Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy Among Adolescents with ACEs: Cultivating Altercentrism, Expressiveness, Communication Comp
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Equine‑Assisted Psychotherapy Among Adolescents with ACEs: Cultivating Altercentrism, Expressiveness, Communication Composure, and Interaction Management Elizabeth A. Craig1
© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract 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. Keywords Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) · Equine-assisted psychotherapy · Interpersonal communication · Communication competence Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), like abuse, neglect, domestic violence, household mental illness, household substance abuse, and parental incarceration, can produce long-lasting effects for children, including chronic disease, reduced attainment of education, and reduced incomes as adults (Felitti et al., 1998; Lanier, Maguire-Jack, Lombardi, Frey, & Rose, 2017). Sustained exposure to ACEs has been shown to have neurological implications, decreasing a child’s stress threshold and increasing the likelihood of adverse reactions from traumatic experiences (Middlebrooks & Audage, 2008). Professional care can reduce a child’s risk of experiencing a number of social and psychological problems throughout
* Elizabeth A. Craig [email protected] 1
Department of Communication, North Carolina State University, 201 Winston Hall, Campus Box 8104, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
the child’s lifespan (Trickey, Siddaway, Meiser-Stedman, Serpell, & Field, 2012). In the last few decades, mental health professionals and practitioners in clinical psychology and social work have utilized equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP) to address trauma related to adverse exposures in childhood (see Latella & Abrams, 2015). Rogerian
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