Encounter Equine Therapy Ranch
Encounter Equine Therapy Center The Why?
There were 47,891 suicides in 2022 among all U.S. adults in 2022, on average 131.2 per day. These included on average 17.6 Veteran suicides per day, of which 7.0 per day were among Veterans who received VHA care in 2021 or 2022 and 10.5 were among other Veterans.
Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Diagnoses Ensuring access to mental health (MH) and substance use disorder (SUD) services is a VHA priority and part of VA’s National Strategy for Preventing Veteran Suicide.72 The prevalence of VHA MH or SUD diagnoses among annual cohorts of Recent Veteran VHA Users was 27.8% in 2001; 41.7% in 2020; and then 41.8% and 43.4% in 2021 and 2022, respectively.73 • Among annual cohorts of Recent Veteran VHA Users who died from suicide, VHA MH or SUD diagnoses were documented for 56.1% of those who died in 2001; 58.0% of suicide decedents in 2020; 61.1% of suicide decedents in 2021; and 60.2% of suicide decedents in 2022. • Among those who died from suicide in 2022, the prevalence of depression was 38.6%, anxiety 26.1%, PTSD 24.9%, alcohol use disorder 19.6%, cannabis use disorder 8.8%, bipolar disorder 8.1%, personality disorder 4.4%, opioid use disorder 3.9%, other psychotic disorders74 3.8%, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) 3.2%, and schizophrenia 3.0%.
Ground-Based for Freedom and Safety
Many are surprised to discover that Eagala is a ground-based therapy–there is no riding of the horses. This allows the horses to be themselves and have the freedom to make their choices. They are part of the team, and it’s one of the dynamics that makes Eagala certified professionals sessions so powerful.
While our primary reason for staying ground-based is to achieve the greatest benefits for clients, it’s also safer for clients to keep two feet on the ground. Our goal is not to teach riding or horsemanship but to provide an opportunity for the client’s life stories to unfold metaphorically. The horses play powerful characters in this narrative by revealing relationship dynamics or other symbolic aspects of life. Because horses are free to move, they can create shifts in the client’s stories and bring about awareness and change.
Transforming Lives Through Equine-Assisted Therapy
Eagala, the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association, is dedicated to revolutionizing mental health treatment by incorporating the profound and therapeutic presence of horses. Our mission is to train and certify licensed Mental Health Professionals and qualified Equine Specialists, enabling them to collaborate and offer an innovative form of therapy that addresses a wide range of issues including addiction, domestic abuse, behavioral disorders, depression, anxiety, and trauma.
Eagala is an innovative mental health treatment model incorporating horses who are highly attuned and offer an environment for clients to discover their answers within themselves. Using a collaborative approach, the Eagala model incorporates a licensed Mental Health Professional and a qualified Equine Specialist working together with horses and clients as equal partners in an experiential process that empowers life-changing outcomes.
Why Horses?
INTELLIGENT
LARGE & POWERFUL
LARGE & POWERFUL
To evade predators, horses have evolved to be extremely sensitive to their environment. They instinctively analyze and react to our body language and other nonverbal cues, providing valuable feedback and insights for other areas of our lives.
LARGE & POWERFUL
LARGE & POWERFUL
LARGE & POWERFUL
It’s hard to ignore a horse with their size and presence. We can’t just control a powerful horse. Approaching horses helps us reflect on how we approach our relationships and how we can face other big or overwhelming things in our lives.
PERSONALITIES
LARGE & POWERFUL
PERSONALITIES
Horses are social animals with defined roles within a herd. They have distinct personalities, attitudes, and moods. They could be stubborn or they could be playful. In other words, horses are a lot like us.
We Need Your Help!
Help Support Our Vets Today!
Your support and contributions will enable us to meet our goals and fund our mission to help Veterans and First Responders struggling with PTSD, Depression, Anxiety and addiction.