Counselling,
specialising in EAMH
Why Study Counselling and Equine Assisted Mental Health?
Being a counsellor and equine assisted mental health practitioner, and having the skills to support and assist others, is a rewarding and enriching experience.
A qualification in counselling will equip you with a diverse set of skills to offer clients and employers.
Our comprehensive, hands-on approach means that you will be qualified to work outside with horses, or in a traditional room-based counselling environment.
This integrated approach will enrich both your professional and your personal life
What will I Learn?
You will develop the knowledge and skills required to work as a counsellor and an equine assisted mental health practitioner with clients on personal and psychological issues. This includes learning how to build rapport and create a safe therapeutic environment for clients to explore and work on issues. It also involves learning how to safely, meaningfully, and therapeutically bring the horses into the work in a way that supports the clients healing process and also honours the horse.
You will learn how to help the client to become aware of patterns, beliefs and behaviours that no longer serve them. You will have the skills to work somatically to invite the client to start to get curious about their body and to learn to live authentically in the present. You will develop the skills and knowledge to work in a trauma informed way to support people through crises and to safely hold space for their experience.
You will also learn how to supervise and support your clients’ handling horses and how to maintain safety and integrity for your client, your horse and yourself. You will also learn a lot about yourself!
ABOUT THE COURSE
The need for highly qualified, competent and safe equine assisted mental health practitioners drove the thoughtful creation and thorough design of this course. Time and commitment are required to excel at equine assisted mental health, which is why the structure of this course provides so many face-to-face contact hours to support you in developing the skills you will need. Through direct, regular contact with the horses (weather permitting) and practice with clients you will feel your competence and confidence grow, preparing you to excel in the field.
In order to provide you with the most solid foundation possible, our unique course integrates skills from different modalities and combines these skills with the proficiency to work alongside horses, allowing ample time to practice and learn in a hands-on environment.
This approach ensures that you, as a practitioner, have many tools to draw upon, including horsemanship, a variety of counselling techniques and modalities, art therapy, trauma informed practice, somatic practice, nature-based activities and mindfulness techniques.
Our course is suitable for people who already possess some knowledge, skills, and experience relevant to the course.
We aim to make students feel comfortable whilst undertaking the training.
Our class sizes are kept small to ensure optimum learning environments and ensure all students receive in-depth learning and support.
The course is completed in 24 months, with attendance required at the 14 x 4-day face to face workshops held throughout the 24 months as well as weekly self-directed study of approximately 25 hours per week.
The 4-day workshops will occur from Monday through to Thursday. All 56 days must be attended throughout the course.
Students must demonstrate that they possess the Language, Literacy and Numeracy (LLN) required to meet the rigour of the course. Prospective students must be at least 21 years old and possess some knowledge, skills, and experience relevant to the course.
Prospective students will complete a Pre-Training Review, incorporating LLN assessment, during the application process.
On completion of the Pre-Training Review and attendance at the first workshop, Equine Assisted Therapy Australia will use the holistic information submitted to determine if the course is suitable for the applicant and whether it accommodates his or her learning needs.
Students with previous mental health issues are advised to seek advice from their mental health professional as to whether the course is suitable for them.
Students will be required:
- to self-regulate and manage their own activation throughout the course
- to work on their self-awareness
- take responsibility for their own healing and mental health journey
- maturely accept feedback
- be open to new learnings
- be professional, punctual with assessments, payments and being on time
- safely engage in group dynamics and be a team player
- communicate transparently and honestly
- have capacity for the rupture and repair that occurs in relationship
- have an overall capacity to manage difficult material
Graduates may progress onto:
- Degree level courses in Counselling or related areas
- Employment as a Counsellor, or a related role, in an established counselling agency, specialising in equine assisted mental health
- Having their own equine assisted mental health practice working with clients within their scope of practice
Equine Assisted Therapy Australia delivers the current version of this course. The course consists of the CHC51015 Diploma of Counselling which includes 13 core units and 4 electives and 4 equine handling units of competency (these units are all Nationally accredited). There are also 5 EAMH units (these are not Nationally accredited units).
Students who successfully complete this qualification will receive the Diploma of Counselling CHC51015 plus a statement of attainment for the 4 equine handling units.
A Statement of attainment is provided to indicate units successfully completed if for some reason students do not complete all units.
Training and assessment take place at private facilities in Tallebudgera, QLD; Galston, NSW; Mount Evelyn, Victoria.
- Pre- requisite introductory training workshop
- Counselling skills:
o CHCCSL001 Establish and confirm the counselling relationship
o CHCCSL002 Apply specialist interpersonal and counselling interview skills
o CHCCSL003 Facilitate the counselling relationship and process - Equine Handling skills:
o SISOEQU001 Handle horses
o ACMEQU212 Handle horses safely
o SISOEQU010 Identify hazards, assess, and control safety risks for horse handling and riding activities - Understand and apply the foundations of equine assisted mental health
- Research and apply counselling theories:
o CHCCSL004 Research and apply personality and development theories
o CHCCSL005 Research and apply learning theories in counselling
o CHCCSL006 Select and use counselling therapies
o CHCCLS007 Support counselling clients in decision making processes - Research and apply the latest neuroscience, somatic and trauma informed theories, models and approaches to therapy applicable to equine assisted mental health
- Counselling those at risk or in crisis
o CHCLEG001 Work legally and ethically
o CHCCCS019 Recognise and respond to crisis situations - Support others to handle horses safely
o SISOEQU007 Instructing horse handling skills - Develop safe, legal, and ethical practices in equine assisted mental health
- Diversity and cultural safety
o CHCDIV001 Work with diverse people
o CHCDIV002 Promote Aboriginal and/ or Torres Strait Islander cultural safety - Mental Health and trauma informed care
o CHCMHS001 Work with people with mental health issues
o CHCMHS013 Implement trauma informed care - Support neurodivergent individuals
o CHCCCS035 Support people with autism spectrum disorder - Design and develop treatment plans and programs for the delivery of equine assisted mental health for individuals with diverse requirements
- Case management and responding to children and young people at risk
o CHCCSM005 Develop, facilitate, and review all aspects of case management
o CHCPRT001 Identify and respond to young people at risk - Professional practice
o CHCPRP003 Reflect on and develop own professional practice - Develop and apply sound business knowledge, skills, and practices in the delivery of equine assisted mental health.
Assessment is ongoing throughout the course and includes practical activities and trials, written question and answers, case studies, and written assignments.
$24,000
Payment Plan:
Full time course: $1000 paid upon enrolment then 23 instalments of $1000 per month.
The course fees include:
- Tuition for course content
- Learner workbooks
- Online learning system
We are committed to making education accessible to everyone, please email info@eata.net.au for more information about the diversity access scholarships that we offer.
EATA have partnered with Edupay to help students finance their studies.
Apply for funding for all Education & all Course costs using a trusted funding specialist.
- Payment plans from $2,001 to $50,000
- Flexible options – any additional repayments can be added back on to the payment plan
at no extra charge - Fast efficient approvals, simply apply online
Total Lifestyle Credit Pty Ltd – Authorised under Australian Credit Licence 509691.
Terms & Conditions: Speak to TLC direct for a quote based on your personal circumstances and for the full terms and conditions.
A full credit and financial assessment would need to be completed prior to enrolment acceptance.
Click here to Apply now.
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