-Thich Nhat Hanh
Since I was a little girl I have
always had a passion for and a gift for working with horses. When I was in High
School I knew that I would have a career within the therapeutic field. As I
grew older and did more research, I discovered that there was a way to combine
these two fabulous categories; Equine Facilitated Therapy (AKA: Equine
Facilitated Learning). There are different types of EFT but they all endorse
the principle of helping people through the way of the horse regardless of what
the person may be troubled by (psychological, physical, emotional, spiritual,
etc.).
Deborah Arthur and her Capstone
Course at Portland State University, “Mobilizing Hope”, has given me the
opportunity to further explore my interest in EFT through working with HOPE
Equestrian in Central Point, Oregon.
As you can see, while there are
only two certified instructors and one executive director, there are countless
volunteers ready to help and learn. The staff was phenomenal in their
communication skills, willingness to help volunteers with things they may not
have encountered before, and most of all, were more than incredible with the
students. This particular program sees a wide multitude of diagnoses as well as
physically and/or mentally impaired and has made leaps and bounds of
improvement with their students. What I found the most rewarding and fun was
connecting with the students. Especially when you could connect with and help
someone who experiences a completely different reality than you do. Even after
this course has ended, I still plan on volunteering in the future.
The
books that were assigned this course also contributed to my learning
experience: The
Impossible Will Take a Little While by Paul Loeb, Living Faith by Curtis Paul
DeYoung,, and Mobilizing Hope by Adam Taylor. They spoke of mystic
activists who fought for what they believed in even if they had to do some
things or act in ways they were not the most happy about. Some of the amazing
stories and hardships we read about were off Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Dalai Lama,
Malcolm X, Nelson Mandela, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, Mother
Teresa, and many others. One of the most important points that really resonated
with me this term was that it takes small steps to make monumental changes;
just as I have felt within my experience at HOPE Equestrian. Small moments
spent with the students there created a ripple effect of positive change within
their lives. We must never forget that no matter how great or how small, every
moment, intention, thought, and action makes a powerful difference.
Brandy Stromme, Spring 2014
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