Today was another special day for our Team as ten of us traveled to Darlington County and the Equine Intervention, LLC farm. The purpose of our visit was to receive training that will enhance our ability to provide services to our emergency services personnel and their families. Specifically, we were introduced to the use of horses to provide help to those we serve that are experiencing PTSD symptoms and/or anxiety.
We are always working to find resources and while equine-assisted counseling in not new, it is different than the ordinary approach of traditional counseling. We know the difficulties many of us face in reaching out for help and meeting with a clinician can be a stressful experience for those reluctant to seek help. We are fortunate to have wonderful clinicians who can help set aside that stress once they can engage someone. We also know that most of us are animal lovers and the thought of working with horses will provide a different way to engage our emergency services personnel and their families.
Today, our Team members worked with the horses to experience the actual methods used to help people. It was an eye-opening experience that prepares us to recommend this type of therapy for others. In keeping with our hope of an all-inclusive team approach our group today included members of our Lowcountry Firefighter Support Team, our Lowcountry EMS Support Team (Florence and Charleston counties), our Lowcountry 911 Telecommunicators Support Team, our statewide F.L.A.M.E.S. group, our First Responders Support Team in Charleston, and clinicians who serve on our Team.
Many thanks to Debby, Jill, and Megan of Equine Intervention, LLC for sharing their love of horses and the wonderful resources they provide. We are excited to continue our partnership in the future.
