At Skye Therapy Solutions, a typical EAP session is a calm, relationship-based experience involving a licensed clinician, the client (in a 1:1 setting), and a small group of horses who are free to move and interact naturally.
Sessions begin gently, often by connecting with a mini horse or observing the herd. This slow, intentional start helps build a sense of safety and trust between the client, clinician, and horses. As this connection deepens, sessions naturally progress into deeper therapeutic work.
Clients may engage in interactive activities such as:
- Offering choices to the horses using toys or ground poles
- Creating symbolic representations (like building a “home” with cones)
- Mapping out life experiences through visual timelines
- Using bilateral stimulation
The horses respond authentically through their body language, providing real-time, nonverbal feedback. With guidance from the clinician, clients learn to interpret these responses, gaining insight into their emotions, anxiety, and patterns of behavior.
A key part of the process is helping clients tune into both the horse’s and their own nervous system. Clients are encouraged to notice signs of stress or regulation, while the clinician supports nervous system reset and teaches how horses naturally regulate within the herd.
This is just one example of the work offered through The Icarus Model®. Sessions may also incorporate:
- Equid Nexus Internal Family Systems (IFS) – “parts work” supported by horses
- Equine Somatic Pathways – relational, body-based connection and awareness
Each session is tailored to the individual, meeting clients where they are while fostering insight, regulation, and meaningful change.