treatments are universally effective for the estimated 20\% of Veterans
diagnosed with PTSD. A need for innovative approaches to manage symptoms of
combat-related PTSD has been suggested in order to support traditional
psychotherapeutic methods. Consequently, therapists have embraced complementary and
alternative interventions for Veterans that include equine facilitated/assisted
psychotherapy (EFP/EAP). Therapists who include EFP/EAP have agreed that
interacting with horses in a therapeutic environment can have a positive impact on the
health and behavior of individuals experiencing symptoms of PTSD. This descriptive
phenomenological study, pursued through a common factors lens, explored the lived
experiences of five licensed/credentialed mental health professionals who included
EFP/EAP with Veterans diagnosed with PTSD. Semi-structured face-to-face interviews
were conducted with participants selected from the East and West Coasts of the United
States. The research questions addressed why therapists chose to include the EFP/EAP
intervention, how they conceived the EFP/EAP treatment as efficacious for Veterans, and
how the common factors of the client, therapist, and collaborative relationship, in
addition to specific factors, were reflected and involved in the EFP/EAP therapeutic
process. Therapists’ descriptions revealed seven major themes: “The horse-human
relationship,” “Building trust,” “It engages people both mentally and physically,” “From
the beginning,” “Nonverbal communication,” “Emotional safety,” and “A faster vehicle.”
Additionally, therapists’ descriptions supported the common factors paradigm in},
	school = {Northcentral University. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 2013. 3569187.},
	author = {{Abrams Barbara Newell}},
	year = {2013},
}

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