Counseling sessions at Bowling Green State University (BGSU) are looking a little different these days.
To ring in 2024, the university rolled out an Equine Group Therapy program. This being just one of many behavioral health services falcons can expect to see this year, according to the BGSU Counseling Center Director Dr. Jessica Mitchell-Corsino.
“I thought it would be a really great way to reach students who will never come to the Counseling Center and who don’t want to engage in talk therapy,” she said. “The students can be doing an activity, have a form of connection and also have a therapeutic benefit to it as well.”
The program is a partnership with Project H.O.P.E. Equine Assisted Therapies on Poe Road in Bowling Green.
Sandra Tebbe, the director of Project H.O.P.E., said that H.O.P.E. is an acronym for horses opening people’s eyes.
“I feel more comfortable around horses than I do most people,” said Tebbe.
And, while Equine Therapy is an unfamiliar concept to many, Tebbe, also a therapist, said she feels strongly about the power of horses and what they can do for people and their mental health.
“I could go on and on and on, my feelings are that horses are the best animals in the world for people,” said Tebbe. “Horses want to have a relationship with you, they want to please you.”
The 10-week program began Monday, Feb 5 and is split up into two groups of ten. The two options available are 12:30-1:30 p.m. on Mondays and 10-11 a.m. on Thursdays and take place at Project H.O.P.E. stables.
“The first couple sessions are about learning equine safety, these are big animals and I want everyone to feel comfortable,” said Tebbe. “We will cover a lot of things over the next 10 weeks.”
Tebbe said she encourages skeptical students to be optimistic, adding the stables are the last place one should feel stressed.
“We live in a very judgy world where people aren’t always very nice… Horses don’t judge. They teach you that you’re wanted… no matter what kind of day you’re having.”
Dr. Mitchell-Corsino said she recognizes the loneliness being felt by college students across the country.
“We know across the country, loneliness is a big issue facing people of different ages,” she said. “It’s really important for these students to feel connected.”
While enrollment into the outreach group is closed for the Spring 2024 semester, students can sign up for the Fall 2024 semester by calling the BGSU Counseling Center at 419-372-2081.
From there, students will undergo a screening by the Counseling Center and they will enroll you in the program. You don’t have to be a current Counseling Center client to participate and transportation won’t be provided.
Project H.O.P.E. has two locations, one on Poe Road in Bowling Green and another in Hancock County in Findlay. For those interested, Tebbe and the stables offer summer camps and other services like marital counseling and family therapy sessions.
