1 July 2025
Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy
🐴 What to Expect in an Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy Session
with Terra Soul Therapies
Equine-assisted psychotherapy is a unique and powerful way to explore emotional, relational, and embodied experiences — not just through talking, but through connection with horses, nature, and your own body. You don’t need horse experience, confidence, or even words. Just curiosity, and a willingness to notice what’s happening for you in the moment.
Here’s what you can expect when attending an equine therapy session:
🌿 The Setting
Sessions take place outdoors, in a peaceful paddock or natural space shared with horses. You’ll be supported to arrive gently — physically and emotionally — through grounding, orientation, and presence.
You may begin by:
Meeting the horse(s) from a distance
Taking time to notice the environment — sounds, smells, sensations
Connecting with your breath and body before engaging with the animals
There is no pressure to touch, ride, or “do” anything with the horse. The focus is on authentic contact — whatever that looks like for you.
🤝 Meeting the Horses
Horses are highly sensitive, relational beings who respond in the moment to your energy, body language, and emotional state. They are non-verbal mirrors, often reflecting parts of your inner world without judgment or expectation.
Your therapist will help you observe how you and the horse are relating, and what that might bring into awareness:
The interaction can bring up feelings of vulnerability, curiosity, fear, trust, joy, or resistance — all of which are welcomed and explored gently, at your own pace.
🌬️ Being Guided Into Your Body
Much like Gestalt therapy in the therapy room, equine sessions are experiential and body-based. You may be invited to:
Notice tension, temperature, or emotion in your body as you interact with the horse
Track sensations like your heart rate, breath, or posture
Pay attention to how your body moves or wants to move in the presence of the horse
Explore gestures, boundaries, or movements you naturally take up
For example:ight reach out to touch the horse and notice hesitation in your hand — your therapist may i
🌀 Relational Exploration
The horse-human interaction becomes a living metaphor for how you relate to yourself, others, the world, and your own emotions. Horses may respond to your inner state — often in surprising or meaningful ways.
For instance:
If you tend to over-function or try to please others, the horse may walk away, requiring you to slow down and become more authentic.
If you struggle with boundaries, the horse may test your physical space, giving you a chance to practice saying “no” somatically.
These interactions offer opportunities to:
Practice clear, embodied communication
Explore themes of trust, power, safety, or connection
Re-pattern relational experiences in a non-verbal, experiential way
🤲 What the Therapist May Do
Throughout the session, your therapist will act as a gentle guide and witness — supporting your process, tracking what’s happening somatically and relationally, and offering invitations for awareness.
They may:
Ask reflective or sensory-focused questions
Invite you to pause and notice internal or external shifts
Use creative experiments (e.g., walking with the horse, setting up symbolic spaces)
Hold space for whatever emotions, insights, or memories arise
Help you connect the experience to your life outside the paddock
There is no interpretation imposed — only curiosity and support to deepen your own meaning-making.
🧭 What You May Feel or Experience
Each session is different, and the experience is deeply personal. You may feel:
Calm, grounded, and connected
Emotional release or vulnerability
Activation, hesitation, or fear
Insight, joy, grief, or surprise
A sense of being seen in a new way — not just by your therapist, but by the horse
These feelings are all welcome. The goal is not to “achieve” something, but to be with what arises — gently, respectfully, and with support.
🛑 Safety and Choice
At all times, your safety — physical and emotional — is prioritised. You are in full control of how close you come to the horse, what you engage with, and when to pause. We will check in regularly to ensure you feel comfortable and resourced.
Horses will never be forced to interact either — their natural responses are part of what makes this work so real and alive.
🧘 Integration After the Session
After your time with the horse, we’ll often debrief together — sitting, walking, or simply being. This may involve:
Reflecting on what you noticed or learned
Naming emotions or images that stood out
Exploring how the session connects to your life or relationships
Grounding back into your body before you leave
You may choose to journal, draw, or simply rest after your session. Integration is just as important as the experience itself.
💬 You Don’t Need to Know What to Say or Do
You don’t have to come with a plan or be “good” with animals. Equine therapy is about real-time, real-body, real-feeling experience. It meets you where you are — with gentleness, presence, and permission to go at your own pace.
Whether you’re feeling lost, anxious, disconnected, or simply curious, the space with horses offers a powerful and embodied way to come back to yourself.
If you’d like to explore this further or book a session, you’re welcome to get in touch or book a complimentary call: