Animal Therapies Ltd Podcast
Paws for Thought is a podcast about animals changing human lives for the better. Anecdotally we know about the therapeutic powers of animals but the science and research are now validating those beliefs.
Animal-assisted services is a recognised field worldwide and through this podcast we hope to educate, entertain and raise awareness among listeners about the countless ways that animals are helping humans.
Animal Therapies Ltd Podcast
Horses lead the way in helping children heal from trauma
A new Australian study is shining the spotlight on the healing power of horses, revealing that equine-assisted therapy could help address the growing mental health crisis among children.
As childhood mental illness rates spiral, compounded by lengthy waiting times for counsellors and the limitations of many conventional treatments, some social workers are turning to horses for the answer.
University of South Australia researchers have captured the lived experiences of 10 social workers and mental health practitioners delivering equine-assisted therapy (EET) to children. Their findings have recently been published in the Journal of Social Work Practice.
As we learn from social work researcher Morgyn Stacy in this episode, the evidence in favour of EET is compelling, although some major challenges need to be addressed. These include the lack of regulation, a reluctance among funding bodies such as the NDIS to recognise formal qualifications in this space, and the expenses involved in delivering equine-assisted therapy.
Morgyn's paper, co-authored by her UniSA supervisor Dr Fatin Shabbar, is available here: Healing in relationships, the power of equine-assisted mental health interventions