Equine Therapy
Teen girls at Sunrise are offered an opportunity to experience Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP). Equine-Assisted Therapy at Sunrise is facilitated by licensed therapist Michele Peterson, LCSW, along with an experienced equine specialist. Our equine therapy team members are trained by EAGALA, the leading provider of education, standards, and support to equine therapists.
Equine Therapy is centered on metaphors. These metaphors mirror real life on many different levels and are used to raise young women's awareness of issues they carry. As individual issues arise within the equine setting the girls have en-vivo opportunities to work through such issues. Equine therapy is an effective modality to learn skills such as teamwork, communication, and problem solving. It provides a natural setting in which to face fears and increase confidence and self-esteem. Michele Peterson, LCSW, received her certification through EAGALA and runs our equine program.
Important Topics
Teaching Self Advocacy
In a treatment setting, school is often the laboratory for practicing skills learned in therapy. One such skill—self advocacy—has both emotional and academic implications. In this blog InnerChange academic director, Kathrine Whittekiend, M.Ed., discusses the importance of self advocacy skills for student success in and out of the classroom.
The Importance of Academics in Treatment Settings
The best way to structure academics in a treatment setting is to make the faculty active members of the treatment team. We have to do this in order to be effective—both as teachers and as participants in the treatment process. This means having access to and input into treatment team objectives, case management discussions, and treatment strategies. This way, when the therapist is working on an issue in treatment, we can support that work in the classroom.
PARENT TO PARENT: TIPS FOR TREATMENT
Through the process of treatment we came to understand at a very deep level that we’d made the right choice. We were saving our daughter’s life, our family’s health…and maybe even our marriage. But in retrospect, we wish we’d had other parents to talk to prior to enrolling Rachel. Parents who were a few clicks further down the road who could help normalize the process and give us some assurance that we were doing the right thing.
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