Team Approach Equine Therapy
Horses are cool, and can help you with various kinds of therapy.
Equine therapy, also known as horse therapy or hippotherapy, is a type of therapy that uses horses to improve individuals’ physical, emotional, and cognitive functions. At Heartfelt Support, we provide equine therapy to Adelaide residents of all ages who may benefit from this unique and effective form of therapy, using our Australia Saddle Pony Astro and our rescue Brumby Noddy..
There are many benefits to equine therapy, including:
- Enhanced physical abilities: Balance, coordination, and strength are necessary for our guided groundwork and horse care. Participants in equine therapy may experience gains in their physical abilities and mobility.
- Improved cognitive function: Working with horses necessitates focus, problem-solving, and judgement. Participants in equine therapy may experience improvements in their cognitive function and information-processing skills.
- Enhanced self-esteem and confidence: Equine therapy can assist people in feeling pride in their accomplishments and self-worth as a result of their improvement.
- Tension and anxiety reduction: Equine therapy’s outdoor location and calming horse presence can be highly calming and help lower stress and anxiety.
- A person’s social skills can be improved through equine therapy, which involves working with both the horses and the therapy team. This can help people form relationships with others and improve their social abilities.
Our team of skilled therapists at Heartfelt Support is committed to providing people in the Adelaide region with top-notch horse therapy services. They are also lovely and fun to be around! We are dedicated to assisting our clients in realising their full potential since we firmly believe in the therapy’s ability to transform lives.
We invite you to get in touch with us for a chat about the advantages of horse therapy if you or someone you know is curious to find out more about it. We look forward to assisting you on your path to better cognitive, emotional, and physical health.
Useful links:
Self Referral form to apply for the program
Read the life story of Noddy, our rescue brumby from our blog
An article about the popularity of equine therapy in Australia from our blog
Horse-Centred Wellbeing
Horses can help you with many aspects of your life from social skills to finding calmness.
Astro The Wonderhorse and Noddy The Miracle Brumby are our pony superstars. Astro is super smart and Noddy just loves people. Together they work with children and adults to make a difference.
Our Horse Centred Wellbeing team operates our social horse program. Using many of the same concepts as our Multi-Disciplinary Equine Therapy team, this is a program for people who do not have enough therapy budget for equine therapy but need to get the same great benefits.
Every visit is great fun, but research shows it takes as little as five weekly visits to start getting benefits outside of the sessions themselves. But you can come as often as suits you – weekly, fortnightly or 4-weekly when we have slots available. Casual sessions are often available during school holidays as many of our clients are school aged and often take a break at that time.
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- Uses horses to teach self-esteem, self-confidence and communication
- Fully supervised by experienced support workers with horse handling skills
- Ponies up to 13-14 hands (small horse size)
- Clients can be picked up and dropped off afterwards
- Two experienced workers for each session – one for the participant and one to ensure safety for all
- Parent/Guardians and Support Workers welcome at sessions
- Operates from Trott Park
- Long and short timeslots available
Useful links:
Article about this program in Glam Adelaide (slightly old)
Self Referral form to apply for the program
Read the life story of Noddy, our rescue brumby from our blog
Help in Your Daily Life
Mentoring And Support
Mentoring (Also known as support workers)
Let us help you to access the community and get stuff done! Whether you need emotional support or just a friendly face to help you navigate life, we’re here for you. We have mentors of all ages and backgrounds.
What we do:
- help you get out and about (doctor, to do your shopping etc)
- planned activities such as art classes or vocational training
- just a stroll along the esplanade in the sun or a coffee break
- we provide a little assistance help you to do the things that everyone has a right to
House and Garden Services
Cleaning, Gardening, Small Handyperson jobs
The NDIS will fund these things, but only if they are reasonable and necessary because of your disability. For example, if you can’t clean your house’s wet areas because of your disability, then we can provide a cleaner using your NDIS funds.
Of course, our staff are all checked and vetted the same as our support staff and others.
Note: if people without a disability would have to hire a licensed expert to do the job, like an electrician or plumber, it won’t be covered by the NDIS.
What we do:
- cleaning
- mowing
- yard clean-up
- we can either helping alongside you or do things for you
Psychosocial Recovery Coach
This is a specialist to help you remove or reduce the barriers that mental illness has put between you and your goals.
Psychosocial Recovery Coaching was added to the NDIS to bridge the gap between having a Support Coordinator to organise your services for you and having to do so on your own.
Our Psychosocial Recovery Coaches will stand alongside you and guide you without telling you what to do, choice and control is in your hands. Not only do they have the training and experience in helping people to get their life back under control, but they’ve usually been there themselves – we think lived experience is an important trait for a successful PRC.
They are there to make it easier (not easy, easier) for you to build and rebuild support, professional, work, family and personal relationships.
Usually, to access a PRC you need to have it in your plan.
Your PRC will spend the necessary time with you, and people important to you, to get to know you and understand your needs, help you to find out about different services and supports and how these can help you, help you get support from mental health services and help you better understand the NDIS and support you with the NDIS. They also have access to our inhouse experts on other parts of the NDIS to make sure you get the most from your plan.
What we do :
- support you with being able to live a purposeful and meaningful life.
- help motivate you
- help you build resilience
- help you build (or re-build) community connections
- overcome barriers and engage in better relationships.
Useful Links:
NDIS information on Psychosocial Recovery Coaching
From our blog on PRC
For a discussion on your PRC needs, or someone else’s, use our Self Referral form .
