EQUIJOURNEYS: MY JOURNEY Equine Assisted Psychotherapy And Learning (E.A.P.A.L.) | ||
 | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | |||||||||||
equine assisted psychotherapy horse therapy animal therapy counseling equine assisted learning and growth equine assisted growth experiential therapy cognitive therapy equine assisted psychotherapy animal therapy adolescents teenagers children family communication skills equine assisted psychotherapy life skills anger self-esteem self-confidence equine assisted psychotherapy behavior disorders mood disorders personality disorders eating disorders depression anxiety addictions recovery equine assisted psychotherapy social work Arabian horses breeding showing hippotherapy equine assisted psychotherapy horse therapy animal therapy counseling equine assisted learning and growth equine assisted growth experiential therapy cognitive therapy equine assisted psychotherapy animal therapy adolescents teenagers children family communication skills equine assisted psychotherapy life skills anger self-esteem self-confidence equine assisted psychotherapy behavior disorders mood disorders personality disorders eating disorders depression anxiety addictions recovery equine assisted psychotherapy social work Arabian horses breeding showing hippotherapy equine assisted psychotherapy horse therapy animal therapy counseling equine assisted learning and growth equine assisted growth experiential therapy cognitive therapy equine assisted psychotherapy animal therapy adolescents teenagers children family communication skills equine assisted psychotherapy life skills anger self-esteem self-confidence equine assisted psychotherapy behavior disorders mood disorders personality disorders eating disorders depression anxiety addictions recovery equine assisted psychotherapy social work Arabian horses breeding showing hippotherapy equine assisted psychotherapy horse therapy animal therapy counseling equine assisted learning and growth equine assisted growth experiential therapy cognitive therapy equine assisted psychotherapy animal therapy adolescents teenagers children family communication skills equine assisted psychotherapy life skills anger self-esteem self-confidence equine assisted psychotherapy behavior disorders mood disorders personality disorders eating disorders depression anxiety addictions recovery equine assisted psychotherapy social work Arabian horses breeding showing hippotherapy equine assisted psychotherapy horse therapy animal therapy counseling equine assisted learning and growth equine assisted growth experiential therapy cognitive therapy equine assisted psychotherapy animal therapy adolescents teenagers children family communication skills equine assisted psychotherapy life skills anger self-esteem self-confidence equine assisted psychotherapy behavior disorders mood disorders personality disorders eating disorders depression anxiety addictions recovery equine assisted psychotherapy social work Arabian horses breeding showing hippotherapy equine assisted psychotherapy horse therapy animal therapy counseling equine assisted learning and growth equine assisted growth experiential therapy cognitive therapy equine assisted psychotherapy animal therapy adolescents teenagers children familyequine assisted psychotherapy horse therapy animal therapy counseling equine assisted learning and growth equine assisted growth experiential therapy cognitive therapy equine assisted psychotherapy animal therapy adolescents teenagers children familyequine assisted psychotherapy horse therapy animal therapy counseling equine assisted learning and growth equine assisted growth experiential therapy cognitive therapy equine assisted psychotherapy animal therapy adolescents teenagers children familyequine assisted psychotherapy horse therapy animal therapy counseling equine assisted learning and growth equine assisted growth experiential therapy cognitive therapy equine assisted psychotherapy animal therapy adolescents teenagers children familyequine assisted psychotherapy horse therapy animal therapy counseling equine assisted learning and growth equine assisted growth experiential therapy cognitive therapy equine assisted psychotherapy animal therapy adolescents teenagers children familyequine assisted psychotherapy horse therapy animal therapy counseling equine assisted learning and growth equine assisted growth experiential therapy cognitive therapy equine assisted psychotherapy animal therapy adolescents teenagers children familyequine assisted psychotherapy horse therapy animal therapy counseling equine assisted learning and growth equine assisted growth experiential therapy cognitive therapy equine assisted psychotherapy animal therapy adolescents teenagers children familyanimal therapy adolescents teenagers children familyequine assisted psychotherapy horse therapy animal therapy counseling equine assisted learning and growth equine assisted growth experiential therapy cognitive therapy equine assisted psychotherapy animal therapy adolescents teenagers children familyanimal therapy adolescents | equine assisted psychotherapy horse therapy animal therapy counseling equine assisted learning and growth equine assisted growth experiential therapy cognitive therapy equine assisted psychotherapy animal therapy adolescents teenagers children family communication skills equine assisted psychotherapy life skills anger self-esteem self-confidence equine assisted psychotherapy behavior disorders mood disorders personality disorders eating disorders depression anxiety addictions recovery equine assisted psychotherapy social work Arabian horses breeding showing hippotherapy equine assisted psychotherapy horse therapy animal therapy counseling equine assisted learning and growth equine assisted growth experiential therapy cognitive therapy