Equine Facilitated Experiential Learning

When I talk about opening Jake's Place, one of the most common questions I get is "What the heck is Equine Facilitated Experiential Learning (EFEL)"? EFEL is, in its simplest form, is using horses as mirrors and facilitators to help us explore issues or areas of concern in our lives. The horses may help us achieve self awareness, solve problems, and uncover issues in our lives that are holding us back and keeping us from advancing on a physical, spiritual and/or emotional level. EFEL is not psychotherapy, and should not be used in place of psychiatric treatment, or to try and deal with psychotic/psychiatric disorders.

I first heard of EFEL when I read Linda Kohanov's book The Tao of Equus, and before I got through Linda's explanation, I knew exactly what she was talking about. One of the reasons I believe I have had such a deep connection to horses my entire life is because of their ability to help me heal from various traumatic events starting when I was very young. Women are often faces with things that men are less likely to encounter; physical abuse from partners, sexual abuse and molestation, and subordinate treatment from various sources including teachers, employers and partners. Long after we have dealt with these issues in a psychiatric setting, we are often still struggling to regain our personal power and heal our inner child. Horses are the perfect partners to aid in the final steps of our recovery processes.

My goal for the EFEL side of Jake's Place is to provide a safe, nurturing environment where women in the final stages of recovery (be it from abuse, addiction, low self esteem, etc) can explore and finalize their healing through the way of the horse. Our EFEL center will offer a safe, comfortable environment for exploration and healing.