Chapter One: Introduction
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DISSERTATION FROM TRADITIONAL TO EQUINE-ASSISTED PSYCHOTHERAPY: MENTAL HEALTH PRACTITIONERS’ EXPERIENCES Submitted by Ping-Tzu Lee School of Social Work In partial fulfillment of the requirements For the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Colorado State University Fort Collins, Colorado Summer 2014 Doctoral Committee: Advisor: Ben Granger Emily Dakin Louise Jennings Louise Quijano Copyright by Ping-Tzu Lee 2014 All Rights Reserved ABSTRACT FROM TRADITIONAL TO EQUINE ASSISTED PSYCHOTHERAPY: MENTAL HEALTH PRACTITIONERS’ EXPERIENCES This study explored equine-assist psychotherapy (EAP) mental health practitioners’ experiences with horses and EAP, examined the differences between EAP and traditional psychotherapy from these participants’ perspectives, and developed the biophilia hypothesis as a potential theory for EAP. This study was conducted using a constructivist narrative approach. It was guided by Wilson’s (1984) biophilia hypothesis, which suggests that humans have an innate tendency to pay attention to animals and nature. The biophilia hypothesis also suggests that the more humans come to understand other creatures, the more humans value both other creatures and themselves. The primary analytic strategies were a zoom model and a thematic analysis. The zoom model focused on how participants told their stories and attempted to keep each participant’s overall story intact to preserve sequences. The thematic analysis emphasized the content of stories and focused on finding patterns in segments of the participants’ stories. Using concepts from the biophilia hypothesis, I suggest that the zoom model is analogous to art and that the thematic analysis is analogy to science. I conducted two semi-structured, individual, face-to-face interviews with eight participants (four social workers and four counselors) who had at least two years of experience with practicing both traditional psychotherapy and EAP. Each interview lasted one to two hours. ii After transcribing each interview, I combined inductive and deductive coding and utilized the computer-assisted qualitative software N-Vivo 10 to assist with the thematic analysis. Participants described evolving relationships with horses they started from low awareness to high awareness about their relationships with horses, and then they moved to value horses’ roles as teachers in their lives. Participants described practicing EAP for both personal and professional reasons. Furthermore, they indicated that they drew from horses’ strengths to complement their therapeutic work. Participants indicated that they are much less active in EAP sessions than they are in traditional psychotherapy. Specifically, participants indicated that in EAP sessions they stay quiet, are guided by horses, ask important questions, and accept that the therapeutic environment is much less controlled than in traditional psychotherapy settings. Drawing from the biophilia hypothesis, participants’ roles and strategies in EAP are similar to naturalists’ roles and strategies in a field, and this view of therapists represents a paradigm shift in psychotherapy. Participants stated that EAP decreases the power differential between clients and therapists. They also indicated that it provides a non-verbal and masculine approach that may be appealing to clients who are not comfortable in traditional psychotherapy settings. I discussed various theoretical and practice implications from this study for social work and the larger field of mental health treatment. Furthermore, I provide recommendations for future studies, including studying equine specialists, conducting interdisciplinary research, and exploring the uniqueness of EAP. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Michael, Pia, Becky, Jean-Jacques, Sue, Julie Anne, and Thom: Meeting you and hearing your stories were my favorite parts of this research. Thanks for sharing your experiences and time with me. Dr. Dakin, Dr. Granger, Dr. Jennings, and Dr. Quijano: Your feedback and support made this study better. Dr. Dakin, you spent many hours reading and polishing the study. I appreciate all the help. Dr. George Morgan: You are a good model for me to learn how to guide and support students. Also, you are a good model to learn how to be as solid as a tree to take care of a family. Dr. Buchan and my cohorts: I liked to take classes with all of you. It was nice to grow up together in the same program. Dr. Carole Makela and dissertation support group: I liked the class surrounded by laughing as well as the genuine and harsh feedback. Ariana Strozzi and horses on the SkyHorse Ranch: Thanks for opening a gate for me two years ago. It has been a beautiful journey after leaving the ranch. ShyGirl: Playing with you on the farm is the best way to nurture my inner child and inner parents. After playing with you, I was willing to be a mature adult to stay in a library for many hours and write this paper. We will take more adventures together . My dearest family and friends: Thanks for the support and holding a safe place for me to explore myself and the world. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................... ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................... iv DEFINITION OF TERMS ............................................................................................................ ix Chapter One: Introduction .............................................................................................................. 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 1 EAP and This Study ................................................................................................................ 1 Theoretical Background-Biophilia Hypothesis in EAP .......................................................... 1 Relevance of the Study to Social Work Practice ..................................................................... 4 My experiences. .............................................................................................................. 4 Psychotherapy in social work practice. ........................................................................... 6 EAP as a form of psychotherapy in social work practice ............................................... 9 EAP in social work education. ...................................................................................... 13 Significance of the Study ...................................................................................................... 14 Chapter Two: Literature Review ................................................................................................... 16 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 16 Background of EAP .............................................................................................................. 16 Therapeutic Techniques of EAP ........................................................................................... 18 Relationship between Animal-Assisted Therapy and EAP ................................................... 21 Theoretical Perspectives of EAP .......................................................................................... 22 Reality therapy. ............................................................................................................. 22 Brief therapy. ................................................................................................................. 23 Gestalt therapy. ............................................................................................................. 23 Psychodynamic theory. ................................................................................................. 24 Anthropomorphic theory ............................................................................................... 25 Social support theory .................................................................................................... 26 Biophilia hypothesis...................................................................................................... 26 Research Gaps in EAP .......................................................................................................... 27 Gaps in EAP research content. ...................................................................................... 27 Gaps in EAP research methodology. ............................................................................. 29 Advantages of EAP ............................................................................................................... 31 Disadvantages of EAP .......................................................................................................... 32 Limitations of Prior Research ............................................................................................... 34 Research Questions ............................................................................................................... 36 Chapter Three: Inquiry and Analysis ............................................................................................ 38 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 38 Why the Constructivist Narrative Approach