equine assisted psychotherapy animal therapy adolescents teenagers children family communication skills equine assisted psychotherapy life skills anger self-esteem self-confidence equine assisted psychotherapy behavior disorders mood disorders personality disorders eating disorders depression anxiety addictions recovery equine assisted psychotherapy social work Arabian horses breeding showing hippotherapy equine assisted psychotherapy horse therapy animal therapy counseling equine assisted learning and growth equine assisted growth experiential therapy cognitive therapy equine assisted psychotherapy animal therapy adolescents teenagers children family communication skills equine assisted psychotherapy life skills anger self-esteem self-confidence equine assisted psychotherapy behavior disorders mood disorders personality disorders eating disorders depression anxiety addictions recovery equine assisted psychotherapy social work Arabian horses breeding showing hippotherapy equine assisted psychotherapy horse therapy animal therapy counseling equine assisted learning and growth equine assisted growth experiential therapy cognitive therapy equine assisted psychotherapy animal therapy adolescents teenagers children family communication skills equine assisted psychotherapy life skills anger self-esteem self-confidence equine assisted psychotherapy behavior disorders mood disorders personality disorders eating disorders depression anxiety addictions recovery equine assisted psychotherapy social work Arabian horses breeding showing hippotherapy equine assisted psychotherapy horse therapy animal therapy counseling equine assisted learning and growth equine assisted growth experiential therapy cognitive therapy equine assisted psychotherapy animal therapy adolescents teenagers children family communication skills equine assisted psychotherapy life skills anger self-esteem self-confidence equine assisted psychotherapy behavior disorders mood disorders personality disorders eating disorders depression anxiety addictions recovery equine assisted psychotherapy social work Arabian horses breeding showing hippotherapy equine assisted psychotherapy horse therapy animal therapy counseling equine assisted learning and growth equine assisted growth experiential therapy cognitive therapy equine assisted psychotherapy animal therapy adolescents teenagers children familyequine assisted psychotherapy horse therapy animal therapy counseling equine assisted learning and growth equine assisted growth experiential therapy cognitive therapy equine assisted psychotherapy animal therapy adolescents teenagers children familyequine assisted psychotherapy horse therapy animal therapy counseling equine assisted learning and growth equine assisted growth experiential therapy cognitive therapy equine assisted psychotherapy animal therapy adolescents teenagers children familyequine assisted psychotherapy horse therapy animal therapy counseling equine assisted learning and growth equine assisted growth experiential therapy cognitive therapy equine assisted psychotherapy animal therapy adolescents teenagers children familyequine assisted psychotherapy horse therapy animal therapy counseling equine assisted learning and growth equine assisted growth experiential therapy cognitive therapy equine assisted psychotherapy animal therapy adolescents teenagers children familyequine assisted psychotherapy horse therapy animal therapy counseling equine assisted learning and growth equine assisted growth experiential therapy cognitive therapy equine assisted psychotherapy animal therapy adolescents teenagers children familyequine assisted psychotherapy horse therapy animal therapy counseling equine assisted learning and growth equine assisted growth experiential therapy cognitive therapy equine assisted psychotherapy animal therapy adolescents teenagers children familyanimal therapy adolescents teenagers children familyequine assisted psychotherapy horse therapy animal therapy counseling equine assisted learning and growth equine assisted growth experiential therapy | ||||||||||
 | |||||||||||
The Little Girl Who Loved Horses... EquiJourneys began in the one place many horse lovers and their family members will no doubt understand... in the heart of a little girl who loved horses. She loved the idea of horses from the time she could ride upon her Daddy's back until he wore holes into the knees of every pair of jeans he owned. Her parents, though not "animal people" themselves, willingly paid for the weekly riding lessons, attended the play shows, and even allowed her to move into higher-level shows that required additional expenses. Even as a child, she wrote poems about her favorite horse. His name was Rafiqa - a three year old bay Arabian gelding with one blind eye. Of course she saw only an aura of beauty and grace - to her this horse was *magic.* In spite of the behavior problems the horse's owner had faced (rearing, kicking and other forms of aggression), this little girl could not see fault in this horse. She and a friend took it upon themselves to "train" this horse in secret. She didn't believe the horse could possibly want to hurt her. After all, this horse was the seed of all her dreams. She had total faith in him and the horse must have known this because he responded to her. She worked with him every Saturday for a mere couple of months, and this horse let this little girl ride himbareback with only a halter. | |||||||||||
 | |||||||||||
