Hunter Valley Children's Therapies

11/03/2026

🌿 Trail Talk – A School Holiday Program for Children (Ages 8–12) 🐴

Join us for Trail Talk, a unique outdoor program hosted by Hunter Valley Children’s Therapies in collaboration with A Growing Understanding Speech Pathology.

Through horse interactions, nature-based activities, and guided communication support, children will build confidence, connection, and communication skills in a calm rural environment.

Participants will enjoy hands-on experiences with animals, explore the property’s natural spaces (including our shallow creek), and take part in meaningful activities designed to support emotional growth and teamwork.

✨ We call it “Neigh-bourly Connections” – where young people and horses learn to connect, trust, and understand each other.

📅 Dates: 9–10 March 2026
👧👦 Ages: 8–12 years

Find out more or register here:

Trail Talk Group offers outdoor therapy programs in Hunter Valley to enhance communication, confidence, and social skills in children through animal-assisted activities and nature-based interventions.

10/03/2026

🌿🐴 School Holiday Program – The Feeling Herd (Teens Group) 🐴🌿
Hunter Valley Children’s Therapies

April 15th and 16th - 9:30 to 3pm each day

✨ This is an inclusive group for high-school aged young people.
It’s an opportunity to come together and connect with new and familiar faces in a safe space to share, explore, learn, support and grow.

We welcome teens of all backgrounds, experiences, bodies and identities.

Through hands-on experiences, animal-assisted activities, and guided therapeutic support, teens will:

💛 Learn to recognise and manage big feelings
💛 Build emotional regulation skills
💛 Strengthen social confidence and peer connection
💛 Develop self-awareness and empathy
💛 Experience the calming benefits of nature and animals

The Feeling Herd provides a calm, supportive space where teens can feel seen, heard, and understood — while developing practical skills for everyday life.

Perfect for teens who:

Experience anxiety or big emotions

Would benefit from social connection in a supportive group

Thrive in smaller, inclusive environments

Love animals and being outdoors

📍 Hosted by Hunter Valley Children’s Therapies
📅 Limited school holiday places available - RSVP by 20th March

👉 Find out more and register here:

Feeling Herd offers inclusive group therapy for teens, combining equine, nature, and art therapies to foster self-awareness, confidence, and emotional resilience.

08/03/2026

🌿🐴✨ April 2026 School Holiday Group Programs ✨🐴🌿
Hunter Valley Children’s Therapies

We’re excited to offer four unique, nature-based therapeutic group programs these April school holidays — each designed to support connection, confidence, and emotional growth in a safe and inclusive environment.

Here’s what’s coming up:

🐎 The Wild Stallions
For boys aged 7–16 years
📅 7th & 8th April 2026
⏰ 9:30am – 3:00pm

A nature-based, skill-building program helping boys build resilience, emotional regulation, leadership, and teamwork skills through hands-on outdoor experiences and animal connection.

Perfect for boys who thrive in active environments and benefit from structured social support.

🌿🐎 Trail Talk
For children between 8 and 12 years
Co-Facilitated with A Growing Understanding- Speech Pathology
📅 9th & 10th April 2026
⏰ 9:00am – 3:00pm
A two-day therapeutic program designed to build communication, interaction, and social confidence in children aged 8–12 years, learning alongside horses, cats and dogs and outside in nature.

🌸🐴 Horse Power
For primary school-aged girls
📅 13th & 14th April 2026
⏰ 9:30am – 3:00pm

A creative blend of art, nature, and animals in a nurturing space that supports confidence, friendship-building, emotional awareness, and resilience.

Ideal for girls who love creative expression and being outdoors.

🌿💛 The Feeling Herd (Teens Group)
For high-school aged young people
📅 15th & 16th April 2026
⏰ 9:30am – 3:00pm

An inclusive, supportive group offering teens a safe space to connect, share, explore, learn and grow. Through nature-based and animal-assisted activities, participants build emotional regulation, social confidence, and resilience.

We welcome young people of all backgrounds, experiences, bodies and identities.

All programs are facilitated by experienced therapists and grounded in connection, emotional safety, and skill development.

🌟 Limited places available
📍 Hunter Valley Children's Therapies.

REGISTRAION BY 20th March

For more information on each group and to secure your place: https://www.huntervalleychildrenstherapies.com/school-holiday-programs.

Let these school holidays be a time of growth, connection, and confidence-building. 🌿🐴💛

06/03/2026

I dream of the day we can complete a Masters in Animal Assisted Psychotherapy.

We know the depth... the healing... and the possibilities that working alongside animals can offer

One day the world of research will catch up and we look forward to saying

"I told you so..."

Animal-assisted psychotherapy is a form of mental and behavioral health treatment that partners with horses and other animals to help adults, children and families to heal from trauma, to manage autism or to overcome anxiety, depression, grief or other emotional problems. The modality is supported by the National Association of Social Workers, and some U.S. colleges offer training in the practice, including through a graduate certificate offered at Colorado State University.
https://www.keloland.com/news/local-news/horses-that-heal-equine-therapy-rising-in-popularity/

06/03/2026

🌸🐴 School Holiday Program – Horse Power 🐴🌸
Hunter Valley Children’s Therapies

Looking for a creative, confidence-building program for your primary school-aged girl these school holidays?

Introducing Horse Power – a beautiful blend of art, nature, and animals, designed especially for primary school-aged girls.

This nurturing group provides a safe and supportive space for girls to connect, create, explore and grow — while building confidence, friendships and emotional strength.

