“This was a phenomenal day for me.” Participant, Equine Support for Post-Traumatic Growth
June 27, 2016 marked the first Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Day in Alberta. The private members bill was brought forward by MLA Nicole Goehring and received unanimous support in the legislature.
Since September, 2015, The Mane Intent has hosted an Equine Support for Post-Traumatic Growth workshop for Bellwood Health Services Addiction and PTSD/OSI Services clients. To date, almost 50 individuals from across the country have participated in a day with our herd of horses that includes a mixture of individual and group activities providing participants with an opportunity to:
- Explore what they need in terms of support for recovery and wellness
- Practice mindfulness and self-care
- Explore their need for connection, emotional regulation and greater self-awareness.
Following each session, participants are asked to rate their day on a scale of 1 – 5 (very useful). To date, 85% of participants scored the day as very useful (5/5) and 14% scored the day as useful (4/5). Participants have described their experience as “profound”, “eye-opening”, “up-lifting”, “enlightening”, and a “gift.”
So we’re pleased to share a big shout out to the Bellwood Health Services Addiction and PTSD Clinical Services team for providing us with this special opportunity to work with their clients as part of their journey to better health and wellness.
To strengthen the trauma-informed approach to our offering of Equine Support for Post-Traumatic Growth, we’re also pleased to announce that The Mane Intent’s Owner/Program Director Jennifer Garland has received a Certificate in Trauma Counselling for Front-line Workers from the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto.
This six-day intensive program was delivered by the very knowledgeable and talented Natalie Zlodre, M.S.W., R.S.W. Natalie was head of the Trauma and Resiliency Centre and Associate Director of Training at the Gail Appel Institute, Hincks-Dellcrest Centre. She is currently Director of Community Resources and Initiatives, a trauma-informed consulting firm. Her professional focus is in the areas of: acute trauma, developmental/complex trauma and the impact of trauma on professionals and on mental health services. Natalie also provides clinical consultation and supervision to mental health professionals and organizations. Her theoretical framework is trauma-informed and strength-based.
The following facts and stats about the prevalence and cause of PTSD were shared by Ms. Zlodre as part of the program:
- 8% of the population will develop PTSD at some point in their lives
- Females: 9.7%, Males: 3.6% (National Comorbidity Study, USA, Kessler, 1995)
- Canadian Study: 81% male, 74% female (Stein et al 1997)
Types of trauma include:
- Natural disasters: 3%
- Combat: 40% (Life time: Men 30%; Women 26%)
- Rape: 50% (94% first week, 50% after one year)
- Crime victims: female victims have 5 time rate of PTSD vs non-crime
- Motor Vehicle Accident: 300,000 Canadians are physically injured each year
- Domestic Violence: 16% of marriages, high rate of PTSD, depression, substance abuse and suicidal ideation and attempts
- Heart attack: 25% (Kutz et al, 1994)
- Burn victims: 45% (Tarrier, 1995)
For more information on our Equine Support for Post-Traumatic Growth Workshop, please contact Jennifer Garland at 705-295-6618 or jgarland@themaneintent.ca
