Veteran’s Treatment Court

LEAP is now providing equine-assisted psychotherapy services to the Charleston County Veterans Treatment Court. On October 20, 2020 Lowcountry Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy hosted the Ninth Judicial Circuit Veterans Treatment Court at the LEAP facility. With great attention to COVID precautions, 3 Circuit Court judges, the 9th Circuit Solicitor and 2 of her prosecutors, program Chaplains, the LEAP treatment staff, and a representative from The Boeing Company addressed the value of LEAP’s innovative Veteran’s program to an audience including VA staff, 9th Circuit staff, Veterans Court Mentors, Veterans Court participants, and LEAP guests and volunteers. 

This was followed by Judge Peter Kouten holding Court in front of our stable, with our horses watching the proceeds from an adjoining paddock and doing occasional fly-bys to emphasize applause for the Court participants accomplishments. When Court adjourned, the group moved to the LEAP working ring for several hours of EAP demonstrations. It is interesting to note that immediately before the start of the event, the Judge and Solicitor let us know that they would need to leave after their presentations to return to their offices.  Nobody left.  

The experience of being in the presence of the horses and working together to accomplish the goals of the EAP activities quickly dissolved any barriers set by roles or status, as the Judges, Court staff, Chaplains, Veterans Court participants and mentors all joined in the demonstrations together. In a communication to his staff the following day, Judge Kouten said, “I have to say that there were moments yesterday when my position with the court abandoned me and continued thoughts of what is next on the list went away leaving me with a singular moment of being on that farm with all of you. It allowed me to realize that this court helps the participants and paves the way for a new life, yes, but it also allows me and you to touch the things that make us whole. I have to say I benefited as much or more than the participants.”