The Equine program at Glen Oaks Hospital is offered as a partial hospitalization program. This program uses whole health approaches such as in yoga, aromatherapy, dietician group (with a Mediterranean focus), and Equine assisted therapy. 

Located in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, metro area, the program is guided by a humanistic therapeutic approach with CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy), and ACT (Acceptance Commitment Therapy) modalities utilized throughout the program at Glen Oaks Hospital.

Working with horses for mental health issues may seem odd to those on the outside looking in, equine-assisted activities can make a difference for those struggling with a mental health disorder. The benefits of this type of therapy include: 

• Emotional awareness
• Impulse control 
• Social skills
• Confidence
• Trust and empathy
• Problem solving skills
• Decreased anxiety 
• Improved communication skills
• Restoring healthy boundaries
• And more 

Specifically, patients with anxiety disorders and post-traumatic stress disorders may benefit from equine-assisted learning and therapeutic riding. According to the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH), people who are struggling with anxiety can suffer from long-term effects as the disorder does not go away and can get worse over time. The symptoms can interfere with daily activities such as job performance, schoolwork, and relationships.

Anyone can develop PTSD at any age. This includes war veterans, children, and people who have been through a physical or sexual assault, abuse, accident, disaster, or other serious events. According to the National Center for PTSD, about 7 or 8 out of every 100 people will experience PTSD at some point in their lives.

Equine therapy for PTSD, and equine therapy for anxiety, can help individuals with these mental health issues take positive, noticeable steps forward. 

The treatment schedule for the Equine PHP Program at Glen Oaks Hospital is Monday through Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The actual time for equine-assisted psychotherapy and equine-assisted growth and learning with a therapeutic riding instructor is Mondays and Thursdays from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. 

Equine therapy can be extremely beneficial for the right person. Appropriate admission criteria for the PHP program would be:

• Impairment of daily function
• Impairment or inability to work
• Decrease psychological or social functioning
• Without it, you may need an inpatient level of care
• You may need to step-down from inpatient care
• Mental health symptoms such as:
  • Expressed hopelessness
  • Expressed helplessness
  • Significant changes in mood
  • Severe anxiety/panic attacks
  • Reliving traumatic experiences
  • Suicidal ideations without a specific plan or intent

Glen Oaks Hospital, located in Greenville, Texas, serves adults across the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, metro area with Equine PHP services. Contact us today for a no-cost, confidential assessment at 903-454-6000.