And There It Remains... It still thrives in the same heart of that same girl, some twenty plus years later - and now she gets to see it in the eyes and expressions of the children and teens with whom she works each day. And yes, it is still *magic.* Her friends moved on to other things, boys and such - but she remained ever so in love with horses. This little girl, as you most likely know by now, is me. My name is Shannon and this program is the path that defines my heart. I didn't get to own that first dream horse, "Rafiqa," and nor many horses I have loved since then. Yet, I cannot open up the notebook in which I wrote the goofy and sappy poems and stories without tears. The little girl remains in love with that *magic* she found with that special horse. I did not get my own horse until my sophomore year in college. One day I realized I could not be happy apart from being with horses, so my Dad and I drove out to a large Arabian ranch about which I had heard, but never seen.. The first drive through the gates and past the pastures filled with breathtaking Arabians took my breath away. Rock Creek Arabians, home of Arabians, LTD, is the place my dreams came true. Within an hour of arrival, I had a job and a horse. The horse was a recently weaned gelding who was completely untrained and evasive of humans not bearing food. I was given a choice between two of these weanlings, and this one never took his eyes off of me. The connection was sealed. He had not yet been named, so I used an Egyptian dictionary to find the best name. I named him "Rafiq Al Amin," which means "loyal companion" in Egyptian Arabic and held the personal meaning for me from that first love - the half-blind Arab from my childhood. Rafiq is now 13 years old. And yes - he truly IS the magical dreamhorse of my heart - and now in the hearts of more than a few others. Horses have always been a part of my life since those first riding lessons. Throughout junior high and high school, I took in all I could from any riding instructor and any source of horses. I learned to assist others with their horses and any problematic behaviors. Arabians remained my favorite, most cherished breed, but I would work with any equine with "a leg at each corner." I have had the opportunities to work with miniatures, pony breeds, thoroughbreds, draft crosses, and many in-between. My freshman year in college I worked with a talented riding instructor teaching hunter-jumper students; and during the summer after my freshman year in college I lived in Maine and worked as a riding instructor, practicing what we now identify as Equine Assisted Learning (see pictures above). Upon being hired by Arabians LTD, I started down a path that lead me to Equine Assisted Psychotherapy as my ultimiate goal. My work at Arabians LTD exposed me to a broad spectrum of horsecare, training, breeding, mare and foal care, stallion-handling, and conditioning. When I graduated from college, I moved to Galveston Island to work at the high school as a counselor for a program targeting students with a high-risk of dropping out. I met a woman named Regina who acted as a mentor in addition to boarding Rafiq, and has a ranch named Sunshine Stables and Riding Academy in southeast Texas that very much fits the definition of Equine Assisted Learning. I also met a very cherished friend, Kim, whom I will always see as family who taught me things beyond even that which I learned from my other experiences. Her family took me under their wing, adding me to their family without asking anything in return. Some of my wildest, most amazing adventures in my life have occurred with Kim. It will certainly be very difficult to imagine anyone ever being so intregal a part of my life. A couple of years later, I moved to attend the University of Houston for my Master's Degree in Social Work, and remained in Houston to work at IntraCare Hospital where I was first able to finally begin the "psychotherapy" component in my work with horses and youth. I continue to meet and learn fromsome very gracious and loving people, many of whom I have listed below. I have successfully competed at "open" and "class A" Arabian shows in Western Pleasure, an exciting addition to my experiences in both "hunter-pleasure" and "saddleseat" techniques, as well as training and showing in halter divisions. | |||||||||||
 | |||||||||||
The Other Side... There was more than a passion for horses in that little girl. She wanted to share the wonder of horses - especially Arabians - with people.I cannot remember a time when I was not naturally inclined to try to help my friends, peers, and even strangers with any obstacle they faced. Even with problems of my own, I was much better helping others than myself. As I began to think toward the future I could not imagine being anything outside of some sort of therapist. I didn't want to enter a field where the focus was on sickness and medications, and I did not want to enter a broad sociological field in which I would be separated from working directly with people. I chose Social Work and I have never regretted that decision. It fit who I was and what I believed about people, and it still does. I am able to look at a person and that person's world and help that person find a path through that world. I am able to stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves. I believed then as I do now, that there is empowerment and abundant healing when people and horses are brought together. And The Journey Begins... Its hard to say exactly when an idea becomes a mission. There is no true birthdate for EquiJourneys, as it was always alive and active in some form even when I was in junior high. I knew at an early age that God must have had some design in mind, even though as a rebellious teen I didn't want to pay attention to the "grown up" parts of life. I was raised by wonderful Christian parents who love me even with my issues and behavior problems - an unconditional love that amazes me even today! I was also given the kindness and friendship of some very significant people at critical times to be supportive and care enough to not give up on me. So, with unconditional love at home, and with a few