PORT MACQUARIE
HORSE RIDING CENTRE
at Cassegrain Winery
Enjoy the pristine gardens at Cassegrain Winery.
THERAPEUTIC SUPPORTS &
ACCESS TO SOCIAL & COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION NDIS SERVICES
Equine Assisted Psychotherapy
What is EAP?
Equine-assisted psychotherapy is a form of therapy that incorporates interactions horses. It is an experiential treatment in which participants partner with horses in mental health treatment. A licensed mental health therapist and an equine specialist collaborate to supervise and lead these sessions. Topics are varied and the sessions are tailored to the needs of the participant.
EAP can be delivered in one on one and group settings.
EAP is versatile and adaptable. Programs can be tailored to suit the needs of the group or individuals. We are currently delivering services to Veterans, Primary school students on campus at schools, individuals, children and adults.
What is the difference between EAP and the Community Participation program “Horse Power”?
EAP is a form of counselling and is delivered by a registered mental health professional and includes ground-based experiences with horses as part of the process. Funding for EAP is derived from the Therapeutic supports budget of an NDIS plan, or sessions can also be self-funded. EAP designed programs can also be delivered by our Therapy Assistant under the instruction and supervision of our Registered mental health worker.
Our Horse Power program is delivered by specifically skilled support workers and is based on “community participation” outcomes. Our skilled support workers assist participants to engage in a program to meet the needs of you or your participant based on your community participation goals.
Can you participate in both programs?
Yes! You can access both programs. They are vastly different, and both have numerous positive benefits.
When does EAP start?
We have spaces for EAP available in school term.
What is the cost?
Private sessions start from $170
How do I register?
Send in an Enquiry form
The best way to get in touch is to email us using the contact form below or directly to this email.
Email: connect@exploretherapy.au
Horse Power
Port Macquarie Horse Riding Centre has been offering the “Horse Power” program since 2016. Horse Power is a Social & Community participation program, not a Therapeutic support. If you are interested in a Therapeutic Supports, scroll up to read about our Equine Assisted Psychotherapy program which is delivered by a registered mental health worker and Therapy Assistants.
The Horse Power program offers participants a chance to engage in a new area of interest with likeminded peers. Horse Power builds confidence and self-esteem, promotes a healthy lifestyle, helps participants learn about themselves, builds relationships and trust and works towards community participation goals. We generally begin with one on one sessions to build safety and skills, then we offer our participants opportunities to work in small group settings, building healthy relationships in a supportive and positive environment.
This program is delivered by skilled support workers and is billed under access to community participation areas of funding.
We aim to meet the needs of each individual participant and ensure we are working towards plan goals directly associated with Community and Social Participation areas of funding.
Horse Power includes activities such as:
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Making friends and connecting with others
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Engaging in group activities
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Communicating with peers
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Situational and self awareness
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Confidence building activities
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Building autonomy
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Building independence
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Behaviour expectations in our environment
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Routine and change
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Following safety rules
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Taking instruction
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Physical fitness
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Outdoor activities
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Responsibility
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Horsemanship
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Some ridden activities
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Group sessions & single sessions
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Individual skill building
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Job readiness skills
The program is tailored to each individual based on an initial assessment including mapping out a strategy to meet short, mid and long-term goals. Participants and their families are seeing such positive results behaviourally and emotionally not just during sessions but this positivity is stemming through their every day lives.
Pricing starts at $135 per session and may vary based on the individual’s needs as we may require additional support for some participants.
The best way to get in touch is to email us using the contact form below.
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Email: connect@exploretherapy.au
Kody-Leigh Brown
We are very excited to welcome Kody-Leigh Brown to our team. Kody-Leigh is a registered mental health worker.
All About Kody-Leigh:
What are your qualifications:
Qualifications include a Bachelor of Psychological Science, Bachelor of Communications, and Graduate Diploma in counselling. Having studied with the Equine Psychotherapy Institute, I’m a fully trained practitioner in equine assisted psychotherapy.
Currently working in mental health locally as a Psychosocial Recovery Coach. Kody-Leigh likes to take a trauma informed, client centred approach, believing the client is the expert in their own story.
What can you offer our clients?
Counselling in Nature:
People are connected to and impacted by the natural environment. Being in nature has the ability to ground us, comfort us and calms our nervous system. Being in nature allows us to process difficult feelings in a judgment-free zone, and also supports our emotional regulation. Quite simply, nature is restorative in many ways. Counselling in nature can look like a lot of things, mainly we discuss and work out what feels safe and supportive for you in the session. Instead of having counselling session in a room, we can sit under a tree, watching the horses graze, or sit near the creek listening to the birds and water flow, or even walk around the beautiful gardens and chat.
Equine Assisted Therapy:
EAP offers clients the opportunity to step into safe relational experiences with horses to help support them and address therapeutic goals. Being around horses can have profound psychological benefits for humans. Bringing a horse's presence to a therapeutic environment can provide support, regulation and a new perspective. Horses can offer us so much wisdom about how to be. Through EAP clients are invited to explore self-awareness, boundaries, relationship and a sense of grounding.
Tell us about yourself:
I like to believe I am a grounded, authentic human, maybe with a few too many coffees fuelling the tank.
What you are passionate about:
I am passionate about each individual having the opportunity to holistic wellbeing and living the life they desire. I understand not everyone can control where they came from and the experiences that led them to this point in life but we do have the chance to take control of where we are going. I like exploring the magic in every day moments and I am fortunate to experience that often especially when working along side our equine friends.
What do you think EAP can do for participants:
EAP, being fully present in nature and learning from horses can do so much for participants therapeutic goals and recovery / change journey. Each individual participant I believe take what they need, that aligns with their goals from the horses. My role is to walk alongside them in that explorations picking up little pebbles of observation to help build awareness, self-Insight and support along the way.
One of the most magical things I see happen in EAP is that horses have an ability to act as a mirror to our true experience. This comes from the horse’s ability to read body language, and sense slight physiological changes within humans and other horses. Allowing a unique opportunity for participants experience authentic contact (relationship) free of judgment or filters. This then supports our exploration of self-awareness.
