Surviving Emotional and Physical Trauma

What We Know:

1 in 5 women experiences a major depressive disorder in her lifetime.
1 in 3 experiences an anxiety disorder.
The risk of post-traumatic stress disorder is two-fold higher in women.
Four times as many men die by suicide.
The horror of abusing women continues to plague society. Domestic violence occurs in every culture and in every country. Abusers use isolation, intimidation, and control of their victims.
Rape occurs in 25% of women experiencing domestic violence.
More than 1 million women and 371,000 men are stalked each year.
These few statistics give only a "tip of the iceberg" view of the challenge and cost of surviving.

Survivors face many obstacles: psychological and economic entrapment, lack of social support, religious and cultural values, fears of social judgment, threats and intimidation and sometimes, life-long disabilities. Survivors often have to deal with depression, anxiety, panic attacks, substance abuse, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Mental illness and suicide attempts are other factors in recovery. Frequently, individuals not directly involved in the trauma are also traumatized. Spouses and other caregivers of those traumatized feel the effects as well.

Many people survive emotional and physical assaults without developing significant psychological symptoms. However, others do not "get over it" without help.

It is particularly important for survivors to be treated as individuals and allowed to heal in their own unique way in their own time frame. Equine-assisted psychotherapy allows individuals to approach their demon(s) in a safe, self-paced and completely non-judgmental way. The therapist and horse(s) provide the patient the avenue to regain their emotional equillibrium and a new beginning.