Beyond The Stars

This poem was created by one of our patients and is from “Stress Management” Group journaling.

READ Beyond The Stars

Image Credit: Artist's Concept/NASA/ESA/STScI
http://www.acclaimimages.com/_gallery/_image_pages/0124-1011-2915-3206.html

 
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Vince Carter Sanctuary Ropes Therapy

Vince Carter Sanctuary Ropes Therapy

High Elements are constructed elements, utilizing trees, utility poles,cables and belay ropes for safety.These elements focus on individual achievement in such areas as trust and overcoming personal fear, with the assistance of group motivation and support. High element groups require a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 14 individuals. The elements offered to the public range in height, from 22 to 33 feet.

Low Elements are conducted on the ground or only a few feet above the ground. These elements require a minimum of six or a maximum of 14 individuals, at a time. Individuals form a group that focuses on working together to achieve a common goal.Low elements consist of a series of obstacles, ranging in physical difficulties, designed to challenge groups in such areas as team work, communication and leadership skills.

http://www.vincecartersanctuary.org/

 

Equine Assisted Psychotherapy

Equine Assisted Psychotherapy

Our Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy program utilizes the excellent model set forth by EAGALA (Equine-Assisted Growth and Learning Association), an internationally-renowned organization dedicated to improving the mental health of individuals, families, and groups around the world through the use of programs which incorporate horses experientially for emotional growth and learning. These ground activities with the horses require participants to apply certain skills in non-verbal communication, creative thinking, problem-solving, leadership, teamwork, confidence, and relationship building.

EAP activities are done from the ground with no horse experience necessary and are designed to be fun and interactive while providing important learning opportunities. Horses are sensitive to non-verbal communication and help stimulate greater awareness of emotions through the non-verbal cues that they provide. Their feedback is honest and straightforward, providing valuable insight to help overcome fears and negative life patterns while enhancing problem-solving skills and communication. In EAP horses act like mirrors, reflecting attitudes and issues metaphorically to help increase a person’s awareness and help with addiction.

Learning to trust an animal such as a horse assists in the development of a person’s ability to trust others, especially when trust has been violated in the past. The unique ability of the horse to exhibit unconditional acceptance can be a reassuring invitation back into a more pro-social mindset and lifestyle. A positive experience with a horse is often a safe, first step toward initiating closer relationships with people while also instructing participants on the importance of developing and respecting boundaries. Studies show that animal-assisted therapy reduces a person’s levels of anxiety and aggressiveness while increasing cooperativeness and self-acceptance.

Conscious observation of horses in their natural environment reveals that these beautiful and powerful animals are very much like humans in that they are social animals with defined roles within their herds. Their distinct personalities, attitudes, and moods may at times appear familiar to the observer’s own life in that they are sometimes recognized or labeled as stubborn, lazy, passive or defiant. Many people will notice similarities between themselves and the horses’ behaviors and will often relate the dynamics they experience in the session to their relationships and behavioral patterns at home.

Questions the facilitators will often ask are: “how’s that like your life?” and “who does the horse remind you of”? Powerful parallels are always discovered while engaging in EAP, but for some the most interesting and revealing truth in EAP is- “it’s not about the horse”!

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Animal/Pet Therapy

 

Animal-assisted therapy is being used in a wide variety of settings to help people with acute and chronic illnesses. This is based on the many physiological and psychological benefits documented in patients during interactions with animals. These include lowered blood pressure and heart rate, increased beta-endorphin levels, decreased stress levels, reduced feelings of anger, hostility, tension and anxiety, improved social functioning, and increased feelings of empowerment, trust, patience and self-esteem. Animal therapy is looked upon as both learning and healing experience. Participants in animal-assisted activities are often then able to transfer those skills to their own social environments,

GOALS

Increase verbal interactions, attention skills, staying on task.
Increase self-esteem.
Reduce anxiety.
Reduce loneliness.
Motivational.
Improve willingness to be involved in a group activity.
Improve interactions with others.
Improve interactions with staff.
Increase exercise.

BENEFITS     (Compliments of The Delta Society)

Empathy: (Identifying with and understanding the feelings and motives of another).

Outward Focus:  (Bringing individuals out of themselves). Useful for individuals who have mental illness or low self-esteem; rather than thinking and talking about themselves and their problems they watch and talk to and about the animals.

Nurturing: (Promoting the growth and development of another living thing.) This is useful where nurturing skills have not been learned through the traditional channel of their parents. Psychologically, when a person nurtures, his/her need to be nurtured is being fulfilled.

Rapport: (A relationship of mutual trust or a feeling of connection or bonding.) Animals can open a channel of emotionally safe, non-threatening communication between a client and other participants. In this type of learning environment, animals help present an air of emotional safety. When a facilitator has an animal present in a session, s/he "can't be all bad." The animal helps open a path through the person's initial resistance.

Acceptance: (Favorable reception or approval.) Animals have a way of accepting without a care of how a person looks or what they say. An animal's acceptance is nonjudgmental, forgiving, and uncomplicated by the psychological games people play.

Entertainment: At a minimum, the presence of an animal can be entertaining. Even people who don't like animals often enjoy watching their antics and reactions. Especially in residential facilities, most everyone is entertained by the animal’s fun in some way.

