If it feels disheartening to learn that trauma changes the brain, remember healing changes the brain too
Anon
Child Abuse and Attachment Wounds
Child Abuse and Attachment Wounds
Child Abuse and Attachment Wounds
Child abuse, particularly in early developmental years, can lead to profound attachment wounds, affecting a person’s ability to form healthy relationships and regulate emotions throughout life.
When a child experiences abuse—whether physical, emotional, sexual, or neglect—it disrupts their sense of safety and connection, leading to attachment wounds that manifest in various ways.
Sibling Abuse
Child Abuse and Attachment Wounds
Child Abuse and Attachment Wounds
Sibling abuse is often under recognised and under reported.
Sibling abuse is often dismissed as “sibling rivalry,” despite evidence that it can have severe, lasting effects (Perkins & Perkins, 2019).
Victims of sibling abuse report similar PTSD symptoms to those experienced by survivors of parental abuse (Khan & Cooke, 2021).
Experiencing a
Sibling abuse is often under recognised and under reported.
Sibling abuse is often dismissed as “sibling rivalry,” despite evidence that it can have severe, lasting effects (Perkins & Perkins, 2019).
Victims of sibling abuse report similar PTSD symptoms to those experienced by survivors of parental abuse (Khan & Cooke, 2021).
Experiencing abuse from a sibling is associated with later aggression, social withdrawal, and difficulties in peer relationships (Tucker et al., 2013).
Sexual Assault
Child Abuse and Attachment Wounds
Sexual Assault
Sexual assault has lasting effects on survivors, affecting emotional, psychological, physical, and social well-being.
Impacts are wide ranging and include:
Flashbacks, nightmares, and anxiety. Internalized guilt can hinder healing. Survivors can engage in emotional detachment as a coping mechanism.
You may also experience difficulty in relationships and social withdrawal.
How can Equine Assisted Psychotherapy help?
Equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP) can be highly effective for abuse survivors, providing a unique, non-verbal approach to healing. Here's how it helps:
Restoring Trust & Safety
Many survivors struggle with trust and safety due to past trauma. Horses are sensitive, non-judgmental animals that respond to human emotions, helping survivors rebuild a sense of security and connection.
Emotional Regulation & Trauma Processing
Interacting with horses helps survivors recognize and regulate emotions in a calm, supportive environment.
Groundwork activities (like grooming and leading) encourage mindfulness, reducing anxiety and PTSD symptoms.
Empowerment & Boundaries
Learning to communicate with a horse fosters assertiveness and confidence, which can be crucial for those who have experienced powerlessness in abuse situations.
Horses require clear boundaries and consistency, helping survivors practice these skills in a safe space.
Nonverbal Healing & Connection
Traditional talk therapy can be difficult for trauma survivors. Equine therapy allows for healing without words, as survivors build a connection through movement and energy rather than conversation.
Nervous System Regulation
The presence of horses has been shown to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting relaxation and reducing hypervigilance often associated with trauma.
Rebuilding Relationships
Survivors often experience isolation and detachment. Developing a bond with a horse can be a stepping stone toward rebuilding trust in human relationships.
Would you like more details on specific equine therapy techniques or case studies on its effectiveness for abuse survivors?
Healing from Trauma: Rebuilding Trust and Safety with Horses
Survivors of childhood or sibling abuse, and sexual assault, often carry the burden of trauma deep within their bodies and minds.
The trauma they’ve experienced can lead to a lifetime of struggle with emotional numbness, feelings of isolation, and a mistrust of others. Many survivors find themselves stuck in patterns of freeze, flight, fight, or fawn, all adaptive responses to abuse that can be difficult to shed even after the trauma has ended.
Equine-assisted psychotherapy provides an opportunity for these survivors to reconnect with their bodies, regain trust in themselves and others, and find peace through gentle interactions with horses.
The Impact of Trauma: Survival Responses
- Racehorses: Trained for high-pressure environments, racehorses are often taught to suppress their natural instincts. Whether it’s the instinct to flee or to freeze in fear, they are conditioned to override these responses in order to perform.
- Abuse and Assault Survivors: Survivors of abuse often adapt by developing coping mechanisms that help them survive but may not serve them well in the long term. They may respond with fight (defending themselves), flight (escaping the situation), freeze (shutting down emotionally), or fawn (pleasing the abuser to prevent harm). These survival strategies, while effective in the short term, can lead to emotional dysregulation and feelings of mistrust and loneliness as the trauma remains unresolved.
Breaking the Cycle of Freeze, Flight, Fight, and Fawn
- Racehorses: Horses on the racetrack often remain in a state of heightened arousal, forced to override their instinctual responses to stress and fear in order to perform. They are taught to hold back flight responses, freeze to avoid confrontation, or continue to race even in the face of discomfort.
- Abuse and Assault Survivors: Trauma survivors often stay stuck in these survival states long after the traumatic events have passed. Freeze leads to emotional shutdown, flight causes avoidance of triggering situations, fight creates anger and defensiveness, and fawn compels them to over-please others in order to feel safe. These patterns can leave survivors feeling disconnected from themselves and others, making it difficult to navigate healthy relationships and emotions.
Mistrust, Loneliness, and the Need for Connection
- Racehorses: In high-pressure environments, racehorses often face isolation and mistrust of their handlers. They are trained to perform under intense scrutiny, leaving little room for authentic connection or emotional expression.
- Abuse and Assault Survivors: Survivors of abuse often feel a deep sense of mistrust towards others, especially those in positions of authority. Whether it’s the betrayal of a family member or the violation of their personal boundaries, survivors struggle to trust anyone, even themselves. Loneliness often becomes an ever-present companion as they feel disconnected from the world and unable to share their pain.
Reconnecting with the Self: Finding Peace and Safety
- Racehorses: Retired racehorses thrive when they are given the freedom to move naturally, form gentle bonds, and experience a more peaceful, supportive environment free from the pressures of performance.
- Abuse and Assault Survivors: Healing requires a safe, nurturing space where survivors can let down their guard and begin to process their trauma. The path to recovery is one that requires trust, space, and time to rebuild a sense of safety that was lost in the wake of their experiences.
A Shared Healing Journey
The bond between survivors of abuse and retired racehorses is profound. Both have experienced the weight of survival in high-stress environments, and both carry the emotional imprint of their pasts.
Equine-assisted psychotherapy provides an opportunity for healing through shared connection, trust, and the freedom to explore emotional responses in a supportive, understanding environment.
In the presence of horses, survivors begin to rebuild their sense of self and safety. They are reminded that healing is possible—not through fighting or flight, but through connection, patience, and the understanding that they are not alone in their journey.
Start Your Journey Today
Ready to take the first step? Click on the link below to begin your journey towards healing.