Horsie Seminar

Seminar held at Cattleman Park

By Jaine Treadwell (Contact) | Troy Messenger

Published Friday, July 16, 2010

Therapists and facilitators from 13 counties are in Pike County this week to attend a seminar at Cattleman Park conducted by Greg Kersten, founder of Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP). Kersten conducts EAP seminars all across the country and in Belgium and Australia.

The seminar is sponsored by Southeast Alabama Counseling Services, which operates camps in Pike County and Cottonwood for children and adults with behavioral and emotional problems.
“Greg Kersten is ‘the’ authority on Equine Assisted Psychotherapy,” said Dee Dawkins, Southeast Alabama Counseling Services CEO and Pike County native. “There is no one better qualified to provide the training for our therapists and facilitators. The purpose of the seminar is to certify all our therapists and facilitators to perform EAP therapeutic exercises for our clients. At the end of the three-day seminar, Southeast Alabama Counseling Services will have 50 EAP certified therapists and facilitators to work with the clients at our camps.”
The camps also offer fishing, archery, arts and crafts and other outdoor recreational opportunities.
Kersten’s O.K. Corral Seminar Series addresses the varied needs and interests in the ever-growing field of equine-assisted wellness.
“The underlying theme of the O.K. Corral Seminar Series is that people are not as far from OK as they might believe,” Kersten said. “Getting every area of a client’s life back to OK is the goal of the program and is attainable through techniques of observation, knowledge and communication.”
Kersten said through the techniques of Equine Assisted Psychotherapy the clients learn to look outside their current situations to discover personal issues.
“By learning to fix problems with horses, they are able to identify and fix their own problems,” he said. “And, EAP is fun. In fact, most clients don’t ever realize they are in therapy.”
The therapists and facilitators who are attending the three-day seminar said they are eager to become certified to work with horses to help humans.
The emphasis of the training is on learning and teambuilding and interpersonal dynamics. Individual roles are explored through a variety of activities and metaphors to natural herd behavior.
“The training is intensive and, when completed, we will have therapists and facilitators who are qualified to use Equine Assisted Psychotherapy as we worked so diligently with our clients to get their lives back to OK,” Dawkins said.
“This type of therapy works. We’ve seen it and it will greatly benefit those who are involved in our camps and our programs.”

Saturday in Rotation

Yesterday, Anna and family were making the rounds visiting family.
By the time they got here at 3:15 p.m. they didn't have time to do much before they had to leave again.  They had to finish their Dilly Bars ice-cream that were rapidly melting, then get cleaned up.  Run the dogs up the hill and back several times.  Check out our house and walk-in closet (that's supposed to double as a bedroom.)  Talk briefly.  And that was it ... no exploding soda cans, no black berries picked, no solar ovens examined, etc.  Anna was looking worn-out.  And off they went to their next stop.

Then today they were supposed to drive 8 hours back home after attending church this morning.

Friday Exercises

Took a bicycle ride with 3 kids this morning in Troy.  They kept wimping out and walking up the little hills.  Don't they know that they are young and I'm an old grandpa?

The people at the university wouldn't give me straight answers about what I could or couldn't do to update my degree to be eligible for licensure.  They talked in circles and referred me to the state board (who also couldn't tell me anything until they received and rejected my application) ... at which point I would punt and go back to the school.  In the meantime, they referred me to another school ... and to possibly someone else next Tuesday ...  Just a frustrating circle.

The wife and I had lunch at Hardee's -- she chose the #1 Thickburger sandwich and I had the Spicy Chicken sandwich combo.

We looked at a 1-1/2 acre plot of land in Geneva County.  It used to have a double-wide on the property, but that is gone.  The property does have it's own well and a septic tank.  Additionally there is a 24' x 24' barn.  All for only $25,000 ...  plain acreage goes for about $8,000 and acre ... so maybe having the well and septic installed are worth the other $12,000?

Some lady near Abbeville is looking to give away a double-wide for $800.  #1) You have to pay to have it moved.  #2) There is roof damage and subsequent water damage and mold inside one bathroom and the kitchen area.  So, you'd have to totally rebuild the roof and remove all the damaged lumber, insulation, and moldy areas.  (after you move it to your desired location).  My wife declared that she is too old for this ... and we walked away from this opportunity.

We looked at a Fannie Mae foreclosed property ... it's not available on the market yet.  As though I could afford to buy anything (probably not for 2 years, if I still have this job).

My wife did accupressure on the neighbor's back (Daniel's) ... he's still recovering from his stroke several months ago.  And the Jones family is having a cookout and family get-together tonight.  Marilyn's daughter Anita is visiting.  Frank was busy frying fish and putting it in a cooler.  I don't know if it was catfish or brim.  In the meantime all the kids were in the pool.  As usual I shut off the lights and equipment in the shop (that Daniel left on and forgot) and closed the doors.

Tomorrow morning I need to build up a bicycle for my landlord.  He's talking about getting some exercise.

Conference Call - Fielding Institute

This afternoon I spent one hour and fifteen minutes on a conference call with this institution.  The topic of discussion was the PhD. in Clinical Psychology.  It would take anywhere from 4-7 years to obtain this degree ... at a cost of $21,300 a year ... plus travel, books, fees, and orientation.

I don't doubt that I can get into the program.  

And, I don't doubt that I would do well and complete it.

HOWEVER, a main consideration in whether to "leap off this cliff" ... 

is of course -  finances.  

Like, where am I going to get that kind of money. ($100,000+)

So, I am also considering upgrading my current degree 

to meet state licensure requirements.

I'll go talk to a counselor at my local university about this tomorrow.

Did you know that college credits and degrees are "perishable"?

That's what a counselor told me one day ...

Egg Plant

 So many good foods (and good intentions) seem to die in the "crisper" drawer.  We had 2 egg plants slowly shriveling with a few mold spots on them, in the bottom of the refrigerator.

So I took them out.  One I peeled and sliced.  Then tossed into the frying pan with slices of summer squash and zucchini.  The other I cut in half length-wise, placed cut-side down on a plate, and nuked in the microwave for 11 minutes.

In the meantime, my wife is telling me that you have to "drench" egg plant (in beaten egg and flour).  I just didn't do that ... call me resistant, if you will.

I took the nuked egg plant, turned them cut-side up, rubbed them with butter, squirted on some Ranch salad dressing, sprinkled with shredded cheddar cheese, and put them back in the microwave for 30 more seconds to melt the cheese.  Delish!

After eating and enjoying the pan-fried squashes sprinkled with lemon pepper ... my wife asked what happened to the other egg plant ... she was surprised to learn that she had just eaten it too.