I believe that a quote by the late Steve Jobs is a great way to explain how Peaceful Paddocks Wellness Services came about.  ​​     

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“You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something—your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.”

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My experience with the healing power of horses goes back to when I was a child, and lucky enough to support children, young people, and adults with disabilities to ride horses. From this time, horses have continued to impact my life positively, and I have been blessed to have had some very special horses to guide, challenge, and support my personal and professional growth. My current partner, MacGyver, and I volunteered with Denmark Horsepower for two years and it was an absolute privilege to share MacGyver’s natural talents with others, who may not have otherwise had the opportunity to enjoy this magical experience.​

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Keen to help animals, I completed a Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing which allowed me to work as a registered Veterinary Nurse. I had the pleasure of helping abused and neglected dogs to heal from their emotional and physical wounds and I helped them to find loving forever homes. It was an absolute delight to witness the positive transformation these dogs, and their new owners enjoyed together.​

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In 2006, fate led me to work in the human services area and I loved this work so much that I stayed for 17 years! During this time I had the privilege of learning from children and young people in foster care, their families, and their foster carers, and I am forever grateful to those who trusted me with their stories. I am also so very thankful to those professionals who challenged my thinking and supported me to grow professionally. My passion for helping people grew and this resulted in me completing a Bachelor of Social Work, through Edith Cowan University. I am now very proud to be registered with the Australian Association of Social Workers.​

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Of course, I have experienced up's and down's in my life, and I am so thankful to my supporters who helped me through. As well as my human family, my beautiful dog Micky was a real champion for me, and his wisdom guided me to a calm and happy way of being. Micky led me to completing an Animal Assisted Therapy Clinical Course through Therapy Dogs Australia. This fuelled my passion for Canine-Assisted Therapy and I soon met Fonzi. He was 9 weeks old when we met, and he is now benefiting from everything I have learned throughout my personal and professional life.

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Fonzi graduated from puppy school when he was young, and in 2024 he and I graduated as a Therapy Dog Team. Fonzi continues to grow into a super therapy dog, and I felt proud when I was asked to share our story on the Therapy Dogs Australia podcast, season 3 episode 11. My most recent training was with the Equine Assisted Wellbeing Institute, and in October 2024 I graduated as an Equine Assisted Wellbeing Practitioner. 

   

 

​My current work includes working in a mental health and parenting service, where I provide therapeutic care to individuals and families. This work values and utilises my skills and passion for helping humans, and it supports me in developing my professional social work practice. I have particularly enjoyed developing my Play Therapy and Parenting Support skills through formal training, and have seen the positive results children and families enjoy from this.​

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​I am so excited to offer therapy services to you through Peaceful Paddocks Wellness Services. I feel a great sense of responsibility to respect, protect, and honour the people and animals I am so lucky to be working alongside, as well as the amazing environment that I am blessed to be working in. I am looking forward to having the opportunity to meet you soon.