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Mrs.
Williams, an English woman who came to Jamaica in 1990 to
live with husband Tom Williams, a cattle and horses farmer
from Beecher Town, St. Ann, has made horses her business.
Along with her husband, she has established
Hooves Ltd. and Horse Play Ministries which both centre
around the equine creatures.
Horseplay Ministries, Tina Williams says, is
a therapeutic programme using equine-assisted
psychotherapy (EAP) in which the natural, loving nature of
horses is used to bring emotional healing to those who are
emotionally scarred.
The best in
you
According
to this horse lover, the very sensitive creatures bring
out the best in those who may be afraid of revealing their
emotions to their peers or even to counsellors.
It was in 2003 that Mrs. Williams was
approached by Teen Challenge Director, Karissa McCarter,
to use horses which had been rescued by the Jamaica
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (JSPCA),
and rehabilitated with her, in a programme to rehabilitate
teens in trouble.
The intention was to draw parallels between
the rehabilitation of the horses with the life of the
students within the Teen Challenge programme. John
Steigerwald, founder and former executive director of Teen
Challenge, upon hearing of the idea, put Ms. McCarter in
contact with EAP horse specialist Cheryl Harris who was a
member of his church in Georgia.
Tina Williams recalls, "When I first
heard about it, I got goose bumps all over me. I said this
is what I want to do with the horses."
Williams subsequently signed up to take her
level 1 Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association
and to attend the EAGALA conference.
Widespread
The implications
of this unique kink of therapy are widespread, not only
among recovering addicts, but also with troubled teens,
families and individuals.
The EAP team, therapist and horse
professional, work closely together to devise a programme
suitable for the individuals' needs. At the end of the
activity, time is spent in discussion and debriefing,
discussing behaviours, feelings and issues arising from
the activity and how they relate to the individuals and
groups goals.
"We covered all aspects of using the
horse in psychotherapy and as a training tool for
corporate groups," Mrs. Williams recalls.
Equine-assisted psychotherapy came to Jamaica
in February 2004 when an EAP team of Georgia-licensed
social worker Lisa Panzer and horse specialist Cheryl
Harris made their first visit to work with the staff and
students of Teen Challenge, using the horses belonging to
Tina Williams.
In 2004, Horse Play was formed working with 'at
risk' Jamaican youths and drug addicts and alcoholics in
recover. On year later, the horsewoman-turned-therapist
observes, "EAP never ceases to amaze me.
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"You never know what's going to happen, it's so
spontaneous. I find it really rewarding. Everyone who has
done EAP wanted to come back. The horses want to give you
unconditional love, they don't care who you are. Many of
the boys are from broken homes, some have been physically
abused. It is amazing to see the animals helping people to
overcome their fears."
Guided Tours
In St. Ann, Williams
and her business-partner husband continue to offer guided
tours but the therapeutic programme is now a permanent
part of their life. The EAP programme, dubbed Horse Play
Ministries, has been extended to the young boys of the
CSALT project run by psychotherapist Dr. Sidney McGill.
The CSALT programme spearheaded by Dr. MCGill,
from the Family Counselling Centre of Jamaica, uses the
horse therapy with adolescent boys from local high
schools. A session with the horses and the boys may
include observing the horses, catching them, grooming them
and even getting a horse to jump over a small obstacle.
While these activities are being undertaken, the boys are
assessed by their counsellors as to their actions and
reactions and these are then discussed further with them.
Skills
The focus of EAP is not
riding or horsemanship, but involves the use of activities
with horses which require the client or group to apply
certain skills. Non-verbal communication, assertiveness,
creative thinking, and problem-solving, leadership, taking
responsibility, teamwork and relationships, confidence and
attitude are several examples of the tools utilised and
developed in the therapy.
EAP is a powerful and effective approach that
has an incredible impact on individuals, youth, families
and groups, its practitioners say.
Horses do not lie, notes Tina Williams.
"With a horse, what you see is what you get! They
have the ability to mirror exactly what human body
language is telling them. Many people will complain,
"the horse is stubborn" or "he doesn't like
me", but the lesson to be learned is that if the
person changes, the horse responds differently. Horses are
honest which makes them especially powerful
messengers." For
more information on Horse Play Ministries and Equine
Assisted Psychotheray please contact Tina
Williams or visit one of the following websites:
Equine Assisted Growth and Learning
www.eagala.org
Teen Challenge Jamaica
www.teenchallengejamaica.org
CSALT
www.savetomorrowsmen.com
(coming soon) or e-mail Dr. Sidney McGill: dovesgo@yahoo.com |
