Abstract
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can produce long-lasting effects for individuals. Mental health practitioners in clinical psychology and social work have utilized equine assisted psychotherapy (EAP) to treat trauma related to adverse experiences; however, few studies have centralized communication messages and processes in EAP. The current qualitative study included observations and interviews with 11 adolescents with ACEs and examined (a) equine communication as a mechanism for client awareness and emotion regulation, (b) the development of communication competencies for adolescents with ACEs, and (c) transference of communication competencies in other relational contexts. Adolescents cultivated altercentrism (e.g., ability to decode communication, to focus consciously on the other), communication composure (e.g., ability to deal with psychological stress, while engaging assertiveness), communication coordination (e.g., ability to effectively communicate, manage misunderstandings), and expressiveness (e.g., provide clarity and emotional control in one’s own communication). Finally, adolescents described how these communication competencies transferred to other relationships (e.g., family, peers, and teachers). Implications for understanding communication competence, the practitioner’s role in supporting communication skill development in EAP, and the unique role of equines in mitigating the negative effects of ACEs are discussed.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data Availability
The data generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
Notes
The EAGALA model is a team approach (i.e., mental health professional, equine specialist, horses and clients) focused on horses as large, powerful, prey animals that live in herds and have distinct personalities for solution focused treatment (EAGALA, 2018). OK Corral centers on principles of pressure/pain, attention/at-ease, reciprocal process, and the nonverbal zones of horses as a way to focus on “natural horse and herd behavior as a model for human mental and emotional health” (OK Corral, 2019). Natural Lifemanship’s Trauma-Focused Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (TF-EAP) combines the neurobiology of trauma, and how equines assist in the identification of relationship patterns, reformation of new behaviors, and formation of new relationships to accomplish therapeutic outcomes (Natural Lifemanship, 2019). Finally, Eponaquest integrates interaction with horses and other tools (e.g., an emotional message chart, the false self/authentic self-paradigm, the body scan, and a boundary handout) to teach leadership, assertiveness, empowerment, intuition, and emotional fitness skills (Eponaquest, 2018).
References
Alisic, E., Zalta, A. K., Van Wesel, F., Larsen, S. E., Hafstad, G. S., Hassanpour, K., et al. (2014). Rates of post-traumatic stress disorder in trauma-exposed children and adolescents: Meta-analysis. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 204(5), 335–340. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.bp.113.131227.
Anderson, S., & Meints, K. (2016). The effects of equine-assisted activities on the social functioning in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders, 46(10), 3344–3352. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-016-2869-3.
Bachi, K., Terkel, J., & Teichman, M. (2011). Equine-facilitated psychotherapy for at-risk adolescents: The influence on self-image, self-control and trust. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 17(2), 298–312. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359104511404177.
Birke, L., & Hockenhull, J. (2015). Journeys together: Horses and humans in partnership. Society & Animals, 23(1), 81–100. https://doi.org/10.1163/15685306-12341361.
Bowlby, J. (1969). Attachment and loss: Vol. 1. Attachment. New York: Basic Books.
Bowen, E., & Nowicki, S. (2007). The nonverbal decoding ability of children exposed to family violence or maltreatment: Prospective evidence from a British cohort. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 31(2), 169–184. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10919-007-0030-x.
Brandt, K. (2004). A language of their own: An interactionist approach to human-horse communication. Society & Animals, 12(4), 299–316. https://doi.org/10.1163/1568530043068010.
Brooks, S. (2006). Animal assisted psychotherapy and equine facilitated psychotherapy with children who have trauma histories. In N. Boyd (Ed.), Working with traumatized youth in child welfare (pp. 196–218). New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Buck, P., Bean, N., & de Marco, K. (2017). Equine-assisted psychotherapy: An emerging trauma-informed intervention. Advances in Social Work, 18(1), 387–402. https://doi.org/10.18060/21310.
Burgoon, J., & Bacue, A. (2003). Nonverbal communication skills. In J. Greene & B. Burleson (Eds.), Handbook of communication and social interaction skills (pp. 179–219). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ncsu/detail.action?docID=356282.
