Understanding of therapists’ experiences and perceptions of equine facilitated psychotherapy, an interpretative phenomenological study

Equine-Facilitated Psychotherapy (EFP) is a form of animal-assisted therapy that seeks to address mental health issues. Previous works have been centered on what the clients experience, this interpretative phenomenological analysis study focuses on the lived experiences of six EFP therapists. It aims to bring out how they were affected personally and professionally by being part of EFP approach.

Four superordinate themes emerged from the analysis: EFP as an "Arena of Growth," an "Unconventional Therapy Session," a personal growth via "Living the Experience, Learning from Equines," and a field presenting unique "Challenges." Participants highlighted the transformative power of the horse-human bond, the experiential nature of EFP sessions, and the profound personal development they experienced through their work. They also identified challenges related to equine welfare, environmental limitations, financial accessibility, and the need for further research to substantiate EFP's efficacy.

These results provide useful information about what it means to be an EFP therapist which can help in understanding this new area better. They highlight some areas that should be investigated by future researchers including how different methods work together with EFPs and looking at long term effects on well-being and professional growth among therapists involved in such programmes. Moreover, there is need for wider recognition through stronger evidence base showing its efficacy as a therapeutic approach.