Search for the Noetic Horse: Equine Facilitated Spiritual Care™ for Moral Injury

Abstract

Search for the Noetic Horse: Equine-Facilitated Spiritual Care™ for Moral Injury explores my development of Equine-Facilitated Spiritual Care™ (EFSC) for moral injury in Veterans, combining equine-assisted learning, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Eastern Orthodox theology. I compare and contrast the foundational components of EFSC with those of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to develop an 8-week protocol incorporating ACT, equine learning, and spiritual practices to address moral injury. Lastly, I use Eastern Orthodox theology to support EFSC’s theological perspectives on moral injury. My goal is to integrate these elements in an equine-facilitated spiritual care model for moral injury that can be utilized by interdisciplinary teams led by chaplains within the VA and equine chaplains in the equine-assisted services industry. I recommend EFSC as a viable and effective method for helping Veterans heal from moral injury, given the spiritual healing and therapeutic value of working with horses in a natural environment.