Sarah Crosthwaite farms alongside her husband Stuart, in the North East of Victoria but her real passion is mental health, starting her own counselling business supporting the mental health and wellbeing of farmers, rural families and a variety of agricultural workers across Australia.

In this chat, Sarah shares how she became an accredited mental health social worker and how she is using her many years of experience in agriculture and dairy to provide support for farmers and service providers facing the many challenges that we experience specific to farming. She gives really practical tips and strategies to maintain your mental fitness, as well as discussing the role of financial literacy in reducing stress and the importance of communication in relationships, especially in the context of farming families.

We also chat about where to go when you are seeking external support, and the importance of finding the right person, just like finding the right pair of jeans. This chat is very general in nature and not specific therapeutic care, but if you are in need of, or someone you love is struggling please head along to any of the services and resources

TIACS - Free counselling service 8am - 10pm, Monday - Friday

Call or Text 0488 846 988; https://www.tiacs.org/how-it-works/

RURAL HEALTH CONNECT - online platform that links people to psychologists over video calls and phone calls. https://ruralhealthconnect.com.au/

Open Road Counselling - Sarah Crosthwaite https://openroadcounselling.com.au/

CRISIS SUPPORT

Lifeline: 131 114

Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467

Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636

Triple Zero: 000

Resources and Tools:

National Centre Farmer Health https://farmerhealth.org.au/

I Farm Well https://ifarmwell.com.au/

Marcus Minds https://www.marcusminds.com/

In the spirit of reconciliation we would like to acknowlegde the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

If you know someone who you think would be great on the podcast, or you would like to share your story, please get in touch by sending an email to [email protected] or stay connected by following us on Instagram or Facebook and send us a message - I'd love to hear from you.