NSU Horizons Fall 2017

33 NSU HORIZONS NSU’s equine-assisted family therapy program (EAFT) received $50,000 from the Quell Foundation as a five-year pledge to fund scholarships for NSU students. “EAFT requires no horse experience, and most clients arrive with no horse knowledge at all,” said Kevin Lynch, a Navy veteran who created the Quell Foundation to edu- cate communities about mental health issues. “Horses pick up on the subtleties of human behavior. They respond to their environment and activity around them, and our therapists can use the horses’ reactions to facilitate clients’ growth and change.” NSU’s EAFT model is the first of its kind to be offered by a nationally accredited family therapy program. Shelley Green, Ph.D., professor in NSU’s College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, and Valerie Judd, of Stable Place, the program’s community partner, founded the program in 2009. Students work with clients with the aid of a licensed mental health profes- sional and an equine specialist. Engaging the clients with the horses allows the therapist to directly observe family interactions. This can make it easier for the student therapist and client to discuss feelings, behaviors, and observations sparked by the session, and allow the clients to experiment with change in the moment. The scholarships will increase the number of students who can learn this new form of therapy. n QUELL FOUNDATION GIVES BOOST TO EQUINE THERAPY Kevin Lynch, of the Quell Foundation, takes a hands-on approach to NSU’s equine-assisted family therapy program, with Valerie Judd, of Stable Place, the program’s community partner. Saddle Up! Visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEmkerdw5H0&feature=youtu.be to see a video about equine therapy at NSU.