Art and Music Programs
Our Art and Music Studio at Woodcroft is a haven for people with a disability to explore creativity and experience the joys of art and music.
We offer both therapeutic and social programs, so there is something for everyone.
Our staff consists of registered therapists, experienced musicians and artists plus our popular support workers.
Programs
- Singing / Individual
- Painting and Drawing
- Small Group Social Karaoke
- Learn/practice and instrument
- Art Therapy
- Crafts
- Coming Soon: Jewellery Making
- Coming Soon: Music Teaching
Art Therapy
Art therapy is a type of psychotherapy in which people use art to explore their emotions, thoughts, and behaviours. At Heartfelt Support, we provide art therapy sessions to Adelaide community members in order to encourage self-expression and self-exploration.
A qualified and accredited art therapist leads our art therapy sessions. Clients are encouraged to create art in a way that is both comfortable and meaningful to them during a session. The art therapist will offer guidance and support as needed, but the emphasis of the session will be on the client’s personal exploration and expression.
Individuals of all ages and abilities can benefit from art therapy. It can be a useful tool for those dealing with mental health issues, trauma, grief, stress, or any other difficulties, bot related to disability or existing alongside. Art therapy can also be a fun and engaging way for people to learn new skills and find new interests.
We provide art therapy sessions in a safe and supportive environment at the Heartfelt Support Music and Art Centre in Morphett Vale. We believe in the healing and growth-promoting power of creativity and self-expression. Please contact us using the form below for more information if you or a loved one are interested in trying art therapy. We would be delighted to answer any questions you may have and assist you in beginning your art therapy journey.
Useful Links:
Good quality information on Art Therapy is available on the American Art Therapy Association website
From our blog on Art Therapy
For a discussion on your Art or Music needs or someone else’s, use our Self Referral form .
Music Therapy
Music therapy, a therapeutic intervention led by trained music therapists, harnesses the power of music to improve mental health and wellbeing. This versatile approach offers numerous benefits:
Enhancement of Mental Health
Music therapy effectively reduces symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress, fostering a sense of peace and emotional stability.
Boost in Communication Skills:
It aids in improving speech and social skills, making it easier for individuals to express themselves and interact with others.
Physical Health Benefits
The therapy promotes body movement and coordination, which is particularly beneficial for those with physical disabilities or rehabilitation needs.
Emotional Expression and Processing
It provides a safe environment for individuals to explore and express their emotions, leading to better emotional regulation and understanding.
Cognitive Improvements
Music therapy can enhance memory and cognitive functions, making it a valuable tool for individuals with cognitive impairments or those seeking to boost their mental acuity.
Sleep Disorder Management
For those struggling with sleep disorders, music therapy can be an effective non-pharmacological intervention to improve sleep quality.
Music therapy offers a holistic approach to wellbeing, addressing mental, physical, emotional, and cognitive aspects of health through the therapeutic use of music. Learn more and apply for our Music Therapy in Adelaide’s South today.
Employment Programs
Finding Or Keeping Employment (for everyone)
We can help you whether you are a School leaver or not, whether you want to get a job, or keep a job .
One of the NDIS support categories that offers assistance to help people with disabilities find and keep employment is the “Finding and Keeping a Job” program.
The “Finding and Keeping a Job” program’s objective is to assist individuals with disabilities in locating and pursuing employment opportunities that fit their interests and skill sets. It can finance a variety of supports, including:
- Pre-employment assistance can include assisting you with the preparation of a resume and cover letter, the practise of interview skills, and the identification of job opportunities.
- On-the-job assistance: This can include assisting you with tasks such as job application completion, training and upskilling, or adjusting to new work environments.
- Assistive technology: We can advise you on funding for assistive technology or equipment that may be required to assist someone with a disability in performing their job duties, and we can help you get the ball rolling on what you require.
To be eligible for the “Finding and Keeping a Job” program, an individual must be registered with the NDIS and have an employment goal listed in their NDIS plan. The program is designed to be flexible and tailored to the individual’s needs and goals, so the specific supports and funding provided will vary depending on the person’s situation.
Because the program is intended to be flexible and tailored to the individual’s needs and goals, the specific supports and funding provided will differ depending on the individual’s situation.
We’ve written a guide to the basics of disability employment in Australia.
Self-Employment Programs
Would you like to explore starting your own business?
We at Heartfelt Support are aware of the particular challenges that people with disabilities may have while founding and operating their own businesses. We have therefore created a comprehensive program for NDIS participants to assist these people in becoming successful in their business activities.
Here are the steps that we will undertake to support individuals with a disability in starting and running their own businesses:
- Identifying the person’s needs is necessary before we can properly assist beginning and operating a business. This entails being aware of their ability, any modifications they might need, and any other elements that might affect their capacity to launch and operate an enterprise.
- Providing business mentoring and coaching: It can be challenging to launch and manage a business. To assist people in the process and offer support along the way, we offer one-on-one business mentoring and coaching.
- Putting people in touch with networks and resources: We are aware of how important it is for any company to have a strong network of supporters. We therefore aim to link people to the networks and resources they require to flourish, such as business advisers, funding options, disability-specific resources, government agencies and possible clients.
- Providing ongoing assistance: We recognise that starting and operating a business is a continuous process and that individuals may require ongoing assistance to be successful. We provide continuing support.
We are committed to supporting individuals with disabilities in starting and running their own businesses, and we hope that our program will help these individuals achieve their entrepreneurial dreams.
Click here for Empower Your Enterprise Downloadable Brochure