Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy Among Adolescents with ACEs: Cultivating Altercentrism, Expressiveness, Communication Composure, and Interaction Management

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can produce long-lasting effects for individuals. Mental health practitioners in clinical psychology and social work have utilized equine assisted psychotherapy (EAP) to treat trauma related to adverse experiences; however, few studies have centralized communication messages and processes in EAP. The current qualitative study included observations and interviews with 11 adolescents with ACEs and examined (a) equine communication as a mechanism for client awareness and emotion regulation, (b) the development of communication competencies for adolescents with ACEs, and (c) transference of communication competencies in other relational contexts. Adolescents cultivated altercentrism (e.g., ability to decode communication, to focus consciously on the other), communication composure (e.g., ability to deal with psychological stress, while engaging assertiveness), communication coordination (e.g., ability to effectively communicate, manage misunderstandings), and expressiveness (e.g., provide clarity and emotional control in one's own communication). Finally, adolescents described how these communication competencies transferred to other relationships (e.g., family, peers, and teachers). Implications for understanding communication competence, the practitioner's role in supporting communication skill development in EAP, and the unique role of equines in mitigating the negative effects of ACEs are discussed.