For a small group of adults and children, engaging in trauma and recovery work, for instance, is best done outdoors. Veterans sometimes report that, if they had to go to a traditional office to seek treatment, they would never have begun their recovery program.
Outdoor options are therefore central to the work done at Rosalin’s Mooloolah property, near the headwaters of the Mooloolah River. It is home to a small herd of horses and there are bees, vegetable gardens and an orchard.
While horses are not therapists and it cannot be said that they bring about change, clients have reported that they have a calming effect and being near them has helped people to regulate their emotions better. Therefore, some of the therapies that lend themselves to outdoor applications can be offered near the herd or while grooming horses. There is no riding involved and no feeding horses. Research done on outdoor therapies suggests that clients stay longer with their recovery programs and that may well lead to improved results.
Of course, children often do better therapeutically if support can be offered in the outdoors and in the presence of nature and animals. Parents’ consent is required and the presence of a parent is essential while Rosalin works with children.
NDIS and DVA clients may find that the cost of therapy is fully met. That might also apply to a Workcover claim or a Victims of Crime claim, the latter being likely to involve treatment of PTSD. For Medicare clients with a mental health plan, the cost of therapy is subsidised but not entirely met. The same is likely to apply to private health cover. Clients should check their health cover, because plans vary considerably. However, psychological service is usually partly refundable.
