Psy. D., Antioch University, 2015, Antioch Seattle: Clinical Psychology

Statistics reveal that over 353,000 military members have been diagnosed with PTSD and/or TBI resulting from war-related activities. With the rising number of war stress injuries, there have not been enough psychotherapeutic services to meet the current demand for the care of returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. Although some intervention strategies have been deemed successful, the current standards of care (e.g., exposure therapy, cognitive therapy) are limited by training inadequacies, accessibility, and outcomes (e.g., retention, early drop out, resistance, non-responsiveness). Furthermore, it is unclear whether these treatments are efficacious in addressing the unique symptom presentations of this population. The unavailability of services and their tendency to inadequately address the needs of veterans has opened the door to the development of alternative and complementary approaches. One such new approach was the therapeutic use of animals, specifically horses, as a treatment option for returning military members. Preliminary studies of therapeutic horse activities, while methodologically flawed, suggest clinical benefits for veterans. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to describe the activity and unique experience of THR as an intervention used with military veterans struggling with war stress injuries. The perspectives of nine veterans, equine instructors, and volunteers were collected through in-depth interviews, observations, and audio/visual material. Through phenomenological analysis, a comprehensive understanding of THR, what it involves, what happens to the veterans as they relate to the horse and interact with it, and how this intervention impacts the veterans' recovery process was garnered. Four primary themes were identified: community support, relationship, transferable skills, and motivation. The data from this study reflected clinically significant results, suggesting THR was efficacious for veterans and their recovery proce (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: William Heusler Psy.D. (Committee Chair); Susan DeMattos Ph.D. (Committee Member); Mark Russell Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Alternative Medicine; Animals; Clinical Psychology; Military Studies; Psychology; Psychotherapy; Therapy

Bachelor of Science, Walsh University, 2018, Honors

The purpose of the current research was to explore the effects of Therapeutic Horseback Riding (THR) on children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Two case studies were completed on two boys who have been diagnosed with autism, age 13 and 16, who were recruited for their participation in the study by instructors at a therapeutic riding equestrian facility. Each participant has been enrolled in the THR program since 2010, and the records that had been kept documenting their progress in the program were obtained and analyzed by the researcher, in addition to session observations, and parent interviews. Results showed documented progress in psychosocial, communication, sensory, cognitive, and neuromusculoskeletal skills through documented evaluations completed annually by the instructors at the riding facility. Additionally, parent interviews revealed thorough enjoyment from the program, increased social engagement and interaction, core strength, posture, balance, awareness of surroundings, coordination, motor planning, postural control, and relaxation techniques. This demonstrates the efficacy of the use of Therapeutic Horseback Riding as a treatment Intervention for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Committee: Antonette Doty PT, PhD, PCS (Advisor); Robert Phillips PT, DPT, PhD, NCS (Other) Subjects: Occupational Therapy; Physical Therapy; Psychology; Public Health

Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Education, Cleveland State University, 2012, College of Education and Human Services

This study evaluated the effects of a 10-week Equine Assisted Activities (EAA) program on special education students (aged 9 to 15) identified as Emotionally Disturbed (ED) who were enrolled in an alternative school. A control group of special education students receiving treatment-as-usual was included. The Behavior Assessment Scale for Children, Second Edition (BASC-2; Reynolds & Kamphaus, 2004) measured change in emotional, behavioral, and school functioning, and adaptive skills. The Self-Report of Personality (SRP), Teacher Report Scale (TRS) and Parent Report Scale (PRS) forms of the BASC-2 (Reynolds & Kamphaus, 2004) were used to triangulate outcome data reported by the students, teachers, and parents. Two central hypotheses were tested. First, the treatment group would evidence significant reductions in emotional, behavior, and school problems and significant increases in adaptive skills as compared to the control group at post-test; these improvements, in turn, would be maintained at a three-month follow-up. Second, the treatment group would evidence significantly fewer missed school days, higher GPAs, and higher behavioral point percentages at post-test in comparison to the control group; these improvements, in turn, would be maintained at a three-month follow-up. Results indicated that, according to teachers' ratings, participants who participated in 10 weeks of EAA intervention had statistically significant reductions in Externalizing Problems scores and marginally significant reductions in Behavior Symptoms Index BASC composite scores. Results were not significant for all other variables; however, students tended to under-report symptoms and over-report adaptive skills. Although there are over 40,000 individuals with disabilities receiving services from EAA programs every year, there is scant experimentally designed research which has tested the effects of such programs. The present study, therefore, makes an important contribution to the field of EAA re (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Justin Perry PhD (Committee Chair); Elizabeth Welfel PhD (Committee Member); Xiongyi Liu PhD (Committee Member); Sarah Toman PhD (Committee Member); Michael Loovis PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology