Equine-Assisted Therapy Albany WA
Equine-Assisted Therapy Programs
for Children and Teens
Supporting children and young people through connection, compassion and horses.
Creature Comfort Equine-Assisted Therapy offers individualised, trauma-informed therapeutic programs for children and young people. We combine professional social work and holistic counselling approaches with the assistance of our therapy horses.
Every child connects with therapy differently
Some children can feel uncomfortable, overwhelmed or constrained, by traditional clinical environments. This can be especially true for children who communicate and connect more easily through movement, nature, activity and relationships.
There is another way to support children and young people.
Sometimes, connection comes more naturally with a horse
Equine-assisted therapy creates opportunity for children to connect, communicate and explore their emotions in a safe, supportive and non-judgemental environment. Through activities such as grooming, groundwork, movement and simply spending time alongside a horse, children can develop confidence, emotional awareness, communication and self-regulation whilst building a meaningful therapeutic relationship.
What is Equine-Assisted Therapy?
Equine-assisted therapy incorporates a therapeutic relationship between a child, a horse and their therapist. Sessions may involve activities such as grooming, leading, groundwork, observation, movement, mindfulness and interactive activities. The activities are guided by each child’s individual needs, interests and therapeutic goals.
Working alongside horses can create opportunities for children to develop emotional awareness, communication, confidence, self-regulation and connection within a supportive, nature-based environment.
Sessions are guided by Melanie, a qualified and therapeutic practitioner with more than 14 year’s experience working with children, young people and families. Melanie’s approach is trauma-informed, strength-based and child-led. She creates a safe and supportive environment where children can explore their emotions, recognise their strengths and work towards goals that are meaningful to them.
The child and their family are central to identifying the goals for therapy
Melanie supports each child to work towards their goals at their own pace, using the therapeutic relationships, the horses and the natural environment to create opportunities for connection, exploration and growth.
What are the benefits of animal assisted therapy?
Emotional Regulation
Patricipants learn how to tune into themselves and deal with big emotions in a healthy way. Leading to calmer and more predictable reactions to everyday stressors and emotional triggers.
Building Trust and Confidence
Horses require patience, consistency, and trust, which can help improve self-esteem and foster emotional growth. Greater confidence can enable kids to participate socially and feel successful in school and life.
Social Skills and Communication
Interacting with horses can improve communication and interpersonal skills, especially for individuals with social challenges or developmental disorders. Leading to an ability to better express themselves and connect with family and friends on a deeper level.
Physical Benefits
For some, leading horses in groundwork, playing therapeutic games with dogs, or simply spending time with animals can improve coordination, balance, and motor skills. Giving kids more confidence to participate in life.
heal the heart
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mend the mind
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soothe the soul
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heal the heart ✧ mend the mind ✧ soothe the soul ✧
Hi, I’m Melanie Crowley
Registered Social Worker, Equine Wellbeing Practitioner, and Founder of Creature Comfort Therapy and Wellness
During my 13-year-long career in Child Protective Services, I saw countless children struggle with standard therapeutic models.
Children often felt controlled and constrained by clinical environments and their needs were going unmet despite the best intentions of my colleagues.
6 years ago, I witnessed something profound. I followed an intuition to bring a young girl under my professional care to visit my horse, Mackie.
In Mackie’s presence, she opened up with such ease. We were able to have those big conversations in an organic and comfortable way. I never forgot that moment.
Since then, I’ve been supplementing my 13 years of boots-on-the-ground experience, with multiple qualifications in animal assisted therapy.
Mackie has completed training to become a therapy horse (he was a natural), and I’ve added two gorgeous therapy dogs to the team, Maise and Mabel. They’re both hypoallergenic Spoodles with boundless energy and a playful, gentle nature.
I know there’s no such thing as one size fits all when it comes to mental wellbeing. I’m able to combine my clinical experience, and intuitive understanding, to create bespoke programs for my clients.
Get in touch to see if animal-assisted therapy is right for your family.
Meet the team
Mackie | Therapy Horse
Mackie is an inquisitive, and calm 17-year-old Welsh Cob, who has an uncanny ability to intuit what’s is needed in a therapy session.
Trained in natural horsemanship, he’s gentle and enjoys working with both children and adults. Mackie is quite a character. He loves eating liquorice and showing off his tricks. If you’re lucky, he’ll give you a soft kiss on the cheek.
Maisie | Lead Therapy Dog
Maise is a lovable 3-year-old spoodle, with gorgeous tactile fur and floppy ears. She's hypo allergenic, non-shedding and suitable for clients with allergies.
She’s very proud to have achieved Level 3 at Albany All breeds Dog club, Canine Therapy, and she enjoys creating a calm relaxed environment for therapy sessions.
Maise loves swimming in the ocean, running on the beach, and chewing squeaky toys.
Mabel | Trainee Therapy Dog
The puppy of the group, Mabel is a bundle of love and energy. She’s a second-generation therapy dog, but she’s still completing her training and learning from her big sister Maisie.
Mabel is also a hypoallergenic spoodle, and loves making new friends, eating treats and playing with Maisie.
Despite her puppy energy, Mabel is very gentle and has a wonderful temperament. She’s going to blossom into an extraordinary therapy dog.
Animal Assisted Therapy Packages & Pricing
We offer a 12 week program, individually tailored to each client's therapy needs and wellness goals.
We are fully NDIS compliant and can provide clients with an interim outcome report every four weeks and a comprehensive outcome report at the completion of the 12-week program.
Clients 7 years and under
We recommend 45 minute sessions - $165 per session
Clients 8 years and above
We recommend 60 minute sessions - $190 per session
4 week Interim Review and Report
$135 per report
12 week Comprehensive Outcome Report
$195
Wondering if animal assisted therapy is right for you?
Book a free
15-minute pre-admission consultation call and let’s chat.
FAQ’s
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Yes, counselling if often part of animal assisted therapy.
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Yes, animal-assisted therapy can support ADHD treatment by improving focus, reducing anxiety, and encouraging positive social interactions.
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Animal therapy can be highly effective for individuals with autism, fostering communication, emotional regulation, and sensory engagement.
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Yes, we specialise in trauma therapy, incorporating canine and equine-assisted approaches tailored to individual needs.
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Yes, we provide compassionate therapy for survivors of family and domestic violence, focusing on healing, empowerment, and emotional recovery.
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Yes, we offer parenting support to help families navigate challenges, strengthen relationships, and build positive strategies for growth and connection.
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As a registered allied health professional we are able to offer animal assisted therapy to meet the NDIS requirements for eligible participants to use their funding for this approved service.
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Our therapy dogs undergo professional training focused on obedience, socialisation, and responding calmly to various therapeutic scenarios.
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Equine therapy is highly effective for adults, helping with emotional regulation, stress reduction, and building confidence. We work predominantly with children, but we also work with adults.
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No, all sessions are conducted in my home office in Albany WA, or with my therapy horse, Mackie on a local farm.
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Sessions with Mackie on the farm are wheelchair accessible, but currently my home office is not set up for wheelchair accessibility. This is something I hope to remedy in the very near future.
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We recommend a 12-week program for the best results and lasting benefits. If you’re not sure if animal assisted therapy is right for you, please book a pre-admission consultation with our team.
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We usually require payment in full before the 12-week program begins, but in certain circumstances we can offer payment plans to make our therapy services more accessible.
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We understand that life happens. If you need to cancel a session, please give us appropriate notice and we can reschedule your appointment. Details of our cancellation policy are provided within our service agreement.