Being a therapist is a rewarding job. Working in the therapeutic industry offers numerous benefits, from directly impacting lives to meeting a wide range of people in your community. Whether you are a physical, occupational, or speech therapist, you can further enhance your work and therapeutic skills by adding hippotherapy to your practice. Since its beginnings in the 1960s, hippotherapy uses the walking gait of a horse to provide neurosensory, neuromuscular, and cognitive stimulation. Hippotherapy offers a range of perks for both you and your clients. Becoming a hippotherapist involves some training and can include certification. Hippotherapy certification can give you more in-depth knowledge and expertise. Here are three advantages of becoming a certified hippotherapist and why you should consider getting licensed.
Better Retention Rates
Positive retention rates look good for your clinic. They showcase that people are getting the help they need and generate a steady influx of business. Hippotherapy is a fun and engaging activity that leads to improvements for your patients. Combining rewarding results with a form of entertainment increases the chances of people returning for another session. From actual horse riding to equine therapy equipment in your office, hippotherapy is an interactive activity that your patients will want to do more than once and is an innovative way to invest in your practice.
Numerous Applications
Providing service to a wide range of people benefits you and your community. Offering hippotherapy opens up more opportunities to provide care. Hippotherapy can assist people with autism, cerebral palsy, down syndrome, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, and more. Creating another viable option for these communities enhances their overall experience with therapy, increases accessibility, spreads awareness, and reinforces their chances of finding successful therapy. Another benefit of hippotherapy certification courses is the professional growth they can provide.
Encourages Professional Growth
Hippotherapy is a less conventional therapy that not everyone understands. Obtaining a hippotherapy certification encourages the practice’s growth within the professional community. The more professional administration of hippotherapy, the greater the awareness and understanding. Plus, certifications showcase your expertise, relieving lingering anxieties and strengthening trust between you and your clients. People are more likely to feel comfortable and maximize their therapy sessions when they know they are in good hands.
There are plenty more than three advantages of becoming a certified hippotherapist, like diversifying your list of therapy techniques and tools and improving your equipment knowledge. The American Hippotherapy Certification Board (AHCB) offers training and certifications to become an official hippotherapist. To learn more about how to get certified in hippotherapy contact us and explore our blogs to find out more about the advantages of this alternative therapy.