Equine Assisted Counselling

Equine Assisted Counselling (EAC) is a therapeutic approach where horses are incorporated into therapy sessions and act as co-therapists. Horses are highly sensitive to human emotions, providing immediate, non-judgmental feedback which helps clients become more aware of their emotional states and learn to regulate them effectively. This increased emotional awareness and regulation can improve emotional resilience and mental wellbeing.

Working with horses helps individuals develop a deeper understanding of their behavior, emotions, and interpersonal relationships. Horses mirror human emotions, offering immediate feedback that can help individuals gain insight into their own tendencies, strengths, and areas for growth.

Many clients also feel more comfortable being in a natural setting and having a connection with an animal while processing difficult emotional experiences, or when seeking personal growth. The EAC sessions are not limited to those looking to unpack painful or challenging life circumstances, but are also valuable for those looking to learn more about themselves and become more actualised versions of themselves through continued personal growth.

How EAC Sessions Work

EAC Sessions begin much like other traditional counselling sessions, with an intake session. This is held at the stables where the client can observe the environment and the horses, but no interaction with the horses takes place in this initial session as it is used to gather information and set therapeutic goals for the following sessions.

In the sessions thereafter, the client is able to interact with, connect with, and receive feedback from the horses via therapeutically structured activities and experiences. I am present at all times during these sessions to maintain the healing space, but at some times the clients will be interacting with the horses in silence, or speaking solely to them.

EAC sessions are flexible and can comprise of a large element of talk therapy and a compassionate space for the client to share with me and with the horses the burden they are carrying. However, EAC sessions can also represent a more private and embodied space for clients to process physically and emotionally their emotional experiences with more input from the horses and less input from me, should this be desired and therapeutically indicated.

Nature-Based Counselling

Through my experiences with EAC, I learned that many clients felt the therapeutic power of being outside in nature very strongly. For some, the experience of being able to take their shoes off and walk barefoot, or bury their toes into the grass or the earth felt grounding and freeing.

For others, being able to engage with whatever brought them to counselling in a natural space where they could see the sky, hear the birds and feel the sun or the breeze allowed them to feel more comfortable, and to maintain a sense of perspective and gratitude.

And for yet others, the traditional counselling room felt smothering, intimidating or too pressured, and being able to sit outside or even to walk for the whole counselling session allowed them to feel free and safe.

I offer Nature-Based Counselling as part of my practice to allow clients to reconnect with nature while engaging in talk therapy, and learning practical skills for relaxation, nervous system regulation, and reconnecting with the self and the natural environment. This kind of counselling is especially useful for those who struggle with anxiety, stress and depressive symptoms, as well as those looking to pursue greater balance and growth in their lives.

Clients can choose to walk throughout the session, or to hold the session on comfortable camping chairs out in a natural space.

Psychometric Assessments

I also offer various psychometric assessments, including Career Guidance Assessments, Subject Choice Assessments and Aptitude for School Beginners (ASB) Assessments.

I am passionate about helping teenagers and young adults explore and discover their interests and possible career directions in life. These decisions can be confusing and difficult to make, and I feel privileged to be able to assist in offering clarity, hope and excitement for the future.

Please email taracounsels@gmail.com to book an assessment.

I offer traditional talk therapy counselling in a cozy counselling room in the heart of Newlands.

This offering is ideal for those who prefer to hold sessions in a quiet, contained space with comfortable chairs and protection from the elements. It is also ideal for those who come straight from work or have busy schedules which make meeting at the premises most convenient.

This space also allows for participation in creative activities such as painting and writing which greatly add to the therapeutic experience.

In-office Counselling