You can call them ‘coping skills’ or ‘self soothing strategies’. This is the ability to deal with touch, challenging and often uncomfortable issues and emotions in a healthy and productive manner. Sadly, this ability is lacking in many adults who turn to all kinds of self-harming behaviors to deal with the pain and stress of life, so it is no wonder that children and teens are lacking as well.
There is alarming research coming out of Australia that shows one in three girls and a quarter of boys are depressed, with many turning to violence, 
alcohol and unwanted sex to cope with problems. Our numbers may be different, but my bet is not by much. And I have to say that, though they may be able to get the schools in Australia to step up, that is not likely to happen here….so what are some other options?
Equine Assisted Therapy can be a very powerful tool to help teens learn and practice more appropriate was of dealing with the emotional challenges in their lives. We are able to not only suggest alternative ways of dealing with a situation, but work with horses offers first hand, in the moment experiences that help the client see that there are things that do work. From ‘work with what he gives you’ to ‘stop and consider your options’ clients are able to immediately implement new techniques and experience success. OR NOT. 
Now let’s deal with anger in frustration. How do we do that so that we get what we won’t rather than blow up and have things go south?
If you know a teen that is struggling with social, emotional or behavioral issues give us a call or send us an email to schedule a visit. We will show you around, introduce the wonderful horses in our herd, learn more about what you are dealing with and share more about how we might be able to help.