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Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy: A Creative Approach to Mental Health Treatment
No full textAs mental health needs and trends continue to evolve, so does the treatment landscape. Alternative therapeutic approaches are gaining recognition alongside traditional talk therapy. One such treatment approach is equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP), which incorporates horses into sessions to enhance clients\u27 psychological, emotional, and social well-being. This presentation addresses the efficacy and applications of EAP through an examination of current literature and empirical studies. An emphasis will be placed on EAP\u27s theoretical foundations, documented outcomes, and mechanisms of therapeutic change within the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association (EAGALA) framework.
A significant contribution to the effectiveness of EAP is its unique integration of experiential learning and non-verbal communication through horse-human interaction. Unlike traditional talk therapy, this approach facilitates therapeutic processes through direct experience. The horse serves as a metaphor, representing themes, symbols, or obstacles, creating a narrative in real time that often mirrors internal dialogues and patterns in clients\u27 lives. The unique environment and interaction with the horse provide immediate feedback on clients\u27 emotional states and behaviors, creating new pathways for emotional regulation and personal insight.
Research findings demonstrate promising outcomes across multiple domains, including reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression, improved emotional regulation, enhanced social skills, and increased self-awareness. These results suggest particular benefits for clients who struggle with traditional talk therapy or require more experiential approaches to healing. However, significant challenges remain, including the need for larger-scale empirical studies, standardized assessment tools, and consistent methodologies across programs.
This presentation addresses both the promises and limitations of this emerging therapeutic approach, with special attention to ethical considerations, including equine welfare and client safety. Additionally, it explores practical implications for mental health professionals and considerations for making EAP more accessible to underserved populations, contributing to the growing body of knowledge on alternative therapeutic interventions in mental health treatment
The Impact of Sex and Heat Exposure Schedule on Heat Acclimation
Full text linkFemales are underrepresented in thermoregulatory research and thus there is a need to examine how sex-related differences impact heat acclimation. Moreover, current global heatwave incidences warrant investigation into optimizing strategies for human tolerance to heat. PURPOSE: Determine how sex and temporally partitioning identical heat exposure time impacts heat acclimation. METHODS: Over a week, 30 females and 30 males were heat acclimated daily (38°C, 60% RH) on a treadmill (1.6 m·s-1, 5% grade) in one of two 90-minute exposure groups. Sustained groups completed 90-minute sessions continuously and periodic groups completed three separate 30-minute sessions 3 hours apart. Heat exposure time was identical across four groups of 15 participants: sustained male, sustained female, periodic male, and periodic female. On Days 1, 4, and 7 body temperatures, sweat metrics, and skin blood flow (SkBF) were measured during the first 30 minutes of heat exposure. RESULTS: Sex differences were present throughout heat acclimation. Core (p0.05). Regardless of group, core temperature at onset of sweat decreased throughout heat acclimation (37.3±0.4, 37.2±0.4, 37.1±0.5°C, pCONCLUSION: Thermoregulatory sex-differences are present prior to and continue throughout 7-days of heat acclimation. Only the sustained group experienced physiological changes indicative of heat acclimation whereas the periodic group did not. Thus, temporally partitioning identical heat exposure time insufficiently induces heat acclimation
Cytoplasmic Protein Responses to Load-Carriage Intervention
Full text linkPURPOSE: Examine the effect of a five-day hiking intervention with load carriage on cytoplasmic protein fractional synthetic rates in apparently healthy males and females. METHOD: 18 recreationally active participants (8M, 10F; 28 ± 6 yr; VO₂peak: 47.7 ± 8.2 mL･kg-1･min-1) consumed labeled (2H2O) water for 10 days prior and throughout a 5-day pack-loaded hiking protocol. Participants completed two 60-minute hiking laps, with distance and elevation gain of 3.3 ± 0.6 km, 431 ± 86 m per lap, respectively. Participants returned to the starting point between each lap and rested for 15 minutes. Intensity was controlled at 70% of age-predicted HRmax, averaging 135 ± 4 bpm, and weighted hiking packs were worn during each hike and normalized to 30% of DXA derived fat-free mass. Total daily hiking time was 3:40:15 ± 0:13:22 (h:mm:ss). This protocol was repeated each day for 5 days. Muscle biopsies were taken from the vastus lateralis on days 10 and 16 (pre and post load carriage intervention) and analyzed for fractional synthesis of cytoplasmic-related proteins using mass spectrometric analysis. RESULT: Fractional synthetic rates of beta-actin like protein 2 (ACTB2), heat shock protein 90-alpha (HSP90a), alpha actinin-3 (ACTN3), SRSF protein kinase 2 (SRPK2), and caskin-2 (CSKI2) all decreased (p \u3c 0.05). Creatine kinase M-type (CKM), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), triosephosphate isomerase (TPI1) heat shock protein beta-1 (HSPB1), Parkinson-disease protein 7 (PARK7), Kelch-like protein 41 (KLHL41) and ethanolamine kinase 1 (ENTK1) all increased (p \u3c 0.05). 27 other cytoplasmic proteins were unchanged (p \u3e 0.05). CONCLUSION: These data suggest that fractional synthetic rates of cytoplasmic proteins are sensitive to the intervention and duration of a five-day hiking protocol with load carriage in men and women
Craig Cowie and Constance Van Kley on the legal questions of Trump’s second term (part two)
Full text linkIn part two of our conversation with University of Montana law professors Craig Cowie and Constance Van Kley, we continue the discussion about the constitutional challenges emerging in the early days of President Trump’s second term. The conversation delves into the implications of shutting down the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the looming government funding deadline, and the legal complexities surrounding executive power. They explore key lawsuits, the role of the judiciary, and what happens if the executive branch refuses to comply with court orders.https://scholarworks.umt.edu/anewangle_podcasts/1384/thumbnail.jp
