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What Are Equine Therapy Programs for Troubled Teen Girls From the City of Merritt Island, FL

Equine-Assisted Therapy (EAT) is an Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) that has become increasingly popular with parents of troubled teens in recent years. The treatment involves feeding, grooming, taking care of, and in some cases, riding horses under the watchful eye of a therapist who incorporates horse-related activities in therapeutic sessions.

EAT programs are residential programs that apply equine therapy in their everyday treatment of troubled girls whose out-of-control behaviors and lacking mental health have caused them to lose control of their life.  

Equine Therapy Programs for Troubled Girls Merritt Island Florida FL


So, Why Is Equine Therapy Productive? 

Equine therapy, while relatively new in the arena of troubled teen behavioral health, is an ancient practice that can trace its origins back to millennia -- ancient Greece, to be exact. To say EAT is times' tested effective form of treatment is an understatement. 

Today's modern usage of equine therapy (as it pertains to troubled teens) is drastically different than where it once started. Still, it is nonetheless an exciting treatment that is being retooled to revolutionize the troubled teen treatment industry. 

According to numerous studies, the applications of equine therapy have thus far have proven effective in treating severe and complex behavioral and mental illnesses, including: 

  • PTSD
  • OCD
  • Reactive Attachment Disorder
  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Bipolar Disorder
  • Low-Self Esteem
  • Oppositional Defiant Disorder

Due to its natural healing qualities, many residential treatment centers known as Equine Therapy Programs have since gone on to use the treatment as their core mental health treatment curriculum. 

Why Is Equine Therapy Effective? 

There are many reasons why EAT effectively treats mental health issues in teens (including those from Merritt Island, FL). That said, many behavioral authorities and supporters of the treatment often point to equine therapy's ability to therapeutically affect teens in a less threatening way as to why it is impactful in reaching hard-to-treat troubled youth. In other words, whereas most troubled youth may feel as though they are under a microscope during one-on-one therapy sessions, those engaging in equine therapy find the buffer of the horse between them and a counselor as refreshingly less threatening. 

Another example of clinical analysis is a 2017 study titled "Effects of Equine-Facilitated Psychotherapy on Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms in Youth," which concluded that equine-assisted therapy was just as efficient in treating post-traumatic stress in teens from Merritt Island, FL as psychiatric counseling.

This research, in particular, shows the potential of equine treatment. Consider it this way, simply on its own, equine therapy generated similarly confident results as traditional psychotherapy. By reasoning this statement, one can quickly elucidate how effective the treatment could be when used with standard and even intensive residential practices. 

The outcome of many psychiatric specialists looking into the mental health applications of equine therapy is more than positive. 

While various acknowledge that the analysis into the treatment is still in its early stages, they also argue that those using equine-assisted therapy are simply anticipating that additional concrete research to catch up on what many have already identified for centuries and what cutting-edge studies have thus far proven: Equine therapy is a stalwart treatment remedy that treats most mental and behavioral conditions -- the most critical and far-reaching mental illnesses currently troubling teenage girls from Merritt Island, FL today.  

Equine-Assisted Interventions' Therapeutic Impact on Teenage Girls from Merritt Island, FL 

While Equine-Assisted Therapy is equitably effective in healing any demographic, it is particularly efficient for adolescents. Specifically, animal-assisted intervention therapies are clinically proven to promote teens' emotional, cognitive, and social states of well-being.

A joint study from 2004 titled, 'Can Animals Support and Assist Humans in Healing? Animal-Assisted Treatments in At-Risk Teenage Mental Health' proposes that AAT, namely, horses is effective in developing the following (in teenage girls from Merritt Island, FL): 

  • General anxiety disorders
  • Correspondence between patient and therapist
  • Agreement and recognition in therapy
  • Resolute social behaviors

The corresponding study found prefatory evidence that animal-assisted therapy (horses in particular) for teens" (including teens from Merritt Island, FL) catalyze learning, comfort sources, and outlets for nurturance."

Similar studies have shown that animal-assisted therapy can also help treat teens who have struggled with socializing. 

It is typical for mental health-related circumstances, such as depression or stress, to negatively influence the part of a teen's brain that enables them to interact with others productively. But, interestingly, this part of the brain is unaffected when it comes to interacting with animals.

Consequently, when clinically anti-social teens are introduced to an animal during therapy sessions, they are more easily able to access that otherwise shut-off part of their brain - allowing them to successfully undergo traditional therapy with a psychiatric professional. 

Merritt Island, FL Mental Health Resources for At-risk Youth

Families from Merritt Island, FL, looking for guidance for their at-risk child, trust the help that MasterNet provides for teen girls who may be going through problems related to technology addiction (social media, cell phone), divorce reaction, or depressive disorder. Here at MasterNet, our skilled practitioners have a deep and wise understanding of the issues that at-risk adolescents from Merritt Island, FL are struggling with every day. With dedication and expertise, our team offers help to our troubled clients, so they may recognize and deal with their opiate abuse/addiction or alcohol dependence in a way that is both healthy and productive. We specialize in a variety of relevant residential treatment strategies (equine, life training, behavioral therapy), that is based on a solid trifecta of trust and respect. Through this approach, we inspire an internally motivated change that lasts a lifetime.

MasterNet recognizes that the circumstances of one troubled child does not always apply to other teenage girls. As a result, our skilled practitioners are devoted to the administration of each client’s needs; a commitment illustrated by their expert professionalism and sympathy. Here at MasterNet, we include the entire family (especially the parents) in the process of our client’s therapy, change, and progress.

MasterNet has transformed the lives of countless at-risk adolescents over the years, including many from Merritt Island, FL. Our approach has improved the lives of our at-risk clients, and their families. We see that troubled teen girls can grow to be healthy adults with a desire to succeed! MasterNet understands that in order for our at-risk clients to experience real change, the entire family needs to be part of the life skills development and experiential education help that our practitioners provide. Our intake counselors can be reached immediately at (435) 574-4518.

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Proverbs 1:7