Exploring the benefits of Equine Assisted Psychotherapy: Insights from mental health professionals in South Africa

Abstract

Animal Assisted Psychotherapy (AAP) is a specialised psychotherapeutic technique that integrates animals within the psychotherapeutic and client treatment process. Within AAP, Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) has emerged as a particularly promising modality to support clients' psychotherapeutic journeys. EAP is a psychotherapeutic technique that involves collaboration between a mental health professional and an equine specialist whilst incorporating horses in and around their natural environment to work with clients to achieve their psychotherapeutic goals. Whilst EAP has gained international recognition for enhancing emotional regulation, supporting psychological well-being and fostering trust, its application in South Africa remains under researched. This study sought to address this gap within literature by examining the lived experiences and perspectives of mental health professionals who have made use of EAP as a psychotherapeutic technique in South Africa. Using a qualitative, transcendental phenomenological design, this study aimed to explore the benefits that EAP offers to clients within the South African context as identified by mental health professionals. Purposive criterion sampling, guided by specific inclusion criteria served as the primary method for participant selection, supplemented by snowball sampling to leverage participant referrals. Ultimately, four white South African female psychologists (three clinical and one educational) with a mean age of 42 participated in the study. These individuals had an average of 13 years' experience in administering EAP. A demographic questionnaire, in-depth interviews and field notes were used for data gathering. Braun and Clarke's six-phase inductive thematic analysis was applied to data gathered. ix Findings revealed five core benefits that EAP offers to clients as identified by mental health professionals, namely, emotional safety and reduced intimidation, immediate and multimodal feedback, rapid and impactful change, broad applicability across populations and presenting problems and the spontaneous emergence of critical issues. These benefits were facilitated by the nature and role of the horse, the natural outdoor environment, and the experiential nature of the psychotherapeutic process of EAP. Limitations of the study include a small sample size and exclusion of client perspectives. Future research should include a more diverse sample and incorporate client perspectives. Despite these limitations, this study highlights EAP's cultural relevance and potential to address barriers to mental health care in South Africa.