EAP at Work in the World… Jeannette Galarneau in Saskatchewan Canada continues to report great progress for EAP. The first EAGALA Level I EAP training held in Canada, which she and Nathalie Berard hosted, appeared in several newspaper articles reporting on the event, including the Regina Leader-Post and The Radville Star. Jeannette started an EAP program she calls Kamp Koko-Moko. Last year she ran a pilot project for the South Central Health District Community Health Services in which she ran two one-week Kamp Koko-Moko programs. The Review, Weyburn, Saskatchewan, reported the following, “Schultz (Duane Schultz, vice-president of Community Health Services) also presented a comprehensive report on Mental health and Addiction Services, highlighting the results of the equine therapy program text-driven several months ago. The program involved using animals, specifically horses, as supplements to psychotherapy in treating children. “Four months later, the progress these children have made during this one-week program has lasted,” he said. Jeannette was able to conduct Kamp Koko-Moko again this year. She received the following letter regarding the camp: “June 22, 2001. I would like to take this opportunity to extend my appreciation for the opportunity that the students at the Bridge School (Alternate High School for students age 15-19) were invited to attend last week near Radville. When Jeanette called me to explain the Equine Therapy Program that she, Mark Penny and Maureen Redakopp were involved in, I knew that the students at the Bridge School would greatly benefit from the opportunity to be involved with Kamp Koko-Moko. I was not disappointed with the decision to have the students attend the camp; rather it exceeded my expectations of the benefits of an equine therapeutic approach to dealing with “at-risk teens.” It was a very challenging week for the students and it became a true test of their strengths as individuals and as a team working together to accomplish a task. The bond between horse and student was an incredible thing to witness on the last day of camp. It was evident to me that each student was drawn to the horse that possessed similar personality traits as him/herself. Perhaps there is some kind of instant bond between the two that transcends definition. Traditional programs attempt to build “trust” or a bond that takes extended periods of time whereas there appears to be a stronger bond between the horse and teen in a very short period of time. This allows for the therapeutic “self-healing” to begin much sooner. Through the many activities that were set up to engage the student involvement with the horse, I was able to witness things that I had not witnessed in the previous 10 months that I have been involved with the students. The determination to go beyond one's comfort zone, to accept the challenge and follow through to completion was incredible. The student had to find the inner strength to meet the demand placed upon him of the horse, the task and the team. What I witnessed was the horse becoming the extension of the student and the student learning to control the Horse (self) to accomplish goals and challenges both as an individual and as a team. The students were able to articulate what was happening as they realized what was necessary to have happen within themselves in order to have success with the horse. They could then go beyond themselves to become concerned with the success of the group (citizenship.) These are life long skills that each and every one of us needs in order to become a “true” success in life. This program is truly one of the best I have ever seen in the 25 years I have been working with children at risk. Yours truly, Colleen Eberts Bridge School Coordinator Jeannette has also written a book with story and workbook for children called “Tony the Pony Is Full Of Baloney” about the importance of honesty. If you are interested in this book or would like more information on the work Jeannette is doing with Kamp Koko-Moko, you can contact her at jgalarneau@sk.sympatico.ca. Articles of Interest Article #1 Title: Equine Assisted Psychotherapy by Julie K. Trevelyn What it's about: the benefits of Equine Assisted Psychotherapy, how it works, and the issues EAP addresses. Article #2 Title: EAP from a Gestalt Therapist's Perspective by Catherine Johnson What it's about: the principles of Gestalt therapy that are basis of EAP and their application to the work. Article #3 Title: EAP at Work in the World by Jeannette Galarneau What it's about: a camp program for 'at risk' teens and the benefits gained by participants. Article #4 Title: Safety First on the Ground by Greg Kersten What it's about: safety tips for being around horses. Article #5 Title: Straight from the Horse's Mouth: The Truth about Equine-Assisted Therapy by Greg Kersten and Lynn Thomas What it's about: how EAP began, what happens in an EAP session, the type of clients that can benefit, and the outcomes. Article #6 Title: Equine Assisted Growth and Learning: Q & A Sheet by Winning Strides What it's about: Frequently Asked Questions. Article #7 Title: Why Should Administrators Support EAP? To Sierra Boys Ranch What it's about: how to pitch EAP to your agency's administration team. Article #8 Title: Safety or Control by Laurie Messner What it's about: the controversy about whether or not keeping clients safe is really about too much control.