One year after the Maui fires, thousands of residents struggle with grieving the losses of loved ones and generational homes. They are haunted by their traumatic escapes and even by the guilt of surviving. They’ve endured months of instability — switching hotel rooms, schools and jobs.
One year after the Maui fires, thousands of residents struggle with grieving the losses of loved ones and generational homes. Some are enjoying moments of relief, thanks to an equine-assisted therapy program Janice Dapitan, left, speaks with Paige DePonte as a horse named Maverick stands nearby, as part of a philanthropy-supported equine therapy program at the Spirit Horse Ranch, on Tuesday, July 9, 2024, in Kula, Hawaii .
“The connection with the horses is different than connecting with machines or humans,” said Dapitan. “It’s almost like instant healing.” The program’s founder, Paige DePonte, sat in front of her and began a technique called brainspotting. She moved a small wand in front of Dapitan’s eyes to stimulate certain eye movements believed to help the brain process trauma. Later, Dapitan approached Maverick. She brushed his dark mane. After leading him once around the corral, she stopped, rested her arms over his back, and began to cry.
“Horses are incredible healers,” said DePonte, who started the program on her family’s cattle ranch in 2021 after observing the transformational effect the animals had on her own trauma recovery. “They are in a place of coherence all the time, not thinking about tomorrow, not thinking about yesterday.”
That’s expected after a disaster of such scale, said Wills, calling it “very normal reactions to a very abnormal situation.”
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