Offering hope for young men struggling with behavioral, mental and emotional health.
Rawhide’s community-based youth counseling provides a safe space for young men and women to talk about how they feel without fear of judgment.
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Since 1965, our mission has been one of belief.
Sometimes teens and young adults struggling with mental health find it hard to trust others. Rawhide’s CHAPS Equine-Assisted Therapy program can break through barriers to build a strong bond between a young person and a horse. It’s a bond that empowers youth to increase their self-awareness, identify and express emotions, experience healthy interpersonal relationships and build trust.
Equine therapy benefits youth by reducing anxiety and depression, lowering blood pressure, and building a sense of positivity. With equine-assisted therapy, youth are able to experience change in a non-threatening environment. And they increase their ability to process the challenges they’re facing, while engaging in a variety of ground-based activities throughout their treatment.
Equine therapy helps youth with a wide range of issues, including trauma, depression, substance use and anxiety. It’s a unique, hands-on therapy with benefits that extend far beyond the relationship between youth and horse, and can strengthen relationships with friends, family and community.
For more information, call 1-877-300-9101 or contact us to schedule an appointment.
Horses can help build trust and enable open, healing conversations for youth in individual and family counseling settings. Our CHAPS Equine—Assisted Therapy engages youth with horses to overcome emotional issues and trauma. Equine therapy is available at our Shiocton, Milwaukee, Neenah, New London and Fond du Lac counseling centers.
Youth in Rawhide’s Residential Care Program partner with horses to learn about themselves through experiential therapy. The skills and work ethic they learn—and the self-confidence they build—can help in their studies, jobs and everyday relationships.
Our Work Experience Program gives young men in our Residential Care Program an opportunity to learn about animal care and build a strong work ethic through daily chores. This ongoing work experience and interaction with the horses builds self-esteem, self-control, and feelings of connection and trust.
Rawhide is proud to remember Ann Gerrits, a true champion for mental wellness in our community. Her dedication was inspiring, particularly through the CHAPS program she founded, which ensured that each person received a compassionate journey toward healing. Ann’s memory continues to inspire us, and her legacy lives on in the name of our equine program that bears her name—CHAPS Equine-Assisted Therapy Program. We remain forever grateful for Ann’s dedication, and we are committed to carrying her passion forward in the important work we do.
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