Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy: A Pilot Study of Effect on Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms in Maltreated Youth

Abstract

Chronic maltreatment of children can provoke a host of neuropsychological and physiological anomalies that manifest as developmental, emotional, behavioral, cognitive, and psychosocial disorders and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Considering the multidimensional landscape of trauma and PTSD alongside the nonverbal and symbolic language of children, a nondidactic, somatic treatment intervention that engages the body’s own inner communication system seems well suited for young victims of maltreatment. The authors describe the results of a pilot study utilizing equine facilitated psychotherapy (EFP), an experiential, cognitive-behavioral based intervention, for the treatment of PTSD symptoms of maltreated youth. A purposive sample of 11 youth ages 10–18 who presented with PTSD symptomatology participated in eight weekly EFP outpatient sessions 1.5 to 2 hours in length. Pre and post, as well as midpoint, tests were administered. Results suggest the EFP treatment effects are multimodal, working in multiple directions at the same time. Results also suggest that the EFP model may be a viable psychotherapy for traumatized youth suffering PTSD symptomatology.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Leslie McCullough

Leslie McCullough, PhD, MSSW, LCSW, is Assistant Professor, Washburn University School of Social Work, and a veteran clinician with 35 years of experience working with juvenile offenders, at-risk, and abused youth. Her pilot study presented in this manuscript was the basis for a national grant application and as selected research recipient, is now being duplicated at two PATH-International EFP programs.

Christina Risley-Curtiss

Christina Risley-Curtiss, MSSW, PhD, is Associate Professor, Arizona State University School of Social Work, and Fellow at Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics, with 40 years of practice in child welfare and an expert in animal-human interactions especially intervention with children who abuse animals.

John Rorke

John Rorke, MSW, is a PhD student at Arizona State University, School of Social Work in the College of Public Programs.