Battered Women's Empowerment
The Equine Assisted Healing™ Program developed at InBalance is based on the 9 key principles of survivor therapy identified by Lenore Walker (1994): safety, empowerment, validation, emphasis on strengths, education, expanding alternatives, restoring clarity in judgment, understanding oppression, and making one’s own decisions (p. 303). At InBalance we provide both group and customized individual sessions for survivors of domestic violence. Our group program consists of education, discussion, and experiential exercises that address the sequeli of domestic violence. Areas of focus include self-esteem and self-awareness, embodiment of focus and intention, boundaries, assertiveness, problem solving, communication, and relationships.
As social, sentient beings, horses intuit our emotional states and respond accordingly - offering us immediate feedback. Interacting with horses gives women an unique opportunity to regain their sense of self and differentiate between passive, assertive, and aggressive communication. And, it provides an opportunity to experience setting and holding boundaries in an assertive, effective manner – thus, gaining an embodied sense of empowerment.
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