Frequently asked questions

What do you do?

We improve relationships in all areas of life, i.e., relationship with yourself, family, co-workers, community, and higher power. We offer a variety of services ranging from psychotherapy to workshops for organizations wanting to improve their culture. All our services are based on interpersonal neurobiology and the principles of Natural Lifemanship. We partner with horses to help individuals and teams learn and practice the concepts we are teaching.



What is EAP and TF-EAP?

EAP stands for Equine Assisted Psychotherapy. It is a general term often used to describe therapy for people that occurs through interactions with a horse. Oftentimes what your practitioner calls it is dependent on the training and certification they have gone through. TF-EAP is Trauma-Focused Equine Assisted Psychotherapy. This is the model developed by Natural Lifemanship. All practitioners at Pecan Creek Ranch are trained or certified in TF-EAP.



How is TF-EAP different from traditional counseling?

It is an experiential model of treatment where we are not just talking about healing our relationships we are practicing doing the things that heal our relationships and ourselves.



How is it different than hippotherapy?

Hippotherapy is physical therapy on the back of a horse. At Pecan Creek Ranch we do psychotherapy which deals with emotional health. We also do personal devleopment and coaching which deals with personal achievement and self-actualization.



Who can participate at Pecan Creek Ranch or in TF-EAP?

Any person ages 3 and up. We see individuals, couples, families, and organizations of any size.



With whom does TF-EAP work best?

People who are ready to make a significant change in life. People who want to be actively doing and who learn by doing. People who are ready to take action and responsibility in their own healing and growth.



Can TF-EAP serve as an adjunct to other therapy?

While some practioners may choose to use TF-EAP as an adjunct therapy, we at Pecan Creek Ranch believe it works best when treated as a primary treatment model. However, we will work alongside other providers when multiple therapeutic approaches are needed for a client.



Do you take insurance?

We do not currenlty have any therapists who take insurance for TF-EAP services. We provide superbills to those clients who have out of network benefits and meet the medical criteria for mental health diagnosis. We do offer a sliding scale on a limited basis.



Do you give riding lessons?

No. Sometimes riding is a part of a client's expereince in therpay or personal development, but we do no work with clients who's sole purpose is to get riding instruction.



Do you board horses?

No.



Can I donate my horses to your program?

Unfortunatley, we do not have space for any additional horses and are not accepting donations or gifts of horses at this time.



How long does TF-EAP therapy take?

Sessions are usually 50 min - 90 min long, once a week. Intensive sessions lasting 2 hours or more once or twice a month are avaialble if weekly travel to the facility is an issue.

Each client experience is unique. Most clients spend 9 months to 1 year participating in weekly TF-EAP sessions before they are ready to move on. The only limit to how long you want to participate is how long you need.



Do you need volunteers?

We do have a limited volunteer program. Because of confidentiality issues, we do not utilize volunteers for therapy sessions. However, we do have volunteers who help take care of the property and the horses. Please call 512-548-0551 for more information about volunteering.



Why should people do this type of therapy over traditional counseling?

There are many reasons, but here's a few. - It’s more fun, and it works. - It does not rely as strongly on verbal processing which makes it more accessible for children. - You can often get to the heart of issues in one session of TF-EAP that you cannot get to in 6 sessions in an office setting. - It is less threatening and more empowering for many people than discussing problems in an office.



Why horses?

The short answer: Horses are prey animals, and as such, they are super sensitive and more aware of what is going on around them. They respond to the client in the moment allowing the client to make changes to their behavior in the moment. Working with horses requires full integration of the mind, body, and soul. You get to heal with your whole self.



Why do you work in teams?

A lot is going on between the horse and human. It is partly for safety and partly for effectiveness. Also, therapy teams model how to problem solve and work through disagreements.



Can I just come by and spend some time with the horses?

No. We have to maintain confidentiality for many of our activities. Also, for insurance reasons we cannot have people unsupervised by us on the property. However, we often have community events, seminars and workshops that will allow you to interact with the horses and learn something about yourself, life and relaltionships at the same time. Follow us on Facebook to get the latest updates about events we are having.

You may also book a R3 session if you would like to experience something truly different with our horses.



Do you welcome people in the LGBTQIA+ community?

Yes. We work with and welcome people of all backgrounds, races, ages, religions, genders, sexual orientations, hair colors, eye colors, pet preferences, etc.

Often people ask this question because they have had some bad expereinces in places where helping professionals were shaming towards them about some aspect of their being or identity. We do not believe that is helpful and we work very hard to create a BRAVE space for all different varieties of people to grow and heal.