Bellview Connection Counselling

Bellview Connection Counselling Bellview Connection offers Equine Assisted Therapy and telehealth Counselling by a Registered Counsellor

26/02/2026

New research highlights the healing potential of equine-assisted services for children’s mental health

A recent peer-reviewed study published in the Journal of Social Work Practice explores how equine-assisted services can support children experiencing trauma, anxiety and emotional challenges.

Key insights from the research:

Children often feel safer and more connected in natural, horse-inclusive environments than in traditional clinical settings.

Horses’ sensitivity to human emotion can support trust-building and emotional regulation.

Practitioners observed increased openness, communication and readiness for therapeutic engagement.

Children demonstrated improvements in confidence, resilience, and sense of self.

Importantly, the research also highlights the need for:

Strong ethical frameworks and professional standards such as the ATL Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct

Sustainable funding pathways are important which is why ATL works hard at raising funds for our Mental Health Outreach and Pathways Program

Continued high-quality research to strengthen the evidence base

At Animal Therapies Ltd, we advocate for evidence-informed, ethical, and accessible animal-assisted services across Australia.

When delivered by appropriately qualified and insured practitioners, equine-assisted services can form a meaningful part of holistic mental health support. You can read more here:

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02650533.2025.2495741?fbclid=IwZnRzaAQBoixleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeF9-wVnfVJor_w4tMiukYndHf0MnrRZoNoPXdIp3jxBhgeiCRNA_iUhWMutA_aem_YRA63jIFyhNt7DRBB79elw

“A client once told me I must be stress free as I have horses.”I laughed so hard I nearly dropped a feed bucket.Yes… hor...
26/02/2026

“A client once told me I must be stress free as I have horses.”

I laughed so hard I nearly dropped a feed bucket.

Yes… horses are peaceful. They are grounding. They regulate nervous systems. They teach presence, boundaries and emotional awareness.

They also:

🐴 Rip rugs the day after you replace them
🐴 Injure themselves the night before an expensive clinic you've finally got time off to attend
🐴 Itch their butts on the fence and stretch the wire - Peggy, I mean you!
🐴 Develop mysterious limps that disappear the second the vet arrives
🐴 Turn into Olympic athletes when they spot a float, syringe, or trimming gear
🐴 Have tails that constantly need washing - Peggy & Oriana, I mean you!
Even on the chaotic days… when fences need fixing, and someone has discovered a new and creative way to remove a halter…

Running an equine-assisted therapy practice means my co-therapists are 500kg freelancers with opinions. Strong ones.

Keeping them “therapy suitable” isn’t just cuddles and sunsets. It’s:

✔️ Ongoing training
✔️ Careful herd management
✔️ Watching body language like a hawk
✔️ Vet checks, dentist visits, farrier schedules
✔️ Constant reflection on whether they’re regulated enough to hold space safely

Because their wellbeing comes first. Always.

The irony?
So no… not stress-free.s… when fences need fixing, and the herd are cutting laps around the paddock because the weather has dropped 10 degrees and the wind is up.......

They still teach me the very thing I teach my clients:

Pause.
Breathe.
Regulate.
Begin again.

So no… not stress free.

But deeply meaningful.

And occasionally held together with baling twine and coffee. ☕

🌟 RARE OPENING: After-School Appointment Available! 🌟I have a rare fortnightly after-school spot available on Wednesdays...
21/02/2026

🌟 RARE OPENING: After-School Appointment Available! 🌟

I have a rare fortnightly after-school spot available on Wednesdays – perfect for children, teens, or families who need support outside of school hours.

Whether it's for counselling, equine-assisted therapy, or a mix of both, this is a great opportunity to access consistent support in a calm and compassionate setting. 🐴🧠💬

These spots don’t come up often – so if this suits your schedule, now’s the time!

📅 Book now or share with someone who might need it:
Bellviewconnection@gmail.com or call 0429353680

“A calm connection with another being begins with a calm moment with yourself.”
21/02/2026

“A calm connection with another being begins with a calm moment with yourself.”

As we slither out of the Year of the Snake and gallop into the Year of the Horse, it’s a great time to notice what you’r...
13/02/2026

As we slither out of the Year of the Snake and gallop into the Year of the Horse, it’s a great time to notice what you’re carrying with you… and what might be ready to be shed.

Snakes are all about transformation — but sometimes that transformation comes with:
🐍 old patterns
🐍 emotional baggage
🐍 things we *thought* we’d dealt with
🐍 moments that still quietly bite

The Year of the Horse invites movement, freedom, confidence, and forward momentum. But moving ahead doesn’t mean pretending nothing happened — it means processing what *did* so it doesn’t keep tripping you up.

Therapy can help you:
🐴 make sense of what the last season stirred up
🐴 release what no longer fits
🐴 build strength, confidence, and emotional flexibility
🐴 move forward with clarity instead of carrying the past

Whether last year brought big changes, quiet struggles, or a few emotional curveballs, therapy offers a space to pause, reflect, and then move ahead — with purpose.

If you’re ready to stop circling old stories and start moving forward, support is available.

📅 Book a session here:
👉bellviewconnection@gmail.com

New year. New energy. Same you — just lighter 🐴✨

Pony pedicure day yesterday between clients. Peggy and Oriana's turn and they both seemed to enjoy the attention.Bellvie...
11/02/2026

Pony pedicure day yesterday between clients.
Peggy and Oriana's turn and they both seemed to enjoy the attention.
Bellview is also a sheep farm and we are feeding out beans and hay to the sheep and monitoring dam levels, which are low.

