Dr. Jill Griffin’s mission is to provide emotional self-regulation tools to teen girls who suffer from depression and anxiety.
Teen years are filled with tensions as girls are pulled between childhood and adulthood, between good and bad, between right and wrong, between peers and parents. They are in the midst of identity development, hormonal ups and downs, a still-developing brain, and the ever-shifting terrain of friendships, sexuality, and budding relationships. One day everything is rosy and the next day the bottom falls out. It’s a rollercoaster ride of emotional intensity. A girl’s interior sense of self can get lost in the fray, leaving her feeling adrift and vulnerable.
A few well-developed tools can serve as a rudder for navigating the turbulence of teen development. Girls need to know that they do have the ability to influence how they feel. They need skills to create an inner “happy place” that they can return to when things get rough.
Horses aid us in addressing problems related to depression and anxiety by allowing girls to utilize the power of energy moving through their own bodies related to the energy moving through the body of the horse. Girls get a sense of the power that lies within patience, kindness, consistency, and courage. The presence and sensitivity of the horse invites girls to engage with it, regardless of their current mood or feeling state.
As a certified HeartMath clinician, Dr. Jill Griffin has expanded her practice to include HeartMath biofeedback tools. These tools offer deeper insight into our ability to self-regulate and influence emotional and psychological experiences through simple heart focused practices.
HeartMath research has demonstrated that different patterns of heart activity (which accompany different emotional states) have distinct effects on cognitive and emotional function. In our program, a biofeedback tool is loaned to each girl, to take home, so that she can practice the skills throughout her work with Dr. Jill.
“I find that, with a little encouragement, teen girls are really good at maintaining a focus on the heart and generating peaceful feelings.”