Burleson, B., Metts, M., & Kirsch, M. (2000). Communication in close relationships. In C. Hendrick & S. Hendrick (Eds.), Close relationships: A sourcebook (pp. 244–258). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Canary, D. J., Cupach, W. R., & Serpe, R. T. (2001). A competence-based approach to examining interpersonal conflict: Test of a longitudinal model. Communication Research, 28(1), 79–104. https://doi.org/10.1177/009365001028001003.
Chandler, C. (2005). Animal assisted therapy in counseling. New York: Routledge.
Charmaz, K. (1983). The grounded theory method: An explication and interpretation. In R. M. Emerson (Ed.), Contemporary field research: A collection of readings (pp. 109–126). Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland.
Corbin, J., & Strauss, A. (2008). Basics of qualitative research: Techniques and procedures for developing grounded theory (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Craig, E. A., Nieforth, L., & Rosenfeld, C. (2020). Communicating resilience among adolescents with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) through equine assisted psychotherapy (EAP). Western Journal of Communication. https://doi.org/10.1080/10570314.2020.1754451.
Creswell, J. (2013). Qualitative inquiry & research design: Choosing among five approaches (3rd ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Sage.
Dong, M., Anda, R., Felitti, V., Dube, S., Williamson, D., Thompson, T., et al. (2004). The interrelatedness of multiple forms of childhood abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction. Child Abuse & Neglect, 28(7), 771–784. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2004.01.008.
Dunn, E. C., Nishimi, K., Powers, A., & Bradley, B. (2017). Is developmental timing of trauma exposure associated with depressive and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms in adulthood? Journal of Psychiatric Research, 84, 119–127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2016.09.004.
Dweck, C. (2008). Mindset: The new psychology of success. New York, NY: Random House Digital.
EAGALA. (2018). Professional experiential therapy that drives change. https://www.eagala.org/model.
Earles, J., Vernon, L., & Yetz, J. (2015). Equine-assisted therapy for anxiety and posttraumatic stress symptoms. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 28(2), 149–152. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.21990.
Eckenrode, J., Laird, M., & Doris, J. (1993). School performance and disciplinary problems among abused and neglected children. Developmental Psychology, 29(1), 53–62. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.29.1.53.
Eponaquest. (2018). About—What is Eponaquest?https://eponaquest.com/about/.
EQUUSOMA. (2020). What is EQUUOSOMA?https://equusoma.com/about/approach/.
Feh, C. (2005). Relationships and communication in socially natural horse herds. In D. Mills, S. McDonnell, & S. McDonnell (Eds.), The domestic horse: The origins, development and management of its behavior (pp. 83–92). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Felitti, V., Anda, R., Nordenberg, D., Williamson, D., Spitz, A., Edwards, V., et al. (1998). Relationship of childhood abuse and household dysfunction to many of the leading causes of death in adults: The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 14(4), 245–258. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0749-3797(98)00017-8.
Fortney, S., Johnson, D., & Long, K. (2001). The impact of compulsive communicators on the self-perceived competence of classroom peers: An investigation and test of instructional strategies. Communication Education, 50(4), 357–373. https://doi.org/10.1080/03634520109379261.
Fox, B. H., Perez, N., Cass, E., Baglivio, M. T., & Epps, N. (2015). Trauma changes everything: Examining the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and serious, violent and chronic juvenile offenders. Child Abuse & Neglect, 46, 163–173. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2015.01.011.
Franke, T. M. (2000). Adolescent violent behavior: An analysis across and within racial/ethnic groups. Journal of Multicultural Social Work, 8(1–2), 47–70. https://doi.org/10.1300/J285v08n01_03.
Fraser, D. (2008). Understanding animal welfare. Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica, 50(1), S1. https://doi.org/10.1186/1751-0147-50-S1-S1.
Frederick, K. E., Ivey Hatz, J., & Lanning, B. (2015). Not just horsing around: The impact of equine-assisted learning on levels of hope and depression in at-risk adolescents. Community Mental Health Journal, 51(7), 809–817. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-015-9836-x.