🌿 Professional Counselling — Wherever You Are 🌿Telehealth appointments availableYou don’t need to be in the same room to...
11/02/2026

🌿 Professional Counselling — Wherever You Are 🌿

Telehealth appointments available

You don’t need to be in the same room to receive meaningful, effective therapy.

Telehealth counselling offers the same professional support, evidence-based approaches, and therapeutic connection as face-to-face sessions — with the added comfort and flexibility of attending from your own space.

📞Telehealth counselling can help if you’re:
• experiencing anxiety, stress, burnout, or emotional overwhelm
• navigating grief, loss, or life transitions
• supporting a neurodivergent child or family member
• managing trauma or PTSD
• feeling stuck and needing clarity, tools, or direction
• living rurally, time-poor, or unable to attend in person

Research shows telehealth counselling can be just as effective as in-person therapy. Many clients find they open up more easily when they feel safe, familiar, and comfortable at home — without travel time or added stress.

✨ Appointment options available:
• Focused sessions – ideal for brief therapy, specific concerns, or when you want practical support and strategies in a shorter timeframe
• Standard 50-minute sessions – for deeper exploration, ongoing support, and longer-term therapeutic work

Telehealth may suit you if you value flexibility, privacy, consistency, and high-quality support that fits around your life.

📅 Appointments available – book online here:
👉 bellviewconnection@gmail.com

Support is available — no matter where you’re located.

Working alongside horses allows children to express what’s happening on the inside, at their own pace, while being suppo...
09/02/2026

Working alongside horses allows children to express what’s happening on the inside, at their own pace, while being supported by a therapist who understands both emotional well-being and the healing power of the human–animal connection.

Counselling supported by horses offers children a gentle, non-verbal way to process big emotions. Horses are highly attuned to emotional states and respond honestly to what a child is feeling, not what they’re saying. This helps children:
✨ feel seen and understood without pressure to talk
✨ learn to regulate strong emotions like anger, sadness, or anxiety
✨ rebuild a sense of safety, trust, and stability
✨ explore boundaries, change, and resilience in a calm, supportive space

Working alongside horses allows children to express what’s happening on the inside, at their own pace, while being supported by a therapist who understands both emotional wellbeing and the healing power of the human–animal connection.

If your child is struggling through separation or divorce and you’d like to explore a gentle, nature-based approach to counselling, you’re welcome to book a session here:
👉 bellviewconnection@gmail.com

You don’t have to navigate this alone — support is available 🤍

🍁🐴How Equine-Assisted & Nature-Based Therapy Can Help with Anxiety & Depression 🌿🐴Using Acceptance and Commitment Therap...
09/02/2026

🍁🐴How Equine-Assisted & Nature-Based Therapy Can Help with Anxiety & Depression 🌿🐴

Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) principles, equine-assisted and nature-based therapy helps people step out of their thoughts and back into the present moment.

Being with horses and in nature supports:
✨ Grounding & nervous system regulation
✨ Defusion from unhelpful thoughts – noticing thoughts without getting stuck in them
✨ Acceptance of difficult feelings rather than fighting them
✨ Values-based action – gently moving toward what matters, even when things feel hard

Through movement, awareness, and real-time experiences, clients learn practical skills to manage anxiety and low mood in a compassionate, hands-on way.

🌿 Want to explore this approach and learn strategies that support real change?
📅 Book a session here: bellviewconnection@gmail.com

🐴 When the herd shows us how to move through fear 🐴During a recent session, a client witnessed something powerful.The ho...
30/01/2026

🐴 When the herd shows us how to move through fear 🐴

During a recent session, a client witnessed something powerful.
The horses were resting together under a tree when a branch suddenly dropped.

In an instant, the whole herd responded as one — they galloped off together, creating distance from the danger. Then, just as beautifully, they spun and stopped, turning back to assess what had happened.
Once they realised the threat had passed, they returned halfway together, blowing out deep breaths. Oriana calmly wandered over and had a drink from the trough — a clear sign her nervous system had settled.

What struck my client wasn’t just the reaction… it was what happened after.

🧠 A little psychoeducation
Both horses and humans are wired to react to sudden threat. That surge of adrenaline is protective — it’s not the problem. The problem comes when we don’t let it move through us.

The horses:

Reacted quickly and appropriately

Checked for ongoing danger

Discharged the stress through movement and breath

Returned to calm without holding onto the fear

For people, “letting go” after a fright can look like:

Taking slow, intentional breaths

Talking through what happened with someone safe

Moving the body (walking, stretching, shaking it out)

Crying, sighing, or even laughing once the danger has passed

When we don’t express fear or stress safely, it can get stored — showing up later as anxiety, tension, irritability, or overwhelm. Horses remind us that regulation isn’t about avoiding emotion, but about allowing it to rise, move, and settle.

Watching the herd self-regulate together was a quiet, embodied lesson in resilience, safety, and trust — one that words alone can’t teach.

If you or your child would benefit from learning these skills experientially, sessions are now open.
📅 Book here: bellviewconnection@gmail.com

Sometimes the most powerful therapy… is watching how horses do what our nervous systems are designed to do too 🐴✨

Unfortunately, due to the heat and extreme fire danger, today's appointments have been rescheduled. We beat the heat wit...
27/01/2026

Unfortunately, due to the heat and extreme fire danger, today's appointments have been rescheduled.
We beat the heat with a "tie up" and "float loading" training session with Oriana and Pandora. Both girls were extremely calm and the session was barely 15 minutes long.
All the ponies are out in the shade and have access to a dam to keep cool.

Address

Pomonal, VIC

Opening Hours

Tuesday 9am - 6:30pm
Wednesday 9am - 6:30pm
Thursday 8:30am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm

Telephone

+61429353680

Website

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