ABSTRACT
This chapter will provide an overview of the treatment team including the horses and other equines, equine specialist, and therapist. The chapter will open with a review of guidelines for choosing equines to participate in equine-assisted counseling and psychotherapy (EACP), strategies to incorporate the equine(s) into the treatment team, and considerations for equine welfare, especially in working with ill or formerly abused or neglected equines. The chapter will then review and apply The Animal-Assisted Therapy in Counseling (AATC) Competencies Framework developed by Stewart et al. (2016). Using this framework, the chapter will discuss specific competency areas related to the domains of knowledge, skill, and attitudes for both therapists and equine specialists seeking to practice EACP. Following this review, the chapter will discuss considerations for including a separate equine specialist, the nature of the treatment team relationship, and considerations for including volunteers in an EACP program.
