04/16/2021
Dear Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy Participant,
My name is Joy Clark Akin. I am a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and doctoral student in Clinical Psychology at Walden University. I am also a horse enthusiast and owner of seven beautiful Appaloosa horses. I ride in the backcountry of Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming and have recently begun participating in endurance competitions. I am requesting your assistance with an exciting research effort that will expand understanding of Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP).
I am currently working on a doctoral dissertation which is qualitative in nature and seeks to explore the therapeutic relationships happening in EAP, including the client-horse, client-therapist, and client-equine specialist relationships. This type of research attempts to learn more about an experience by talking with those who have actually lived it. As a person who has recently lived the experience of EAP, you have a unique and vital contribution to make in answering my research question, “What is the lived experience of therapeutic relationships in EAP?” If you decide to participate in this research project, you will be asked to recall specific events, episodes or situations you experienced in EAP in a 1-2 hour phone or video teleconference interview. I am seeking vivid, accurate, and comprehensive portrayals of what this experience was like for you: your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, as well as situations, people, places, and events connected with your experience.
I look forward to hearing back from you, and hope that we can work together to increase understanding of EAP. I will be conducting interviews April-July 2021. If you would like to participate, please contact me at (406) 546-9377 or [email protected]. I will have more information for you at that time. I value your consideration, your time and energy, and most of all the knowledge that you have to offer to this endeavor.
Best Regards,
Joy Clark Akin, LCPC
Doctoral Student-Clinical Psychology
Walden University
