Too often, parents and experts view behavioral problems in children as if they exist separate from early childhood deprivation and/or trauma. Deprivation and harm suffered in early life impacts all the ways a child develops, and therefore addressing only the behavior alone leaves many issues unresolved. The challenge for parents, caretakers, and professionals, is to reach out to where the child is “now” and coach and guide the child toward healing.
The Healing Trauma Model recognizes that the children’s controlling, aggressive, oppositional, and manipulative behaviors are automatic, learned defenses to profoundly overwhelming experiences of fear and terror. Rather than address these behaviors with negative consequences, the Healing Trauma Model strives to identify the underlying need behind the behavior. Once that is accomplished, the parent or caregiver can “teach” the child how to get their needs met in a healthier more appropriate manner. This can only be accomplished in a safe environment where children are treated with compassion and respect. By addressing the internal beliefs that drive negative behaviors, adults can help the child begin the healing process.
Focusing on the deeper meaning of rather than the surface meaning of behavior, the adult can determine the proper intervention to help the child. All effective parenting must take into consideration the child’s social and emotional level of functioning so that the discipline is appropriate to the child’s developmental needs and provides corrective emotional experiences for healing of the early experiences of maltreatment, insecurity, mistrust, and fear.
Effective interventions include clear and realistic expectations, natural and logical consequences, teaching new behaviors to replace ineffective behaviors, providing safety, encouragement, compassion, and positive life experiences. All discipline strategies are individualized to meet the needs of the child at their developmental level. The Healing Trauma Model focus’ on the child rather than the child’s behavior, and build’s the child’s ability to cope with life situations in a safe and healthy manner.
High Sky Children’s Ranch offers children the opportunity to grow interpersonally through Equine Assisted Psychotherapy, Hippo therapy, and/or riding lessons. Interaction and activities include observation, petting, grooming, riding, and participating in therapeutic activities both on the ground and on the horse. The level of involvement in the horse program is determined by the participant, the horse instructor, the Therapy Department, and the Treatment Team at High Sky Children’s Ranch.
The Horse Program at High Sky Children’s Ranch is a multidimensional approach to therapy and is structured to meet the individual child’s treatment goals. The use of individual, sibling, or group therapy is also tailored to the child’s specific needs. The Treatment Team makes the decisions about which child or group of children will participate in the Therapeutic Horse Program.
Equine Assisted Psychotherapy is a hands on approach to therapy with a live animal where the participants are experiencing the event or situation and learn from that experience. Work with the horses breaks down the participants defensive barriers and requires them to develop fresh insights and new perspectives from old relationships and behavior patterns (Patti J. Mandrell, 2006).
Hippo therapy is a treatment that uses the multidimensional movement of the horses. Treatment takes place in a controlled environment with a horse handler trained in Hippo therapy and a licensed therapist. Specific riding skills are not taught but rather a foundation is established to improve neurological function and sensory processing. This foundation can then be generalized to a wide range of daily activities. (H.O.R.S.E.)
In Equine Assisted Psychotherapy, the work is not about the horse rather how individuals and groups interact with and handle situations involving the horse. Life analogies are made through this interactive process. Horses challenge the child’s defenses and coping skills thus opening the door for the therapist to explore these issues with the child. People tend to relate to horses as they do other people and life circumstances and the therapist can then explore with the child their patterns of relating to people and solving difficult situations. Old, patterns are confronted and opportunities for new solutions are explored.
The KidsArt Therapy program at High Sky serves as an introduction to various art disciplines, gives our youth a true introduction to art and culture, and provides a therapeutic outlet for our children. Art is a wonderful medium of expression for children of all ages. Art is a voluntary, intrinsically motivated activity involving flexibility of choice in determining how the art mediums are used to create. The art process is enjoyable and expressive and the end product is less important. It is the self expression, creativity and freedom of expression that allows the child’s self worth and self confidence to grow and change.
Our KidsArt Therapy program provides an opportunity for the children to express themselves and their feelings through art when the words won’t come. Many children are too young and simply do not have the words to verbalize their emotions. Quite often the KidsArt Therapy program is the first free opportunity the children have to make their feelings known. Through art the children can attempt to organize their experiences in a very personal manner. In this process, the child experiences a feeling of being in control even though in reality circumstances may dictate otherwise. Art allows the child to break the boundaries of reality and work through their personal trauma, loss, and grief in a manner that is relevant to them.
The KidsArt Therapy program builds confidence and self-esteem; two very necessary human traits many of our children have lost in the circumstances that brought them to High Sky. We see more consistent behaviors in the children when they are in a stable, secure environment and participating in regular activities that allow an outlet for self expression, such as the KidsArt Therapy program.