Note: Veterans Mental Health Training Initiative (VMHTI) Program Equine Therapy Series (2 March CEs). Each session is 2 hours and offers 2 free CEs. Sessions are stand-alone—participants may register individually.
Workshop Description
This topic will focus on the use of equine therapy with veterans, in building trust and confidence, emotional regulation, and practical skills like mindfulness. There will be education as well as an interactive lived experience panel with a group of veterans, highlighting goals related to equine work, like reducing triggers, enhancing communication, and fostering healthy relationships and interactions through experiential learning with horses. Presenter and panelists will speak about achieving holistic mental health recovery for service members through progressive and experiential methods. We will look at statistics, clinical theories and applications, peer involvement, somatic work, and personal experiences related to equine support, specifically within the downstate community of dense and more urban/suburban resources, where examples will be given.
Please Note: This panel is informational only. For those interested in an in-person visit with the horses, we encourage you to contact the program representatives listed below. Each organization has expressed strong enthusiasm about welcoming attendees for visits, follow-up conversations, or deeper involvement in their programs.
To explore opportunities further, please reach out to the contact in the region that best matches your location or interests. Additional programs and contacts will be added as we get closer to the panel date.
LONG ISLAND
Warrior Ranch Foundation
Antionette DeGruccio
Mental Health Specialist
antoinette@warriorranchfoundation.org
631-873-8036
Warrior Ranch Website
Learning Objectives
After completing this webinar, participants will be able to:
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Describe therapeutic benefits to equine therapy like emotional regulation and self-awareness, as it relates to mental health.
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Describe areas for support and resource navigation opportunities in using equine therapy with veterans.
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Describe statistics and clinical trends relevant to equine work.
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Define emotional attenuation as it relates to working with horses, and ways this can benefit veterans specifically.
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Define equine therapy and evidence-based benefits to this method.
Continuing Education Credits: 2.0
This workshop is approved for licensed social workers, licensed mental health counselors, licensed marriage and family therapists, and licensed psychologists.
Fees
- FREE CEs (Registration Required)
Presenter: Aynisa Leonardo
Aynisa Leonardo is a Licensed Clinical Art Therapist (LCAT, ATR-BC), who has been in the field of addiction and mental health services for over a decade. She is the VP of Clinical Outreach at Water Gap Wellness, in support of community outreach, treatment placement, education, and program development. She has concentrated on advanced clinical education, locally and nationally, providing evidence-based and interactive presentations for the community, medical facilities, non-profits, and corporate agencies, to raise awareness on current trends, reduce the stigma associated with accessing care, and improve collaboration within the healthcare community.