Animal therapy is providing comfort and strength to patients with anxiety and depression

Animal therapies have a huge impact in boosting recovery for the people who use our services and are highly valued by staff.

The Charity was delighted to fund ‘Horse Wisdom for Wellbeing’ sessions for suitable candidates being supported by the Teignbridge Community Mental Health Team. Staff were impressed by the marked changes in many of the participants as the sessions progressed, particularly improvements in mental state, outlook and mood. Through the group work, participants were encouraged to explore new insights into their mental health and increase their knowledge of how to live better with their experiences.

One participant wrote about what the sessions meant to her: “The team at Horsemanship for Health created an environment of warmth, safety and compassion, and with every week I attended, I grew in confidence, and felt supported to come out of my shell and flourish. Everyone participating was listened to and valued. Everyone’s voice and experience was met with kindness and acceptance. Everyone was in a place of recovery from our individual struggles, all at different stages of life and healing, but so united in our search for peace of mind.”