Up till now, several clients have visited the ranch, and the therapy has proven to be successful. "It's very hopeful to see that contact is being made, and very disturbed family relations are restored – or at least the first steps of rebuilding trust within the family are being accomplished," Hester says.
The informal setting and surroundings and the fact that the therapists, the young client and the parents are there, sharing meals together, makes real-life observation possible and the patterns very clear. It even creates room for fun and relaxation, which is something the child and the parents are not accustomed to anymore. Their relationship is often very tense.
The first five days of a 10-day program is solely for the child. They work on their confidence and personal leadership skills, working with the horses and making long horse trips. On the sixth day, the parents join in.