specific people who were there to help me through those dark times during which I would not confide in my parents, I survived my own undoings. The often-used phrase, "there but for the Grace of God goes me," truly fits. My journey began as an angry, troubled, and rebellious youth who was spared because of an incredible family, the strong support of a few people who invested themselves in me and believed in me even at my worst moments. A song by Margaret Becker may say it best: "I'll never be an Angel, but here I am again praying for wings to fly." In an informal sense, the idea of using horses to help people cope was an active part of my life from the moment I first shared a horse with a friend. When I bought Rafiq, I found such pleasure in the smiles of the kids who lived in the nearby homes. It was so rewarding to share what I loved with another person. I gave riding lessons, trained horses to be ridden and to overcome dangerous habits, and even delivered babies and caredfor them in the early times of their lives. It wasn't until I completed my Master's Degree in Social Work and started working for a local psychiatric hospital that I began the development of a formal program of Equine Assisted Psychotherapy. I was a primary therapist working on the children and adolescent acute impatient units at IntraCare Hospital in Houston, Texas, and I presented the idea of bringing Rafiq to the hospital for a group therapy with each unit as an exercise in experiential group therapy. My supervisor and I discussed it and went to the Administrator and Owner of the Hospital to see if it was a consideration. Dr. Timothy Sharma and Dr. Alice Hinicker displayed such open minds to the idea, and allowed an expense account to cover the purchase of helmets and the addition of a parental permission form to the preliminary papers signed when admitting a minor to the hospital. They were willing to take a chance on me and on trying something new to acute psychiatric care, and I was allowed to bring Rafiq to work and use him as a therapy tool for the children and adolescent inpatients. This is when the dreamfirst became a reality. (Thank you, Ed Lyles and Dr. Sharma - for believing in this work before it began!!!) | |||||||||||
 |  | ||||||||||
What's in a Name? I embrace life as a Journey... a life-long haul with moutnain tops and dark valleys, refreshing springs and shadows of our fears, with waterfalls to chase and mundane uneventful places in-between. I came across a philosophical phrase which I immediately adopted: "The Journey Is The Destination." Life - the process of living - is the point. Each experience is the meaning and the how and why of it all. As Ferris Bueller so eloquently put it, " Life moves fast, if you don't stop and look around once in a while, you might miss it." So often I find myself intently focused on a specific time period or achievement: finishing a semester, graduating from college, finishing my required hours for clinical licensure, looking forward to whatever may be next on my life list of stepping stones. Sometimes I become so focused on that goal that I miss out on the experience of actually getting there - the imbalance of missing the forest for the trees or missing the beauty of a single tree in the midst of seeing only the forest. This is where the "Journey" concept best describes the cognitive vision I have embraced. We must train ourselves to see with better eyes - to choose a different way of thinking in all areas of living. The whole point of life is living it one experience to the next, and the willingness to stop and take in the view from a look-out and still noticing the deer in the field that runs along the path. Nothing is insignificant. The valleys we see can be so very dismal - in my life journey I have faced some very dark times. Obstacles I have faced have forced me to stop and take inventory of what I have for which to be grateful, and re-evaluate how I choose to move forward. In my late twenties I faced some painful and debilitating health problems that required multiple surgeries. I was getting into the swing of using EAP at IntraCare Hospital and I was working more than 60 hours a week, coming home and schooling Rafiq for the next horse show. My body just shut down quickly due illness and I had to step off of my planned career path and deal with the frustration of hospitals and illness and what seemed to be the ending before I felt I had been able to even truly begin. I realized I was focusing on specific milestones in my career and not even absorbing life along the way. My health forced me to slow down, take time to look around, and decide how I would embrace life each day. I had to put everything on hold for about four years. What you are seeing now on this website is the new beginning as my health has finally taken a turn for the better for the past year. I had to stumble pretty hard to realize what I was missing. The name "EquiJourneys" is born of the mindset that all aspects of life are experiences and the reason for life itself. The gift of horses is time to experience something monumental in a moment with an amazing creature. In that moment, you must focus on the task at hand and on the process of getting from point A to point B. As we work through it our brains will finally *CLICK* on what the horse is communicating and the point of the whole process. We do take this processing approach into other aspects of our lives and we do change the way we think. There have been significant bumps along this road, don't doubt that - but the outcome thus far into this journey makes all those bumps seem so very small. I have learned that it is true that prayer can move mountains. Believe it, God has done that - plus so much more. Living a life less travelled... Shannon McCullough, LMSW, USEF, AHA | |||||||||||
| | | | | | | | | | | |