A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE EFFECTS OF PSYCHOTHERAPY ...

Wilson (2007) comments on his belief that it’s strange indeed that psychologists have
been so slow in addressing the mental health consequences of humanity’s alienation from nature,
given that our relationship to the environment is as much a part of our deep history as social
behavior itself. White and Heerwagen (1998) echo his sentiments. “Our ignorance could be
regarded as just one more blank space on the map of academic science awaiting genius and
initiative, except for one important circumstance: the natural environment is disappearing”
(Wilson, p. 13). His conservative estimate is that if the current rate of habitat alteration continues
unabated, 20% or more of the earth’s species will disappear or be consigned to early extinction
during the next thirty years. Nature-based therapies and therapies that occur in nature, such as
therapies involving equines, are a means of gaining an appreciation for, and a way to halt the
destruction of, the natural element that appears to be biologically-based.
1.4.2 Myth and Metaphor
The peculiarly human quest for meaning finds natural expression in the embodiment of
animals. “We buy love at the pet store, we kill deer and hunt pheasant in an attempt to connect …
to our origins in the animal realm” (Root, 2000, p. 35). The development of language, myth, and
thought appears to be greatly dependent on the use of nature symbols, particularly animals
(Kellert, 1996). The life force of animals, which in ancient times manifested as the supernatural or
divine in anthropomorphic form, is the same power that is tapped into today in animal- and
equine-assisted therapies (Root). Animals, particularly horses, awaken a primal sense of freedom
which seems to be missing from much of harried life in modern times. As language and culture
expand, humans look to animals as a principle source of myth and metaphor.
Literature is rich with the role of animals in myths, fairy tales, dreams and nightmares
(Robin & ten Bensel, 1985). Horses, and even the equipment used in therapeutic sessions with
horses, often provide compelling metaphors for the difficulties clients may be experiencing and
the recovery process (Christian, 2005); they provide immediate opportunities to construct or
rewrite narratives which enhance well-being. Humans are prone to story-telling; cultures have
evolved through people sitting around campfires telling stories, constructing and reconstructing
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