Frewin, K., & Gardiner, B. (2005). New age or old sage?: A review of equine assisted psychotherapy. The Australian Journal of Counseling Psychology, 6, 13–17. https://www.openpaddockpsychology.com.au/new-age-old-sage/.
Froeschle, J. (2009). Empowering abused women through equine assisted career therapy. Journal of Creativity in Mental Health, 4(2), 180–190. https://doi.org/10.1080/15401380902945228.
Fry, N. (2019). Horses in the treatment of trauma. In P. Tedeschi & M. A. Jenkins (Eds.), Transforming trauma: Resilience and healing through our connections with animals (pp. 265–298). Indiana: Purdue University Press.
Garcia, D. (2010). Of equines and humans: Toward a new ecology. Ecopsychology, 2(2), 85–89. https://doi.org/10.1089/eco.2009.0042.
Greene, C., Grasso, D., & Ford, J. (2014). Emotion regulation in the wake of complex childhood trauma. In R. Pat-Horenczyk, D. Brom, & J. Vogel (Eds.), Helping children cope with trauma (pp. 19–40). New York, NY: Routledge.
Hallberg, L. (2017). The clinical practice of equine-assisted therapy: Including horses in human healthcare. New York, NY: Routledge.
Hemingway, A., Meek, R., & Hill, C. (2015). An exploration of an equine-facilitated learning intervention with young offenders. Society & Animals, 23(6), 544–568. https://doi.org/10.1163/15685306-12341382.
Huffman, T., & Tracy, S. (2018). Making claims that matter: Heuristics for theoretical and social impact in qualitative research. Qualitative Inquiry, 24(8), 558–570. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077800417742411.
Jimenez, M. E., Wade, R., Jr., Lin, Y., Morrow, L. M., & Reichman, N. E. (2016). Adverse experiences in early childhood and kindergarten outcomes. Pediatrics, 137(2), e20151839. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2015-1839.
Kalmakis, K. A., & Chandler, G. E. (2014). Adverse childhood experiences: Towards a clear conceptual meaning. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 70(7), 1489–1501. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.12329.
Karol, J. (2007). Applying a traditional individual psychotherapy model to equine-facilitated psychotherapy (EFP): Theory and method. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 12(1), 77–90. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359104507071057.
Kemp, K., Signal, T., Botros, H., Taylor, N., & Prentice, K. (2014). Equine facilitated therapy with children and adolescents who have been sexually abused: A program evaluation study. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 23(3), 558–566. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-013-9718-1.
Kinney, A., Eakman, A., Lassell, R., & Wood, W. (2019). Equine-assisted interventions for veterans with service-related health conditions: A systematic mapping review. Military Medical Research, 6(28), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40779-019-0217-6.
Larkin, H., Felitti, V. J., & Anda, R. F. (2014). Social work and adverse childhood experiences research: Implications for practice and health policy. Social Work in Public Health, 29(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/19371918.2011.619433.
Lanier, P., Maguire-Jack, K., Lombardi, B., Frey, J., & Rose, R. (2017). Adverse childhood experiences and child health outcomes: Comparing cumulative risk and latent class approaches. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 22(1), 288–297. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-017-2365-1.
Latella, D., & Abrams, B. (2015). The role of the equine in animal-assisted interactions. In A. Fine (Ed.), Handbook on animal-assisted therapy: Foundations and guidelines for animal-assisted interventions (4th ed., pp. 91–101). San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
Lentini, J., & Knox, M. (2015). Equine-facilitated psychotherapy with children and adolescents: An update and literature review. Journal of Creativity in Mental Health, 10(3), 278–305. https://doi.org/10.1080/15401383.2015.1023916.
Lewis, M., & Rook, K. (1999). Social control in personal relationships: Impact on health behaviors and psychological distress. Health Psychology, 18(1), 63–71. https://doi.org/10.1037/0278-6133.18.1.63.
Liming, K. W., & Grube, W. A. (2018). Wellbeing outcomes for children exposed to multiple adverse experiences in early childhood: A systematic review. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 35(4), 317–335. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-018-0532-x.
Lindlof, T. R., & Taylor, B. C. (2019). Qualitative communication research methods (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Lofland, J., & Lofland, L. (1995). Analyzing social settings: A guide to qualitative observation and analysis. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
MacNamara, M., Moga, J., & Pachel, C. (2015). What’s love got to do with it?: Selecting animals for animal-assisted mental health interventions. In A. Fine (Ed.), Handbook on animal-assisted therapy: Foundations and guidelines for animal-assisted interventions (4th ed., pp. 91–101). San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
McGuigan, W. M., Luchette, J. A., & Atterholt, R. (2018). Physical neglect in childhood as a predictor of violent behavior in adolescent males. Child Abuse & Neglect, 79, 395–400. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2018.03.008.
Meinersmann, K. M., Bradberry, J., & Roberts, F. B. (2008). Equine-facilitated psychotherapy with adult female survivors of abuse. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 46(12), 36–42. https://doi.org/10.3928/02793695-20081201-08.
Middlebrooks, J. S., & Audage, N. C. (2008). The effects of childhood stress on health across the lifespan. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.clevelandhealth.org/assets/documents/health/Childhood_Stress.pdf.
Morreale, S., & Pearson, J. (2008). Why communication education is important: The centrality of the discipline in the 21st century. Communication Education, 57(2), 224–240. https://doi.org/10.1080/03634520701861713.
Natural Lifemanship. (2019, January). Are you ready to overcome your limits?https://naturallifemanship.com/about-us/.
Nieforth, L., & Craig, E. (2017). Horse welfare in equine assisted psychotherapy. In I. Parent (Ed.), A horse is a horse of course (pp. 165–175). Columbia, SC: CreateSpace.
Nieforth, L., & Craig, E. A. (in press). Patient-centered communication (PCC) in equine assisted mental health. Health Communication.
Noar, S., Carlyle, K., & Cole, C. (2006). Why communication is crucial: Meta-analysis of the relationship between safer sexual communication and condom use. Journal of Health Communication, 11(4), 365–390. https://doi.org/10.1080/10810730600671862.
OK Corral. (2019, January). About.https://okcorralseries.com/about
Plec, E. (2013). Perspectives on human-animal communication: Internatural communication. New York, NY: Routledge.
Porter-Wenzlaff, L. (2007). Finding their voice: Developing emotional, cognitive, and behavioral congruence in female abuse survivors through equine facilitated therapy. EXPLORE, 3(5), 529–534. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.explore.2007.07.016.
Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International. (2017). PATH Intl. Student manual: Equine specialist in mental health and learning workshops. https://www.pathintl.org/resources-education/certifications.
Robbins, S., & Merrill, A. (2014). Understanding posttransgressional relationship closeness: The roles of perceived severity, rumination, and communication competence. Communication Research Reports, 31(1), 23–32. https://doi.org/10.1080/08824096.2013.843164.
Rogers, C. (1961). On becoming a person. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.
Rubin, R. B., & Martin, M. M. (1994). Development of a measure of interpersonal communication competence. Communication Research Reports, 11(1), 33–44. https://doi.org/10.1080/08824099409359938.
Rubin, R. B., Martin, M. M., Bruning, S. S., & Powers, D. E. (1993). Test of a self-efficacy model of interpersonal communication competence. Communication Quarterly, 41(2), 210–220. https://doi.org/10.1080/01463379309369880.
Saggers, B., & Strachan, J. (2016). Horsing around: Using equine facilitated learning to support the development of social-emotional competence of students at risk of school failure. Child & Youth Services, 37(3), 231–252. https://doi.org/10.1080/0145935X.2015.1072045.
Schrodt, P., Witt, P., & Messersmith, A. (2008). A meta-analytical review of family communication patterns and their associations with information processing, behavioral, and psychosocial outcomes. Communication Monographs, 75(3), 248–269. https://doi.org/10.1080/03637750802256318.
