Every one of us experiences the world differently.
Two people can go through the same event and walk away with completely different thoughts, emotions and memories. Why? Because the way we perceive and respond to life is shaped by far more than the memories we can consciously recall.
As psychotherapists, counsellors and helping professionals, understanding this is one of the most powerful foundations for creating lasting change with clients.
It’s Not Just About What We Remember
Most people think memory is simply recalling events from the past. We remember birthdays, conversations, places we’ve been or experiences we’ve had.
This is known as explicit memory. It’s the information we can consciously access and describe.
But there’s another memory system quietly influencing us every moment of every day.
It’s called implicit memory.
Implicit memory is what your body remembers, even when your conscious mind doesn’t. It’s the collection of experiences, emotions, beliefs, patterns and survival strategies that have developed throughout your life, often without you ever realising it.
It shapes how you respond before you’ve even had time to think.
Your Inner Landscape
Think of implicit memory as your own unique inner landscape.
It’s made up of countless experiences that have taught you, often unconsciously:
- How safe the world feels.
- How you see yourself.
- How you expect others to respond to you.
- How you cope with stress.
- Whether you move towards connection or withdraw from it.
- Whether you become anxious, shut down, freeze or become defensive.
- How your body holds tension.
- The emotions you instinctively experience in different situations.
This internal blueprint influences every relationship, every decision and every emotional response.
It affects the way we think, feel, behave and connect with others.
Most importantly…
Most people don’t even know it’s there.
Why This Matters in Therapy
One of the most valuable things a skilled psychotherapist can do is help clients become aware of these hidden patterns.
When clients begin to notice the unconscious beliefs, emotional responses and body sensations that have been guiding their lives, something remarkable happens.
New possibilities emerge.
Instead of automatically repeating old survival patterns, they begin to experience choice.
This is where the process of memory reconsolidation becomes so important.
As clients experience new ways of feeling, relating and responding in a safe therapeutic environment, old patterns can begin to soften and new, healthier pathways can develop.
This isn’t about simply talking about problems.
It’s about creating experiences that allow genuine change to occur.
Where Horses and Animals Make a Difference
At the Equine and Animal Assisted Psychotherapy Institute (EAAPI), this understanding forms a vital part of our training.
Our programs don’t simply teach you how to include horses or animals in therapy sessions.
They teach you how to recognise the hidden patterns that shape human behaviour and how interactions with horses and other animals can gently bring those patterns into awareness.
Animals offer immediate, honest feedback. They don’t respond to a client’s words. They respond to presence, emotion, body language and regulation. Clients brain’s, bodies and beings can experience something new to update memory!
This creates powerful opportunities for insight, awareness and lasting therapeutic change.
Understanding the science and psychology behind these interactions enables practitioners to work ethically, safely and effectively.
Learn to See What Others Miss
If you’re a counsellor, psychotherapist, psychologist, social worker or helping professional, learning to understand your client’s implicit inner world can transform the way you practice.
At EAAPI, you’ll develop a deep understanding of human behaviour, attachment, nervous system responses, relational patterns and memory, alongside practical skills in Equine and Animal Assisted Psychotherapy.
And that’s before we even begin exploring everything the horses and animals have to teach us.
If you’re passionate about supporting meaningful change and want to build your skills as an ethical, evidence informed practitioner, discover the training opportunities available through the Equine and Animal Assisted Psychotherapy Institute.
Your clients deserve more than symptom management.
They deserve the opportunity to experience genuine transformation.