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Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) is
a therapeutic tool which utilizes animals as a means to meet specific therapeutic goals. AAT has been the primary method of
counseling used by Kathryn Gress, and her animal staff at
the Gress Mountain Ranch. The benefits of this type of therapy are far reaching.
read more here
Animal-Assisted
Activities (AAA) are entertaining, educational, and motivating. They are led by specially trained professionals, volunteers,
or para-professionals along with their animals. AAA can take the form of entertainment, speaking in school settings or social
visits in health care settings.
Equestrian Psychotherapy is used in adjunct to traditional treatment to enhance
and move clients to change in the therapeutic process.
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Each client's treatment plan is custom tailored to the person, or group of clients.
A complexity of needs and objectives can be addressed. These include some of the following:
• stress management
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enhancement of physical and emotional balance
• sense of greater empowerment and self control
• integration
of mind, body, and spirit.
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BENEFITS OF AAT: |
| • contributes to recovery |
| • lowers blood pressure |
| • increases self-care |
| • provides companionship |
| • security & protection |
| • increases concentration |
| • increases self esteem |
| • increases self confidence |
| • increases attention span |
| • increases balance |
| • increases endurance |
| • increases coordination |
| • improves speech |
| • improves memory |
Trust and genuine rapport is at the nucleus of our therapy. Clients can learn to
give and receive affection, increase focus and concentration, gain problem-solving techniques, and work with assertiveness
and self confidence tools. The practice of verbal and non-verbal communication is one of the key factors that is learned through
working with the horse.
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