Professional growth at Cafs Care farm

CHILD and Family Services held a symposium at their new Care Farm in Springmount last Thursday, 21 March, teaching ‘out of the box’ strategies to those working to support people who have experienced attachment disruption and trauma.

With the theme of ‘Get Grounded’ and a focus on learning, growing and healing through farming practice, attendees engaged with the psychological and occupational therapy practices and theories of skilled presenters.

The professionals learnt new compassionate and creative ways to help children and families recover and grow after trauma.

Psychologist, Jamie Tanner is the founder and president of Texan care farm, Simple Sparrow. Her expert area is How-To Care Farm.

“The point of a care farm is we’re looking at how to integrate therapeutic methods with practical farming techniques… how do you actually run a farm? Those practical things,” she said.

“For the clients that come out, it is meaningful, functional and fun. So we’re not directing them to an activity just to build those neurological things that they need in their brain to heal, we’re actually giving them a sense of purpose in their work and what they’re doing,” Ms Tanner said.

“It’s so natural and so it boosts a lot of confidence.

We can create a space and give time for people to earn compassion and care. It’s teaching them to be focussed outward and to see they really do have a meaningful purpose in life and that they can be contributing members to the community.”

Co-founder of Simple Sparrow, Marti Smith is also the President and CEO of Creative Therapies.

As an Occupational Therapist she specialises in trauma and sensory regulation, and presented sessions on the Healing Power of Lycra.

Ms Smith addressed inexpensive ways to use Lycra to help children and adults deal with stress and achieve calmness, including the vestibular swing technique. Her motto is “can’t hurt, might help.”

“Just like massage, it releases feel good chemicals. Sometimes the position your body is in or the way we interact with each other can change the chemicals in the brain as well,” she said.

“I’m working to change brain chemistry, from an outside-in approach. It’s about supporting children and adults who have confusing behaviours to be able to identify the why behind them, so we can build relationships to support them.”

Ballarat Clinical Psychologist, Chelle Taylor also presented a Canine Assisted Therapy session.

Megan Wilson travelled from Bendigo to attend the symposium as an Occupational Therapist. She was excited to meet Ms Smith, an OT idol of hers.

“For me, it’s definitely been inspirational, and it’s exposure to relatively new frameworks within Australia and evidence-based research,” Ms Wilson said.

“As a society we don’t tend to look after our most vulnerable people and it’s really exciting to see that there’s so much energy and evidence to support the growth and healing of the most vulnerable people in our community.”