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CONNECTING WORLDWIDE NETWORK OF MENTAL HEALTH AND EQUINE PROS AT EAGALA’S 19TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE IN THE VOLUNTEER STATE
GLOBAL LEADERS IN EQUINE-ASSISTED PSYCHOTHERAPY CONVENE TO SHOWCASE GROUNDBREAKING MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENTS FOR VETERANS, ADDICTS, TRAUMA SURVIVORS AND PEOPLE WITH AUTISM
MURFREESBORO, Tenn., Mar. 4-7, 2018 — More than 400 prominent mental health professionals and equine specialists will convene at the 19th Annual Eagala Conference at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Nashville SE Murfreesboro to demonstrate techniques and share new research in the growing field of equine-assisted psychotherapy and personal development.
Coming from all over the world, conference presenters and attendees will highlight the ways equine-assisted psychotherapy relates to a variety of topics, including military service, addiction, autism and trauma.
“You can’t fake it with a 1,200 pound prey animal,” said Eagala Co-Founder and CEO Lynn Thomas. “When clients enter an arena with a horse, their experiences become metaphors for their relationships, fears, challenges, dreams or goals. As practitioners, we believe our clients already have their own solutions. Our job is to get out of the way and let the story unfold in the arena.”
Specialists are increasingly using equine-assisted psychotherapy in the treatment of addiction, depression, PTSD, trauma, grief and other emotional and behavioral challenges. An experiential treatment method, equine-assisted psychotherapy harnesses horses’ intuition to help clients break through psychological barriers and discover their inner strengths. The Eagala Model requires no riding or horsemanship, focusing instead on ground-level interaction that lets healing happen.
The Eagala Conference will feature workshops by members and sponsors, such as “The Entrepreneur in You” by SimplePractice and “Eagala Q&A for Equine Specialist Facilitators—Both New & Seasoned” by Acres for Life, as well as exhibitions by Horseplay Therapy Wellness Center and Horse Sense of the Carolinas.
Conference attendees will also be treated to a networking gala featuring a performance by country music singer-songwriter Templeton Thompson, whose songs have been performed by Reba McEntire, Jo Dee Messina, Little Texas and Sherrié Austin, on Monday, Mar. 5. Thompson will also perform at a special event hosted by conference sponsor JourneyPure At The River, a world-class addiction treatment center in Murfreesboro. Activities will include a tour of the facility, barbecue dinner and Tennessee concert on Tuesday, Mar. 6. Tickets are available for purchase (Member rate: $575; Nonmember rate: $650.) Click here for a full schedule.
ABOUT EAGALA
Since 1999, Eagala has set the global standard for equine-assisted psychotherapy and personal development. Boasting over 640 regional programs, and with more than 2,500 certified members in over 40 countries, it is the leading international nonprofit association for professionals incorporating horses to address mental health and personal development needs. For more information, visit eagala.org.
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