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Operation HOPE directors outline benefits of equine-assisted therapy

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A Holmdel resident and a Freehold Township resident are bringing an equine-assisted therapy program to Monmouth County that will offer assistance to individuals who are dealing with mental health issues.

Operation HOPE is directed by Brooke Lichter of Holmdel and Sara Velez of Freehold Township. They said the program focuses on providing equine-assisted psychotherapy to first responders and their family members.

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The program also facilitates equine-assisted activities and therapies to children, teenagers and adults who are dealing with mental health issues.

“Anxiety, depression, trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder all share the challenge of disconnection from self, from other people and/or the community,” Lichter and Velez said.

“By engaging with the therapeutic team of a mental health professional, a horse professional and one or more horses, we can impact and improve the physiology and the psychology of our clients, creating lasting change well beyond the therapeutic benefits of simply being with animals,” they said.

According to Operation HOPE, Lichter and Velez are licensed social workers and certified through the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association (EAGLA) as equine specialists in mental health and learning.

“Horses are majestic and beautiful animals,” Lichter and Velez said. “They are sensitive animals, compassionate, intuitive and honest, and each has their own unique personality.  These are just some of the reasons why horses make for great partners in therapy sessions.

“Equine therapy is on the ground (not riding) and collaborative, joining the efforts of a licensed clinical mental health professional and a horse professional who work side by side with horses to reach the individual’s goals,” they said.

“Horses mirror people’s emotions and this is what makes them so unique. Just the act of petting an animal releases Oxytocin, the feel good hormone, in the human and the horse and that is mutually beneficial. Horses are social in nature, respond to non-verbal communication and are extremely sensitive, therefore providing immediate feedback.”

Lichter and Velez said the benefits of equine-assisted therapy would include an increase in one’s ability to trust others, a decrease in stress and anxiety, increased self-acceptance and self-confidence/self-esteem, increased feelings of personal safety and an increase in a person’s ability to understand boundaries.

They said the therapy helps to increase social skills, interpersonal interactions and social interactions, and leads to an increase of interest in attending school, while decreasing social withdrawal.

“We are looking to open our doors to the brave first responders who have been essential during the coronavirus outbreak,” they said.

For more information, visit operationhopenj.com or call 732-497-8078.

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