Socialization: (Seeking out or enjoying the company of others.) Studies have shown that when dogs are included in healthcare environments, there is more laughter and interaction among residents than during any other "therapy" or entertainment time. In an inpatient setting, the presence of animals encourages socialization in 3 ways: between clients, between clients and staff, and between clients, staff, and family or other visitors. Staff members have reported that it is easier to talk to residents during and after animal interaction and some have reported that it is an especially pleasant time for most.

Mental Stimulation: Mental stimulation occurs because of increased communication with other people, recalled memories, and the entertainment provided by the animals. In situations that are depressing or institutional, the presence of the animals serves to brighten the atmosphere, increasing amusement, laughter, and play. These positive distractions may help to decrease people's feelings of isolation or alienation.

Physical Contact, Touch: Much has been written about the correlation between touch and health. For some people, touch from another person is often invasive or unacceptable, but the warm, furry touch of a dog or cat is safe, non-threatening, and pleasant. Having an animal to hold, hug, and touch can make a world of difference to people who progressing through recovery as many people are better able to relax when animals are present. Tests have shown that the normalization in heart rate and blood pressure can be dramatic

Something More: When they are with animals, some people feel spiritual fulfillment or a sense of oneness with life and nature. Some well-known authors have described their relationships with animals and nature as part of their sustaining life energy and/or part of their communion and relationship with God. Albert Schweitzer, George W. Carver, and J. Allen Boone (author of Kinship with All Life), among others, often expressed this "something more" in their writing and work. Animal-assisted activities programs are endorsed by healthcare providers as effective and beneficial interventions for rehabilitative programs overall.

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Experiential Therapy Rehab

Empirical studies have shown that experiential therapies such as Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy, Art Therapy and Ropes Therapy are able to achieve dramatic results using less time than conventional talk therapy by combining theory with action to promote healing as they work constructively on a problem rather than internalizing it in an unhealthy way or acting out in self-destructive ways. Many patients have reported significant reduction of psychological symptoms to help facilitate recovery as follows:

• less intensity of perceived distress
• fewer compulsive thoughts, impulses and actions
• fewer feelings of inadequacy and inferiority
• fewer symptoms of depression, anxiety, fear, and anger
• a greater orientation to the present
• a tendency to be more independent and self-supportive
• more flexibility
• more sensitivity to their own needs and feelings,
• a greater likelihood to express feelings and be themselves
• improved capacity to develop meaningful interpersonal relationships.

Specifically, the therapies below build skills in the following areas:
EQUINE THERAPY

• Problem Solving
• Personal Responsibility
• Teamwork
• Attitude
• Emotional Growth
• RelationshipBuilding
• Boundaries
• Assertiveness
• Non-verbal communication skills
• Clearing mental and emotional blocks
• Peace of mind
• Resilience
• Social skills
• Empathy

ROPES COURSE

• Leadership development
• Team-building
• Communication
• Problem solving
• Organizational change
• Decision making
• Trust
• Confidence
• Self-esteem

ART THERAPY

• Communication
• Self-esteem
• Grounding
• Time-management
• Self-soothing
• Emotional Growth
• Self-acceptance
• Stress-management
• Self-awareness
• Social skills
• Goal-setting
• Accepting change
• Empathy
• Attention span & ability to focus
• Overcome verbal resistance
• Co-dependency
• Spirituality

Summary
Patients who might benefit most from Experiential Therapy modality include those:

• who have difficulty focusing or a short attention span (they might benefit from an activity-based art program)
• whose verbal expression is compromised; for example, during a period of vulnerability
• who are withdrawn and have difficulty expressing feelings verbally (they might find a safer way to communicate)
• who express themselves more easily through “hands-on” activity, who will, therefore, feel comfortable with this mode of expression.
• who intellectualize but might lower their defenses through participation.
• with a language barrier, who might feel more competent in a group where visual communication and/or participation in an activity is emphasized and activity outcomes are used as an aid for discussions.

http://www.vincecartersanctuary.org/

The Vince Carter Sanctuary art therapy program provides a safe and powerful outlet for creative expression where participants are encouraged to quiet the mind, let go of worry and simply trust the process of artistic intuition. It is a place where there are very few rules and no mistakes, and what is created is never judged or analyzed but simply honored in its authenticity.
Our art makers learn how to be sensitive and compassionate storytellers, giving the soul a voice through colors and shapes at a pace that is emotionally comfortable using drawing, painting, sculpting, collage and crafts.  Doubt and tension melt away as faith overtakes insecurity and embraces the freedom and imagination necessary to push past limitations into new vistas of hope.
The healing power released through art therapy helps guide us toward higher levels of competence, motivation and inner peace. By reconnecting with the innate creative process we help foster within ourselves health-giving confidence and self-esteem; moving away from negative self-talk and criticism into self-acceptance and satisfaction.
Art therapy promotes relaxation and stabilization, even optimism as each person is able to accomplish and decide what their art needs to be that day, and learn to let go of what it is not.  Acceptance plays a vital role as we endeavor to push past the rejection and negativity that has chained us to our perceived inadequacies and constricted our ability to grow. At first it may be challenging to trust and relinquish control to a higher creative power but doing so helps allow our feelings to exist and express what words cannot.
The goal in Art therapy is to express ourselves authentically and spontaneously; to simply enjoy the life-affirming pleasures of the creative experience. As each person develops their own zone of safety in the exploration of imagination the journey beckons us to take risks and give ourselves permission to fail if necessary, while seeking the capacity to  “…..embrace the serenity to accept the things we cannot change; courage to change the things we can; and wisdom to know the difference”.

 http://www.vincecartersanctuary.org/