Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects
Date of Award
2023
Document Type
Dissertation - NSU Access Only
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Advisor
Natalie Rothman
Abstract
In this study, a distinct form of Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) called Equine-Assisted Family Therapy (EAFT) was explored. Exploring the experiences of the human participants of EAP work, including the mental health professional (MHP), the equine specialist (ES), and the client has recently gained popularity in the field of mental health research, due to the interest in gaining a deeper understanding of the benefits and impacts of EAP interventions and treatment. The bulk of current research on the EAFT approach focuses on the perceptions of the practitioners and student trainees. This study aimed to add to the literature by exploring what occurs during EAFT sessions by documenting the experiences of the MHP, the ES, and the client in order to better understand their perspectives of the processes of EAFT and their thoughts regarding change within the modality. A qualitative study, using a reflexive thematic analytical approach, was carried out to explore the participants’ lived experiences of the EAFT phenomena. Data showed that participants’ EAFT experiences were characterized by six main themes identified from thematic analysis—paradoxical context; mindfulness; openness, exploration, and possibility; connection; a safe, accepting space; and embodied experiential learning. The impacts of the EAFT session were found to be facilitated through a combination of multiple EAFT team agents working together which resulted in the client participant undergoing embodied, experiential shifts.
NSUWorks Citation
Caitlin S. Lowry. 2023. The adoptive parent and adoptee dyad and its impact on the adult adoptee romantic relationship. Doctoral dissertation. Nova Southeastern University. Retrieved from NSUWorks, . (129)
https://nsuworks.nova.edu/shss_dft_etd/129.