Stables at Angel Smile Farm

We continue with our interview of Teresa Bennett Pasquale, whose work with horses, yoga and psychotherapy is helping to change the lives of trauma survivors, addicts and others.

Welcome back, Teresa. What kinds of results have you been seeing with Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy?

I keep coming back to the word profound.  I feel that I stumbled upon that which resonates with me in my own life. Bringing each element into my practice has brought increasingly more profound levels of change in the therapeutic experience.  Far beyond anything I could have fathomed pouring over textbooks in graduate school.

I have seen, through gathering some qualitative and anecdotal data, a marked decrease in social anxiety, isolation, improved personal relationships, decreased aggression, diminished panic attacks, and decrease in use of psychopharmocology noted by multiple clients.  And every client reported taking their work “out of the stables and into the world.”

Are you currently doing any research?

I have done some qualitative analysis and case studies on previous programming for both Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy, Yoga for Mental Health, and the combination of the two.  Currently I am spending my time writing, speaking, and teaching on the concepts–trying to broaden the horizons of both equine professionals, yoga/body work professionals, and psychotherapy professionals, to teach the benefits for all in integrating these complementary and integrative therapeutic approaches.  I would love to continue with further research [but lack funding].

There are some great studies currently being done in the fields of Heart Mapping (exploring the physiological connection between horse-human in relationship through heart rate variability and syncronicity of human and horse while interacting),  as well as studies on yoga for trauma (by Dr. Bessel van der Kolk and the Trauma Center which also studies heart rate variability and efficacy of yoga to diminish symptoms of PTSD).  These larger scale studies as well as others have the potential to make huge shifts in these fields of practice and the efficacy being substantiated for a larger medical community.  Also Dr. Andrew Weil and the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine are doing some phenomenal work, research, and discussion community around this burgeoning world of integrative health and mental health.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

The reason I am spending more time writing, speaking, and teaching about these integrative approaches to therapy is because I believe in the profound impact they can have on people-mind, body, and spirit.  I feel there is a shift in practice and that integrative mental health and complementary therapies are rising in notice and with each study gaining professional approval.  I hope to see a mental health care future in which a variety of these approaches are all considered common practice and widely found within all socioeconomic strata.

I am currently working on two chapters for an upcoming textbook on Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy, and teaching a class at Florida Atlantic University’s Graduate School of Social Work on PTSD (highlighting integrative approaches in the full curriculum), and working on my memoir. I hope to see more about the efficacy of these integrative practices and more personal stories being told.  Talk about, research it, practice it.  That is the way to propel any practice forward and I am trying to do as much of each as I can muster!

Thank you so much for your time, Teresa. We are very pleased to feature you on Therapy Soup.

Teresa Bennett Pasquale, LCSW, RYT graduated from New York University’s School of Social work with a Masters Degree in Clinical Social Work. In 2009 she was awarded the NYU Silver School of Social Work’s “Outstanding Recent Alumna Award” for innovative and creative treatment with trauma survivors. Teresa has worked with international survivors of torture, survivors of domestic violence, sexual trauma, and sufferers of addiction and eating disorders. She spent 3 years at the Department of Veterans Affairs as a trauma therapist for combat veterans with PTSD and survivors of Military Sexual Trauma and has specialized expertise in the treatment of military personnel and veteran populations. She has also worked in residential addiction treatment and speaks on a variety of Mind/Body and Trauma topics.

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  SS at 2:08 pm on August 3rd, 2010

Thanks for featuring this type of therapy and research. I’ve always thought every therapist’s office should have some form of a therapy pet or helper, whether it be a cat, dog, bird, horse, etc. In other words, something non-human and trustworthy, an animal! Have found it counter-productive to be forced to sit alone in a room with a virtual stranger, whom I’m supposed to trust, and spill all my guts to when a betrayal of human trust is part of the core of my issues. Having an animal present would have made therapy sessions a tad less traumatic and more effective I am sure. Am so glad someone is finally realizing the potential of using animals, especially horses, in the therapeutic process. They are beautiful, magical, majestic creatures and only those that have interacted with them in an empathetic way can understand that. Therapy was a complete failure for me and I would never go back. Only two things have really helped me any… Those are yoga and volunteering at a rescue for horses that have been abused, abandoned, neglected, and all kinds of other horrible things. Getting a nuzzle or head resting on your shoulder from an animal that’s large enough to annihilate you beats a session in a therapist’s office any day! Glad to see someone’s finally starting to see the benefit of hugs from horses and activities like yoga for us traumatized, unable to interact with the world anymore kind of people. Wish I’d been able to get some kind of help like that in my area. Hope funding for this type of research continues.

  C.R. Zwolinski at 2:37 pm on August 4th, 2010

@ SS,
Thanks for describing your interactions with horses. We believe physical-emotional therapies (like working with horses, movement therapies,and so forth), nutrition, bodywork, spirituality, sometimes medical intervention, and other complementary care are essential to complete wellness.

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“PTSD, Addiction, and Healing with Horses: Part Three”

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    Last reviewed: 2 Aug 2010