Equine Assisted Therapy for At-Risk Youth 501(c)(3)
Windfall Equine Therapy Center’s Equine Assisted Therapy for At-Risk Youth Program is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit program where no child’s family pays anything out of pocket to participate. This program is 100% supported by donations and 100% of the proceeds goes directly to supporting the youth in this program.
Who qualifies to participate in this program?
This program provides assistance to youth from all walks of life, who may be struggling with mental health for a variety of reasons. These reasons range from childhood abuse, trauma or neglect, social isolation, or the death of a loved one. We also work to make these services available to children who are currently or formerly in foster care in Washington County and beyond.
What is Equine Assisted Therapy?
Equine Assisted Psychotherapy involves a licensed mental health professional and a horse working together to help individuals with mental health issues. The horse is used as a tool to help clients learn about themselves and their relationships with others. Equine Assisted Psychotherapy has been found to be effective in treating a range of conditions, including anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The therapy involves a range of activities that are designed to help individuals develop the skills to manage emotional needs. Equine therapy has become increasingly popular in the United States with more than 800 centers offering equine assisted therapy services across the country. The use of equine therapy is expected to continue to grow as more people become aware of its benefits and more research is conducted to support its effectiveness.
Program Overview
While partnering with the unique attributes of the horse and our expert facilitators, children work on skills such as mindfulness, leadership, choices, respect, teamwork and nonverbal communication.
Sessions are divided into two age groups – ages 10-14 and ages 15-18.
Participants will engage in a 90-minute group session with one of our equine specialists, where they learn how to effectively use non-verbal communication to execute tasks with their horse. These tasks may include challenging obstacles, building trust, or exploring nature trails together. Through interactions with the horse, participants learn how horses communicate, how they think and learn, and most importantly, how the horse reacts to your clarity, demeanor, stress, and leadership. These interactions help participants identify where they may have challenges with trust, impulse control, fear, empathy, mindfulness, as well as communication and leadership skills. On weeks 4, 8 and 12, participants engage in a 90-minute group session with one of our licensed therapists, who guides you in exploring and processing those challenges and in setting goals for progress. Sessions are once a week for 12 weeks, and we offer this program 3 times per year in the Spring, Summer and Fall.
UPCOMING PROGRAM DATES
| Fall 2024 | Group 1 – Ages 10-14 Tuesdays 5:30-7:00 pm Group 2 – Ages 15-18 Tuesdays 7:00-8:30 pm August 26 – November 11 (makeup day November 18) |
| Spring 2025 | Tentative dates: Group 1 – Ages 10-14 Tuesdays 5:30-7:00 pm Group 2 – Ages 15-18 Tuesdays 7:00-8:30 pm February 3 – April 21 (makeup day April 28) |
| Summer 2025 | Tentative dates: Group 1 – Ages 10-14 Tuesdays 5:30-7:00 pm Group 2 – Ages 15-18 Tuesdays 7:00-8:30 pm May 5 – July 21 (makeup day July 28) |
Meet Our Team
Windfall Equine Therapy Center’s nonprofit programs are facilitated by industry experts in horsemanship and psychotherapy.
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Do you need this in your life?
Prioritize your child’s mental health and get them the help they need to live their best life. Would you like your child to participate in our Equine Assisted Therapy for At-Risk Youth program? Click the link below to apply for them to be a participant today!
Volunteer
Windfall Equine Therapy Center is always in need of volunteers to support the work we do for our youth. From taking care of the horses and facilities to helping with any of our fundraising events, we are here to help you get involved. Click the link below to apply to be a volunteer today!
Donate
We can’t do the work that we do without YOU! Windfall Equine Therapy Center is proud to offer these amazing programs for absolutely ZERO cost to families. The cost to support each child to participate in one of our 12-week programs is $1,235, which helps us provide quality horses, equipment and facilities to support this work. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to our programs to help or sponsor a child today!
