Improving family functioning for our veterans and first responders through equine-assisted therapy and support
BREAKING THE CYCLE
Can Praxis Family Program
…provides families with the communications tools they need to talk about PTSD and improve family functioning. It provides children of veterans and first responders with an OSI (operational stress injury) with education and tools to understand their parent’s injury.
The program teaches youth mindfulness, including states of mind and emotion, distress tolerance, emotional regulation, and how to communicate effectively within the family to validate emotions and have healthy conversations throughout the family.
The program helps children understand when their injured parent is having a bad day and that it is not their fault.
The educational portion of the program teaches children about boundaries and how they can help to establish them in the home. Learning in the classroom will be augmented by exercises with horses that reinforce the taught skills including mindfulness, problem solving, communication and care for the horses. The knowledge children gain allows them to safely engage with their parent on a bad day to express their own fear or concern without blaming themselves.
This will break the cycle that trauma can create within families, providing a healthier future for those children, just as the existing adult program provides a healthier future for their parents.
Origins
Can Praxis’ original programming has 93% of participants in adult (couples) session indicating that the program is still helping them – 40 months later.
The children’s program will equip the whole family with similar tools to manage and see the same kind of long-term improvement in their relationship with their parents.
The family program adapts material from the adult program for children.
Adaptations include a colouring book for younger children as printed material, and the use of engaging, multimedia scenarios and resources.
The Effects
By The Numbers
1000+ Participants
93% success rate after 40 months
1-2 month wait list for program participants
