Dr. Shoshana Pollack
Shoshana Pollack, MSW, PhD, Associate Professor, Faculty of Social Work, Wilfrid Laurier University, has 18 years of clinical practice experience in the areas of treatment of childhood sexual abuse, violence against women, women's mental health and sexual and gender identity. Her current research is entitled Equine Assisted Psychotherapy with Women with Addictions: Results from a Canadian Pilot Study. This project was initiated as a result of Canadian research that revealed the need for innovative approaches to working with criminalized women with addictions. Although women-centred correctional programming is now common parlance in Canadian corrections, individualistic models prevail and cognitive behavioural approaches dominate (Pollack & Kendall, 2003).
Using the horse as a therapeutic guide, participants in this study experienced new insights about themselves, their relationships and their addictions. Building connections with a powerful, sensitive, strong and often imposing being allowed participants to experience a multiplicity of meanings or narratives related to such issues as gender relations, confidence, fear, boundaries, spirituality, and identity.
