Hi Ho Silver, Away!

We have recently started home based therapy services for Carly and Ryan through the Post Adoption Services that the State of Indiana offers.  They will also each be getting a mentor to spend several hours a week with them to give them a little one on one time with a licensed social worker.

We have agreed to do a 10-12 week session of Equine Therapy.  Horses, that is.   Wes does not know this yet, and I'm pretty sure he's not much gonna care for it, however, I thought it would be good for him to help him get over some of his anxiety about trying new things.  And horses.  He's not a fan of those, either.  Yet.

So what exactly is Equine Therapy?  Here's the official explanation ~~

Equine Therapy is designed for families that desire or need a significant intervention in how their family is functioning. We will help your family identify unhealthy patterns of interaction and improve contact, connection, trust, and communication between family members.

Families that may benefit from participating are:

1. Families who have a child or adolescent in need of a significant intervention in order to avoid longer term consequences or out of home placement such as residential treatment or wilderness therapy programs.
2. Families with unique family dynamics such as adopted, foster, or special needs children, significant grief or loss, divorced or blended families, drugs or alcohol issues, etc.
3. Families having difficulty connecting, communicating, or unable to resolve conflict and desire deeper, more meaningful relationships with each other.

Horses live in herds with a defined hierarchy, roles and responsibilities, relationships and alliances, unique personalities, emotions, and boundaries very similar to our own family systems. Interacting with the horses will help you explore your own family system.

When problems occur within a family, it is important to examine the problem as a symptom of a larger systemic issue. How one person behaves affects every other relationship in the family. Change cannot occur in isolation if the change is to endure over time. In family therapy, dynamics are explored to create change, restore balance, harmonize relationships, set proper boundaries, develop skills, and improve the overall level of communication, contact, and connection within the family.

I think we meet the participation requirements, since we are currently parenting special needs adopted children, one of which we are working to keep in the home instead of a residential placement and the other  whom we have MAJOR trust issues with at this time.

We will be making a weekly trip to Kentucky to work with the horses. If nothing else, the state is paying for my gas and it's in a town with a K-Mart and I love to shop at K-Mart, so I'm already looking at it as a win/win situation.

But also, I have high hopes for this adventure as well.  As Barney Fife would say, "It's therapetic."  So, that's it for this post.........and she rides off into the sunset.  (Key the western music) Clippity clop.