Schroeder, K., & Stroud, D. (2015). Equine-facilitated group work for women survivors of interpersonal violence. The Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 40(2), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/01933922.2015.1082684.
Schultz, P., Remick-Barlow, G., & Robbins, L. (2007). Equine-assisted psychotherapy: A mental health promotion/intervention modality for children who have experienced intra-family violence. Health and Social Care in the Community, 15(3), 265–271. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2524.2006.00684.x.
Search Institute. (2020, April). The developmental assets framework.https://www.search-institute.org/our-research/development-assets/developmental-assets-framework/.
Selby, A., & Smith-Osbourne, A. (2013). A systematic review of effectiveness of complementary and adjunct therapies and interventions involving equines. Health Psychology, 32(4), 418–432. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0029188.
Shannon, N. (2020, April 23). Inmates are saving America’s wild mustangs, one horse at a time.https://www.mensjournal.com/features/inmates-wild-horses/.
Signal, T., Taylor, N., Botros, H., Prentice, K., & Lazarus, K. (2013). Whispering to horses: childhood sexual abuse, depression and the efficacy of equine facilitated therapy. SAANZ Journal, 5(1), 24–32.
Spitzberg, B. H. (1983). Communication competence as knowledge, skill, and impression. Communication Education, 32(3), 323–328. https://doi.org/10.1080/03634528309378550.
Spitzberg, B. H. (2003). Methods of skill assessment. In J. Greene & B. Burleson (Eds.), Handbook of communication and social interaction skills (pp. 93–134). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Spitzberg, B. H., & Cupach, W. R. (1984). Interpersonal communication competence. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
Teven, J., Richmond, V., McCroskey, J., & McCroskey, L. (2010). Updating relationship between communication traits and communication competence. Communication Research Reports, 27(3), 263–270. https://doi.org/10.1080/08824096.2010.496331.
Topczewska, J. (2014). An attempt to assess the welfare of horses maintained in herd systems. Archives Animal Breeding, 57(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.7482/0003-9438-57-024.
Tracy, S. (2019). Qualitative research methods: Collecting evidence, crafting analysis, communicating impact (2nd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell.
Trickey, D., Siddaway, A. P., Meiser-Stedman, R., Serpell, L., & Field, A. P. (2012). A meta-analysis of risk factors for post-traumatic stress disorder in children and adolescents. Clinical Psychology Review, 32(2), 122–138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2011.12.001.
Whittlesey-Jerome, W. K. (2014). Adding equine-assisted psychotherapy to conventional treatments: A pilot study exploring ways to increase adult female self-efficacy among victims of interpersonal violence. The Practitioner Scholar: Journal of Counseling and Professional Psychology, 3, 82–101. https://www.keulseweg.nl/media/onderzoek11.pdf.
Wilson, S. & Sabee, C. (2003). Explicating communicative competence as a theoretical term. In J. Greene & B. Burleson (Eds.), Handbook of communication and social interaction skills (pp. 3–50). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ncsu/detail.action?docID=356282
Yorke, J., Adams, C., & Coady, N. (2008). Therapeutic value of equine-human bonding in recovery from trauma. Anthrozoos, 21(1), 17–30. https://doi.org/10.2752/089279308X274038.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
The author contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by EAC. The first draft of the manuscript was written by EAC. This author read and approved the final manuscript.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The author declares that the author has no conflict of interest.
Ethical Approval
All procedures performed in this study involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the author’s University IRB Office for human subject research at North Carolina State University. No animals were harmed in this process of conducting this research.
Informed Consent
Informed consent was obtained from all participants over the age of 18. Informed assent (with parental/guardian informed consent) was obtained from children and adolescents under the age of 18.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Craig, E.A. Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy Among Adolescents with ACEs: Cultivating Altercentrism, Expressiveness, Communication Composure, and Interaction Management. Child Adolesc Soc Work J 37, 643–656 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-020-00694-0
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-020-00694-0