Animal Therapies Ltd Podcast

In years past, Dean Mighell spent his days treading the floors of Parliament House in Canberra, lobbying on behalf of thousands of workers for better pay and conditions, in his role as Head of the Electrical Trades Union.

A 25-year career defined by conflict and immense pressure left behind deep psychological scars, as did a spell as an Army Commando in his early 20s.

When Dean stepped down from his role in 2013, he yearned for harmony, peace, and a new direction.

Thanks to a documentary on war veterans, he found it - along with a renewed sense of purpose.

Today Dean is walking a different path - The Path of The Horse, an equine-assisted therapy charity that he founded in 2016. His initial goal was to help veterans and first responders heal from post traumatic stress. Eight years later, he has broadened his services to also support neurodiverse people, troubled youth and victims of domestic violence.

The Path of the Horse is located in Trentham, Victoria. For more information, go to https://www.pathofthehorse.com.au/

17-year-old Summer Farrelly (they/them) is the creator of a unique animal assisted learning program called Chickens 2 Love, developed for autistic and other neurodivergent people to help them develop social skills. 

The program came into being when Summer was just 10 years of age, living in Bundaberg, Queensland and being home schooled due to an education system that did not cater to children who were different.

Fortunately, Summer's flock of 20 chickens proved exceptional teachers. Observing them closely, Summer identified a pattern of interaction and behaviour that could be applied in a human setting.

In the intervening seven years, Summer has earned their 'wings' as an animal behaviourist, inclusion advocate, sought after public speaker, education consultant and now university student - in the second year of a Bachelor Zoology at the University of New England in Armidale.

At the core of their work is a desire to demonstrate how neurodivergent people are shaping the world in a positive way, and why animals play such an important role in that space.

Australian Lions has been training hearing assistance dogs for 43 years, pairing more than 690 dogs with hearing-impaired people over that time.

More recently, they have branched out to train medical alert dogs for people living with type 1 diabetes, a chronic condition that affects more than 120,000 Australians and over 8 million people worldwide.

Laura Harris is a project co-ordinator and trainer with Australian Lions Hearing Dogs, and Eliza Bartlett is an Adelaide nurse and type 1 diabetic, who took delivery of Sal, a miniature labradoodle, 18 months ago.

In this podcast we learn about how the dogs are trained to help people manage their diabetes (a potentially life-threatening condition ),  who is eligible to be paired with a dog, and the extraordinary difference they make to people's lives.

Vanessa (Ness) Hawkins is a self-confessed horse nut, who was riding ponies in England before she could walk.  

Emigrating to Australia as a young child and growing up in rural Victoria, where her British accent made her a target for bullies, Ness found solace in pony club, eventually competing at State Championship level and then overseas.

A desire to care for others led her into nursing, a career she juggled for years while still riding, training and breeding horses.

In 2016, Ness established Euroa Horse Park in north east Victoria, a multipurpose facility that offers farm tours, carriage rides, camping, stallions at stud, horses for sale and animal-assisted services. 

Her focus is on helping people with disabilities and special needs, and she does this by holding regular clinics and seminars, educating people about the value of animals as a therapeutic tool.

In this episode of Paws for Thought, Ness explains how horses have given her conviction, a direction and a sense of purpose in her life’s journey. 

For more information about Euroa Horse Park, visit https://welcometoeuroahorsepark.blogspot.com/

Like many new teaching graduates, Sarah Macdonald started her career full of promise and hope for the potential impact she could have on a child’s life. But she soon realised that a great curriculum and a supportive environment were not enough. Children who weren’t in the right headspace and who were battling mental health issues - anxiety, depression and stress - were not open to learning. After a break from teaching and a spell as a dog trainer, Sarah realised that the two were not incompatible. Using dogs as a metaphor for learning has morphed into a satisfying new career. In today's podcast, Sarah tracks the journey of Canine Comprehension over the past decade.

If not for the Dunalley bushfires in 2013, Tasmanian teacher Cheri Allanby may still be delivering lessons to her students in the same way that millions have done before her - standing in a classroom, whiteboard behind her, explaining simple concepts to children and hoping that the sea of young faces before her are taking it all in. 

Fast forward 10 years and that classroom has moved outdoors and includes a new teaching aid – horses.

Her students are neurodiverse, experience learning difficulties, and struggle with conventional approaches to education.

But the combination of nature, a new approach to learning, and a majestic teaching aid in the form of a horse, has delivered life changing results for many children – and their parents.

In this episode of Paws for Thought, we talk to Cheri and one very happy parent - Liz Clements - who has finally found a form of animal-assisted learning that is working wonders for her two neurodiverse boys.

For more information about True Trails, visit www.truetrails.com.au

Note: While the term "animal assisted therapy" is heard in the interview, this podcast is strictly related to "equine assisted learning", which does not involve a health professional.

Karen Hollings is a highly experienced paramedic who has been employed by St John Ambulance in Western Australia since 2003. 

She loves her job and has been awarded several commendations over the course of her career, but it has also come at a high cost.

Like so many other first responders, she is confronted with trauma on a daily basis. She sees people at their best, their worst, and when they are vulnerable.

In 2014, a vicious assault by a drug and alcohol-affected patient left Karen with multiple injuries, requiring extensive surgery, rehabilitation and ultimately leading to post traumatic stress. 

Her recovery was slow - six years in total - but canine therapy played a significant role in helping her get back into society and eventually returning to work.

Karen has now started a project focused solely on the mental health of first responders, with dogs at the heart of it.

Dogs for First Responders was established in 2022.

Wendy Coombe's world came crashing down in November 2014 after years of buried trauma and corporate conflict led to a nervous breakdown.

Overnight, a successful career as a high-functioning executive collapsed,  leaving her floundering without a 'safe place' (her professional life) and a shattered identity.

Describing the next few years as "a Forrest Gump-like alternative universe," Wendy began the long, slow journey back to wellness. 

In six months she walked 2.5 million steps with her Border Collie, Jack, trying to make sense of her trauma, and finding solace in her dog and horse.

The realisation that animals were a key factor in her recovery prompted Wendy to go searching for a national organisation where she could learn more about animal-assisted therapy and where she could find help.

She drew blanks at every turn. In the end, the answer was clear: solving her own crisis and thousands of others in similar circumstances required a bold, life-changing step.

In February 2018, Wendy walked into her accountant's office and registered a new health promotion charity, Animal Therapies Ltd.  Five years down the track, it is now recognised as Australia's leading advocate for advancing health through animal-assisted services.

Not many people can put their hand on their heart and say their job makes their heart sing. 

Vicki Macdermid counts herself among the lucky few.

The executive business coach and chartered accountant has established a model for leadership that accesses the power and wisdom of horses.

Her workshops are a little different to the leadership courses that most CEOs sign up for. 

"When I see senior business people leaving judgement at the door and allowing an animal that has roamed the Earth for millions of years to teach them a thing or two, it is truly special."

Vicki is one  of the key speakers at the 2023 Animal Therapies Ltd conference in Brisbane. You can learn more about her work at www.vickimacdermid.com