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Veterans benefit from equine therapy at Warrior Camp December 27, 2016, 12:13 pmThree Willows counseling takes a unique approach to fostering mental and emotional health by providing not only the guidance of professional counselors, but also the four-legged therapeutic assistance of horses. Three Willows also provides counseling that helps families improve their communication and relationships. Three Willows Counseling hosted the Warrior Camp event to help veterans who, because of their unique individual experiences and traumas, needed to be with other veterans to help maximize their therapy. The week-long Warrior Camp provided an opportunity for active duty and veteran military women and men to gather together to share their common and individual experiences with each other under the supervision and therapy of counselors and horses. According to Three Willows personnel, veterans not only received help coping with physical disabilities and emotional challenges stemming from military service and combat situations, they also received help coping with their everyday lives. "They are given the support and skills needed to heal from their experiences at no cost to the veteran," according to Three Willows personnel. At the Warrior Camp, veterans were given a therapy known as "equine assisted psychotherapy" As one veteran put it, "I was having a really bad day, but then you brought in Annie (a large draft-cross horse) and everything changed." Another veteran explained the equine therapy experience by saying, "It's like he is my guide through the therapy process." According to counselors, neither riding nor horsemanship instruction is provided, yet there is "healing, understanding and growth" nonetheless. During this year's Warrior Camp, veterans and staff were greeted by Special Forces and Utah National Guard members who jumped from a UH- 60 Blackhawk helicopter. Major General Jefferson Burton was in attendance and had the opportunity to observe an equine session with the veterans. Three Willows Counseling hosted the event, but many others contributed to its success. Camp Williams provided housing during the retreat and Special Courses catered the meals. Lee Brown of Brown Realty provided the arena for the event. Horses for the event were provided by not only Three Willows, but also by Janet Wyman and Kim Shaffer of Rush Valley. Also, volunteers from two Army Reserve units helped prepare the camp and provided supplies. Cross Fit at the Point used profits from a fundraiser to donate to the camp. Financial donations were also provided by many others. Participants at Warrior Camp had the opportunity to say goodbye at the end of the week by attending a dinner at the Officer's Club at Camp Williams. Each veteran was provided with a hoof pick to remind them not to "let the hard stuff build up in your lives, continue to care for your needs, clean out the debris." One veteran who benefited from the event summed up the experience by saying, "This was a life-changing program." Three Willows Counseling can be contacted at 801-766-8133. The community news source for Eagle Mountain Utah, Saratoga Springs Utah, Lehi Utah, American Fork Utah, Highland Utah, Alpine Utah, and The Cedar Valley, including Cedar Fort Utah and Fairfield Utah. Copyright 2024 The Crossroads Journal LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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