Background <p>Sustainable organization management entails developing strategies that help to keep employees well and resilient, and the organization effective over time. Stress, burnout, and performance-induced pressure problems strong enough to erode psychological health confront high-pressure financial sectors.</p> Purpose <p>This study piloted a semi-structured interview protocol to capture employees’ perceived outcomes of Equine-Assisted psychotherapy (EAP), with emphasis on stress management, resilience, and workplace functioning.</p> Methods <p>This study used a qualitative research design with a purposive sample and a semi-structured interview protocol to explore how EAP support employee stress management and enhance leader resilience. The instrument was developed and validated through several stages, including item development, expert review, pre-testing, pilot testing, and thematic analysis.</p> Findings <p>Thematic analysis revealed six interconnected themes: Stress Contributor, Animal-Assisted Therapy, Personal Insights and Improvement, Therapeutic Process, Challenges and Obstacles, and Job Performance. These themes reflect participants’ perceptions of how EAP may influence self-awareness, coping, and workplace functioning.</p> Originality/value <p>The study demonstrates the feasibility of a structured interview protocol to capture perceived outcomes of EAP in workplace contexts. While the small sample limits generalizability, the findings provide a foundation for future research exploring EAP as a workplace wellness intervention and its potential integration into organizational resilience strategies.</p>