People like Joe, a 40-year-old Army Veteran, and Kate, a timid 3-year-old, need your help. Both Joe and Kate sought out the healing power of horses with S.T.E.P.S. because traditional office-based therapy wasn’t a solution for them.
Joe was suffering from crippling posttraumatic stress after his patriotic service to our country in Afghanistan. He suffered from flashbacks, anger issues, and feeling disconnected from his family. Joe’s world was crumbling, as he could no longer work, attend school, or provide for his family. Joe refused to go to traditional office-based therapy for fear of feeling judged.
Today, Joe has regained control over his life and has made it his mission to help others. Joe is healthy because of a special relationship with a horse named Duke and a process called equine assisted counseling. Duke is an expert at reading and responding to the subtlest changes in human body language and emotional state. Through their relationship, Duke helped Joe feel safe to process his war experiences in ways beyond just talking and learn new ways of coping with his memories from Afghanistan. During his time with Duke, Joe was able to accept his struggles and feel empowered in managing his posttraumatic stress.
Kate was struggling with problems at home. Her parents often communicated violently and aggressively with each other, without realizing the impact it had on Kate. Kate was timid and lacked the feeling of security. She often had tantrums and outbursts at home, but through play therapy sessions with a few miniature donkeys and horses named Bandy, Buttons, Dazzle, and Maggie, Kate was able to feel safe and protected. This ultimately allowed Kate to relax, reducing the number of tantrums and outbursts.
Joe is a real man, but he also represents millions of Veterans haunted by emotional trauma. 30% of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans suffer from posttraumatic stress, depression, or traumatic brain injury. Furthermore, Veterans commit suicide at an alarming rate of 20 each day. Many of these individuals go untreated, avoid traditional therapies, or drop out of treatment prematurely.
Kate is a real girl too. She represents the other children who struggle like Kate did. 90% of children/teens with emotional and/or behavioral problems get better through equine assisted therapy.
However, many veterans and children don’t have the funds to receive therapy like this.
With your help, together, we can make sure that people like Joe and Kate have access to this unique and powerful form of healing. We ask that you take the time to make a difference in someone else's life by either donating, giving in kind donations, or choosing S.T.E.P.S. as your Amazon Smile Charity.
Interested in learning more and taking steps to help our community?