This is only one of the many stories Lorna Shepardson, mental health therapist for Animals as Natural Therapy, can tell about the ways the organization is changing lives. There are many stories about children with relationship and anger issues, or cutting and drug habits that chose to change their lives because of what they learn through their relationships with animals and mentors, she said.
The herd of horses, rabbits, chickens, dogs and a llama act as therapists, counselors and friends to the people who visit Windy Acres Farm on Van Wyck Road on the outskirts of Bellingham, Shepardson said.
Western junior Sheila Dashtestani spent more than 120 hours interning with Animals as Natural Therapy, a nonprofit organization that works with a variety of community members in Whatcom County.
During her internship, she said she helped write grants, do office work and volunteer with the after-school care program. She also helped with the teens in recovery program for girls recovering from alcohol and drug abuse.
“The program helped the kids see their value and they don’t need alcohol and drugs to fit in,” she said.
Dashtestani wanted a variety of opportunities as an intern and was willing to take on anything, said Sonja Wingard, executive director and co-founder of Animals as Natural Therapy.
“She possesses a gentle watchfulness when she is with the girls in recovery,” Wingard said. “She was curious and non-judgmental, which made her a perfect fit for those wounded souls.”
Animals as Natural Therapy has several different programs, which focus on low-income teens. They have an extra-curricular after-school program and an intergenerational program where kids learn to handle the smaller animals in order to take them to retirement homes to visit the elderly. Animals as Natural Therapy also runs summer day camps, and is trying to start up a veterans program for soldiers dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder.
The organization began 13 years ago, after Wingard invited a group of troubled kids to the farm to interact with the animals. She said she slowly realized it was not just a nice petting zoo.
“There is more going on here than what we can see,” she said.
All participants on the farm abide by a three-part contract.
“We promise to keep each other physically and emotionally safe, to give and receive feedback and to work as a team,” Wingard said. “This helps create a safe environment in which people can be challenged and grow.”
Horses tend to reflect what is going on internally with a person, said Amanda Martin who has volunteered at the organization for nine years and is now a horse instructor.
“Horses force you to acknowledge what you are feeling by their actions,” she said.
When a horse senses that a person is tense, it might dance around until the person calms down by letting go of whatever is stressing them out. People discover how to recognize their emotions and deal with them appropriately rather than suppress them, she said.
“The philosophy here is very different than other places that work with animals and horses,” Martin said. “We ask the horse to be a partner with us rather than demand obedience.”
They take this same approach when working with kids or others who come to the farm, she said.
Volunteers do not have to know about horses, Wingard said. They just have to be open to loving children, learn to listen to them and let them accomplish their goals.
She said there are many opportunities to volunteer with people who come to Animals as Natural Therapy, but there are also opportunities to help plan events, work in the office, care for animals and do farm chores.
Through her internship at Animals as Natural Therapy, Dashtestani said she has seen how important it is to have volunteers at this organization. She said it is rewarding for the kids to have this program in place because they gain confidence and learn to be successful.
She told a story about one girl she helped who was frustrated when her horse wouldn’t let her on to ride. They finally decided to let the horse roll around the pasture.
“The horse just needed to get its pent up energy out and relax,” Deshtestani said. “After that it let the girl get on right away. The girl said that she learned that sometimes you just need to let go and let loose for a little while before you work.”
She said it was inspiring to watch the girl learn that lesson from watching her horse.
“No volunteer who has been here for any length of time can say their life hasn’t been changed,” Wingard said. “You gain wisdom from a 13-year-old drug addict or a 16-year-old who has been abused. When you see someone moving from a position of hopelessness to hope, you can’t help but have it rub off on you.”
The Western Front
February 15, 2011
The herd of horses, rabbits, chickens, dogs and a llama act as therapists, counselors and friends to the people who visit Windy Acres Farm on Van Wyck Road on the outskirts of Bellingham, Shepardson said.
Western junior Sheila Dashtestani spent more than 120 hours interning with Animals as Natural Therapy, a nonprofit organization that works with a variety of community members in Whatcom County.
During her internship, she said she helped write grants, do office work and volunteer with the after-school care program. She also helped with the teens in recovery program for girls recovering from alcohol and drug abuse.
“The program helped the kids see their value and they don’t need alcohol and drugs to fit in,” she said.
Dashtestani wanted a variety of opportunities as an intern and was willing to take on anything, said Sonja Wingard, executive director and co-founder of Animals as Natural Therapy.
“She possesses a gentle watchfulness when she is with the girls in recovery,” Wingard said. “She was curious and non-judgmental, which made her a perfect fit for those wounded souls.”
Animals as Natural Therapy has several different programs, which focus on low-income teens. They have an extra-curricular after-school program and an intergenerational program where kids learn to handle the smaller animals in order to take them to retirement homes to visit the elderly. Animals as Natural Therapy also runs summer day camps, and is trying to start up a veterans program for soldiers dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder.
The organization began 13 years ago, after Wingard invited a group of troubled kids to the farm to interact with the animals. She said she slowly realized it was not just a nice petting zoo.
“There is more going on here than what we can see,” she said.
All participants on the farm abide by a three-part contract.
“We promise to keep each other physically and emotionally safe, to give and receive feedback and to work as a team,” Wingard said. “This helps create a safe environment in which people can be challenged and grow.”
Horses tend to reflect what is going on internally with a person, said Amanda Martin who has volunteered at the organization for nine years and is now a horse instructor.
“Horses force you to acknowledge what you are feeling by their actions,” she said.
When a horse senses that a person is tense, it might dance around until the person calms down by letting go of whatever is stressing them out. People discover how to recognize their emotions and deal with them appropriately rather than suppress them, she said.
“The philosophy here is very different than other places that work with animals and horses,” Martin said. “We ask the horse to be a partner with us rather than demand obedience.”
They take this same approach when working with kids or others who come to the farm, she said.
Volunteers do not have to know about horses, Wingard said. They just have to be open to loving children, learn to listen to them and let them accomplish their goals.
She said there are many opportunities to volunteer with people who come to Animals as Natural Therapy, but there are also opportunities to help plan events, work in the office, care for animals and do farm chores.
Through her internship at Animals as Natural Therapy, Dashtestani said she has seen how important it is to have volunteers at this organization. She said it is rewarding for the kids to have this program in place because they gain confidence and learn to be successful.
She told a story about one girl she helped who was frustrated when her horse wouldn’t let her on to ride. They finally decided to let the horse roll around the pasture.
“The horse just needed to get its pent up energy out and relax,” Deshtestani said. “After that it let the girl get on right away. The girl said that she learned that sometimes you just need to let go and let loose for a little while before you work.”
She said it was inspiring to watch the girl learn that lesson from watching her horse.
“No volunteer who has been here for any length of time can say their life hasn’t been changed,” Wingard said. “You gain wisdom from a 13-year-old drug addict or a 16-year-old who has been abused. When you see someone moving from a position of hopelessness to hope, you can’t help but have it rub off on you.”
The Western Front
February 15, 2011
