The Listening Heart: The Limbic Path Beyond Office Therapy

Product Description

The Listening Heart is a guidebook explaining The HEAL Model for Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy and Learning (EFPL). Inside find out: • What can horses add to the treatment of serious mood, anxiety and trauma-related disorders to increase effectiveness? • What is the role of horse therapy in the client’s treatment plan? • What activities are used? • How does EFPL translate to human settings and produce lasting change? EFPL is guided experiential therapy employing horses. Why horses? How can they help you, and your clients, develop a listening heart? This book answers these questions by putting forth a comprehensive and understandable manual for the HEAL Model of EFPL. The HEAL Model of EFPL, developed by Leigh Shambo, MSW, LMHC, describes a way to help humans build emotional-social skills, by using the human-horse bond in treatment for complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other clinical disorders. Shambo combines decades of experience as a horse trainer and coach with her training and practice as a mental health therapist. The Listening Heart draws on literature from the fields of neuroscience, attachment and trauma psychology, and animal science to explain the human-horse bond.

About the Author

Leigh Shambo, MSW, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, describes a model for incorporating Equine-Facilitated Psychotherapy (EFP) as an adjunct therapy for adult and youth clients in individual or group therapy formats. Internationally recognized as a pioneer in the use of this animal-assisted therapy, Shambo is the lead author for HEAL-sponsored research on the efficacy of equine therapy for survivors of complex trauma. Shambo founded Human-Equine Alliances for Learning (HEAL), a non-profit 501c(3) in 2000, which supports EFP research and provides equitable access to Equine-Facilitated Psychotherapy. In addition to her ranch-based practice, Shambo is frequently invited to teach workshops and seminars on Equine-Facilitated Psychotherapy in the US and abroad.