What is motivational support and why is it needed?

When children find themselves in a difficult situation, they often struggle to verbalise and deal with the situation, especially when they feel it is out of their control. This can lead to behavioural changes, at home and/or at school. A third party can be extremely helpful in these situations.

Although parents and carers obviously love and care for their children, and have their best interests at heart, sometimes they are too close to the situation to understand what the child is saying/not saying and the problems they are having. It is often easier for a third party, with no ‘side’ and no emotional investment, to offer support and help to resolve the situation.

Impulse Therapy offers motivational support through:

The main tool I use is equine-assisted therapy. Through caring for the horses, and, in particular, through the treatment of injured animals, I aim to take the young person out of their normal comfort zone. Through making the animal totally reliant on the child for its wellbeing, I shift the focus and release the child from the pressures of the outside world. This gives the child an immediate sense of responsibility to start with and, ultimately, a feeling of achievement.

The child also finds themselves in an alien situation where they have to rely on a third party, i.e. me. This builds trust. Through this trust comes an opportunity to develop a relationship and this relationship enables the child to open up and talk about their problems.

 

Why horses?

Horses are large and powerful, which creates a natural opportunity to overcome fear and develop confidence. Accomplishing a task involving a horse creates confidence and provides useful metaphors for dealing with other intimidating and challenging situations in life. Horses are social animals, with distinct personalities, attitudes and moods. An approach that works with one horse will not necessarily work with another.

 

At various times, horses can be stubborn, defiant, grumpy, fun, brave, shy and more. Horses require work, whether in caring for them or working with them. At a time when instant gratification is the norm, horses require people to be engaged in physical and mental work to be successful, a valuable characteristic in all aspects of life.

Most importantly, horses have the ability to mirror exactly what human body language is telling them. If someone complains, ‘this horse is stubborn’ or ‘this horse doesn’t like me’, they can learn that if they change themselves, the horses will respond differently. Horses are honest, which makes them especially powerful messengers.

 

Why Impulse Therapy?

In addition to specific professional experience working with children in the care environment, Neil is also a motivational coach for the Chinnor RFC U10s and for the Dinton CC Juniors. He has a unique ability to interact with child, giving them firm boundaries while encouraging them to have fun and to push themselves.