ABSTRACT
This chapter describes a relational, strength-based approach to Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) when working specifically with couples and families. Integrating horses into clinical work with couples and families allows clients to experience the development of stronger relationship connections, greater trust, and enhanced ways of communicating. By honoring clients' solutions, EAP with couples and families focuses on exploring exceptions to the problem, highlighting strengths in the relationships, and building on what is already working. EAP requires careful attention to ethical concerns, relevant with clients and also in relationships with the horses, who are partners in this endeavor. A relational ethics perspective prioritizes respect, engagement, embodied knowledge, and responsibility for the other. The importance of relational ties is a powerful resource for therapy. Incorporating a strength-based, relational stance that honors client solutions offers unique opportunities for the enhancement of couple and family relationships through EAP.
