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Important Disclaimer

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We do not provide crisis care or counseling over the phone or internet. If you are experiencing a crisis or have an emergency, please call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.

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Mailing Address

22052 W 66th St. # 207

Shawnee, KS 66226

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Farm Location

Call for Address

Leavenworth, Kansas 66048

 

Therapeutic & Business Center

2722 N 155th St

Basehor, KS 66226

Tel: 913-210-5678

info@horsesandheroes.org

Attention New Applicants

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Applications for individual counseling for the 2024 season are closed. Please check back in the spring of 2025 for availability.

Please call 9-8-8 if you are needing to find immediate resources.

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Application for Services

  • Where is Horses & Heroes located?
    We are currently located in Leavenworth County, just north of Basehor, Kansas
  • Do I need to have horse experience to participate?
    No horse experience is required to participate in equine-assisted services.
  • What is Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP)
    EAP is a mental health practice of incorporating horses into the counseling session. All sessions are ground-based (No riding), solution-focused, with a licensed, qualified and certified team. Our horses are rescued or have been donated and come with their own stories of trauma, abuse, and neglect. EAP is unlike traditional therapy in that we are outdoors, doing instead of sitting, observing the horses and allowing each person to make their own interpretations and solutions.
  • Who does Horses & Heroes serve?
    ​​​​​​​We work with veterans and active military (any status - combat and non-combat), first responders (active or retired), and their families. We offer confidential counseling sessions. Eligible participants can attend up to 8 session at no cost. After those 8 sessions, there are additional options to continue services, which can be discussed with your treatment team. For more information, give us a call at 913-210-5678 or email us at info@horsesandheroes.org.
  • What kind of sessions do you offer?
    We offer individual, couple, and family sessions. We also coordinate group and corporate sessions. For more information, give us a call at 913-210-5678 or email us at info@horsesandheroes.org.
  • Why do you use horses?
    We allow our team of horses to simply be themselves and this is what makes them wonderful co-therapists. We are often asked if we have trained them to do or respond in certain ways, but we don’t. What you get from a horse is their natural and authentic response to you. Horses are very in tune with their environment, always aware of threat and safety so they also pick up on what is going on in us. It is like a mirror reflecting how real or disguised a person is, how congruent or incongruent. They assist our therapy in many ways, but a few common ones include: Helping clients to regulate emotions and energy by calming and grounding Teaching clients to communicate clearly and effectively In the face of a large and powerful animal they teach clients how to build trust and feel more confident and empowered. A horse’s ability to give honest and direct feedback helps to increase insight and self-awareness. Also, by combining all the elements of nature, equine-assisted work, and psychotherapy you will have an experience that engages your entire body and brain which is a highly effective way to process difficult experiences and learn new ways of being.
  • What concerns do you treat?
    ​​​​​​​We effectively treat anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, communication problems, behavioral issues, anger, grief, life transitions, and traumatic and chronic stress. For more information, give us a call at 913-210-5678 or email us at info@horsesandheroes.org.
  • What can I expect from counseling sessions with Horses & Heroes?
    Your initial session will last about 90 min including meeting with your team to discuss treatment goals before going out to the horses. They are held outdoors in a beautiful, calming setting surrounded by nature and fresh air. You will need to wear clothing and shoes (closed toe)acceptable for outdoor setting. They are co-facilitated by a licensed mental health professional and an EAGALA (Equine-Assisted Growth and Learning Association) certified equine specialist. Your team also includes our horses. You will be interacting with the horses in a variety of ways (ground-based, no riding involved) to assist your treatment goals and learn about yourself, others, and how to heal and grow. For more information, give us a call at 913-210-5678 or email us at info@horsesandheroes.org.
  • Will I get to ride a horse during my sessions?
    Horses & Heroes follows a ground-based model so riding is not an option at this time.
  • How can I trust you'll be able to understand my problems and provide beneficial help to me or my family?
    We require our counselors and equine specialists to have knowledge and understanding of military and first responder cultures. Our counselors are also trained in variety of mental health theories and interventions and have in-depth knowledge of traumatic and chronic stress. Our program is trauma-informed meaning the teams you work with understand trauma, its origins, symptoms, and how to prevent retraumatizing clients. For more information, give us a call at 913-210-5678 or email us at info@horsesandheroes.org.
  • What if the problems I want counseling for aren't work, service, or combat related?
    We will help you regardless of whether you think your concerns are related to your work or service. It’s not always clear to people where their current distress is rooted, but we are here to help you uncover that and heal. Feel free to contact us and ask questions to determine if we are a good fit for your current concerns and goals. For more information, give us a call at 913-210-5678 or email us at info@horsesandheroes.org.
  • How much will my sessions cost?
    Thanks to the wonderful support from our private donors, grant funding, and corporate sponsors, equine sessions are free for military and first responder service members.
  • What if someone else in my family wants counseling?
    It can be very beneficial to include loved ones and members of your family in your therapy. Your sessions can be tailored to be individual, couples, or family. For families and couples, equine-assisted counseling is very helpful in improving communication, learning to work together effectively, and increasing connection. If you have a spouse/partner, or child/children that want services of their own, we offer a reduced rate of $75 per session. Those fees go back into the program to continue supporting our services. For more information, give us a call at 913-210-5678 or email us at info@horsesandheroes.org.
  • What if we are not affiliated with the military or first responder populations?
    Fee-based Equine Assisted Psychotherapy is availabel to all through Bold Horse Solutions. Family-focused sessions from ages 4-80. www.BoldHorseSolutions.com or call 913-396-8064
  • What do Group and/or Corporate sessions look like?
    Corporate, clinical, and educational groups have found our services to be very beneficial in helping improve their work relationships by learning and practicing clear and healthy communication styles, increasing listening skills, building team cohesion, and creating connection. Clinical groups have also found that bringing patients to engage in EAP has increased insights into themselves, supported coping and grounding skills by real time practice, helped in emotion regulation and deeper expression and processing of concerns that they are working on in treatment. Overall, we receive feedback that their patients, students, employees, etc. time in the arena supports and deepens the work they are already doing, making goals easier to achieve. For more information, give us a call at 913-210-5678 or email us at info@horsesandheroes.org.
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