Horse Guided Wellness & Psychotherapy

At Ara Equus, our trained and certified practitioners facilitate your journey of healing and self-discovery. We work with you in a therapeutic setting alongside our equine partners. Nestled in the heart of Tweed, ON, our unique approach integrates horses into the therapeutic process, facilitating deep and lasting wellness through guided exercises and experiences. The programs developed are  an amalgam of  science-based practices and peer-review research that empower, engage, and enlighten participants. They are the result of coordinated efforts among hundreds of practitioners and thousands of hours in program development.

Simply put, horses change lives!

 

Benefits of Equine Assisted Interventions

Horses have the unique, innate wisdom to help you:  

  • Develop greater resilience to stress, emotional fitness, emotional agility, and self-confidence
  • Improve your non-verbal and verbal communication, leadership, teamwork and problem solving skills
  • Foster more meaningful connections with yourself and others
  • Bring your mind, body, and emotions into balance
  • Return to harmony and release what no longer serves you
  • Experience personal and spiritual growth
  • Create healthy boundaries and improve your relationships with others
  • Enhance your self-awareness, self-esteem and revive your authentic self
  • Manage unpleasant trauma memories and responses
  • Understand the language of emotions
  • Effectively navigate anxiety, depression, grief and other emotions that keep you stuck

 

*Facilitated by a registered psychotherapist (qualifying) and certified equine specialist practitioners.

 

EAL & FEEL®

EAP

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Horses?

Horses have innate instincts that distinguish them from all other animals. Their huge hearts, raw authenticity, majestic wisdom  unparalleled. They help you to become grounded and they hold a safe space for self-exploration, growth, and healing.  Horses help you recognize possibilities for learning within yourself and provide instant, honest feedback. By learning how to communicate, lead and effectively work with these graceful beings, you can adapt positive changes in your daily life.

  • Horses are prey animals, acutely aware of their surroundings as a matter of survival.
  • They can tell the difference between calm, non-threatening and anxious, nervous energy.
  • They can help you identify and understand your behaviour and regulate your emotions.
  • Horses are very social and their survival in the wild hinges on the strength of their herd.
  • When you work with horses, you become part of their herd and teamwork is a requirement.
  • In their herd environment, leadership is critical to survival. They help guide these skills.
  • They seek a confident leader that communicates clearly and consistently to build trust.
  • Horses react and mirror who you are and what you are feeling, doing, or thinking at the time.
  • They know what’s in your heart even if your actions differ. Horses want to connect to your heart.

Do I need any prior horse experience?

No, you do not need any prior horse experience to participate in any of our programs. Our equine-assisted activities are designed to be accessible and beneficial for everyone, regardless of their experience with horses. All activities are on unmounted (on the ground). The only requirement is to wear clothing appropriate for working around horses (ie. proper footwear such as boots instead of sandals). Bug spray during the summer and hair elastic are recommended. 

What type of services do you offer?

Session are offered to individuals, couples, families, and groups including:

  • Wellness and Personal Growth
  • Mindfulness
  • Somatic Experiencing
  • Trauma recovery and resilience
    • PTSD/C-PTSD/D-PTSD
    • Victim Services
    • First Responders
    • Intergenerational Trauma
    • Indigenous Trauma
    • Sexual/Emotional/Physical Trauma
    • LGBTQ+ and racialized minorities
  • Culture as medicine
  • Corporate skills training
  • School and youth 
  • Women's circle
  • Workshops 

Not sure if this is for you? Feel free to inquire about these and other offerings.

How can I book a session?

To book a session or learn more about our services, please visit our contact page and send us a message or call us directly. We look forward to guiding you on your journey to wellness and self-discovery.

“My experience at Ara Equus was transformative. The gentle guidance of both the therapists and the horses helped me to find peace and clarity I hadn't known was possible.”

J. P.