📅 13th & 14th April 2026
⏰ 9:30am – 3:00pm each day

Through hands-on activities and guided therapeutic support, girls will:

🎨 Express themselves through creative art experiences
🌿 Connect with nature in calming outdoor environments
🐴 Build confidence and empathy through animal interaction
💗 Strengthen friendships and social skills
🌈 Develop emotional awareness and resilience

Horse Power encourages girls to discover their strengths, find their voice, and build positive peer connections in a small, supportive group setting.

Perfect for girls who:

Love animals and being outdoors

Enjoy art and creative expression

Would benefit from building confidence and social skills

Experience big feelings or anxiety

📍 Hosted by Hunter Valley Children’s Therapies
📅 Limited school holiday places available

👉 Find out more and register here:

The Horsepower Group offers children's therapy services in Hunter Valley, including art therapy, social work, counseling, and equine-assisted therapy to support emotional growth and resilience.

04/03/2026

🌿🐴 School Holiday Program – The Feeling Herd (Teens Group) 🐴🌿
Hunter Valley Children’s Therapies

April 15th and 16th - 9:30 to 3pm each day

✨ This is an inclusive group for high-school aged young people.
It’s an opportunity to come together and connect with new and familiar faces in a safe space to share, explore, learn, support and grow.

We welcome teens of all backgrounds, experiences, bodies and identities.

Through hands-on experiences, animal-assisted activities, and guided therapeutic support, teens will:

💛 Learn to recognise and manage big feelings
💛 Build emotional regulation skills
💛 Strengthen social confidence and peer connection
💛 Develop self-awareness and empathy
💛 Experience the calming benefits of nature and animals

The Feeling Herd provides a calm, supportive space where teens can feel seen, heard, and understood — while developing practical skills for everyday life.

Perfect for teens who:

Experience anxiety or big emotions

Would benefit from social connection in a supportive group

Thrive in smaller, inclusive environments

Love animals and being outdoors

📍 Hosted by Hunter Valley Children’s Therapies
📅 Limited school holiday places available

👉 Find out more and register here:

Feeling Herd offers inclusive group therapy for teens, combining equine, nature, and art therapies to foster self-awareness, confidence, and emotional resilience.

02/03/2026

🌿 Easter School Holiday Program – The Wild Stallions 🌿

@ Hunter Valley Children's Therapies

April 7th and 8th - 9:30 to 3pm each day

Looking for something meaningful, active, and confidence-building these school holidays?

Introducing The Wild Stallions – a nature-based, skill-building group program designed specifically for boys aged 7–16 years.

This unique holiday experience supports boys to:

🌱 Build confidence and resilience
🌱 Strengthen emotional regulation skills
🌱 Develop leadership and teamwork
🌱 Connect with peers in a supportive environment
🌱 Engage in hands-on, outdoor, nature-based activities

The Wild Stallions program combines therapeutic skill development with movement, connection, and real-world experiences – helping boys grow stronger from the inside out.

Perfect for boys who:

Thrive outdoors

Benefit from structured social support

Need help building confidence and self-control

Enjoy animals, nature, and active experiences

📍 Hosted by Hunter Valley Children’s Therapies
📅 Limited holiday places available

👉 Find out more and secure your spot here:

Wild Stallions Group offers outdoor therapeutic programs for children ages 7-16, focusing on communication, independence, and emotional resilience in a safe, inclusive environment.

27/02/2026

To all our Social Work colleagues out there...

The AASW has been requested to provide specific information to contribute to a collective allied health response that AHPA is driving for Thriving Kids (other allied health peak bodies have been requested the same).

They have a very short window to provide input, and have released a short 5-minute survey to seek any input we can by Tuesday, 3rd March 2026.

Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7BS7R9K

The AASW understands that this is a very tight timeframe and that the information gathered will represent only a snapshot of the breadth and complexity of the profession and the diverse contexts in which social workers practise. However, they want to try to provide any information they can to the collective allied health response within the timing they have.
Your time in completing this is very much appreciated. Please also feel welcome to share this amongst your networks.

Informing the Thriving Kids initiative SURVEY BELOW →

The AASW is advocating to ensure that the Thriving Kids initiative is designed to deliver positive outcomes for children, and emphasise the critical role of social workers in delivering these reforms.

We are collaborating with other allied health peak bodies to gather further evidence to identify the likely impact of Thriving Kids on participants and allied health professions and advocate for transition support. Given the fast-paced development of this initiative, there is a short window to provide input.

Please follow the link below to complete a short 5-minute survey by Tuesday 3 March 2026: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7BS7R9K

17/02/2026

Research Spotlight 🐴✨

New research shows that when horse-based intervention is combined with speech therapy, children with ADHD make even greater gains in executive functioning and self-esteem — and caregivers report feeling less stressed too?

At Hunter Valley Children’s Therapies, we’re seeing these same powerful outcomes every day 💛
More confidence.
Stronger regulation skills.
Happier, more supported families.

There’s something pretty special about learning alongside a horse 🐎✨

Curious about how Equine Assisted Therapy could support your child?

Get in touch with our team — we’d love to chat!

Research Spotlight- Children with ADHD often face challenges with executive functioning, self-esteem, and learning — which can also place significant stress on families and caregivers.

New research highlights the impact of horse-based interventions when combined with speech therapy.
In a six-month study involving children with ADHD:

• All participants showed improvement
• Children who participated in horse-based intervention + speech therapy showed greater gains in executive functioning and self-esteem
• Caregivers reported a greater reduction in stress and burden

These findings suggest that horse-based interventions are a meaningful, evidence-informed complement to traditional therapies — supporting not only children, but their families as well.

At Animal Therapies Ltd, we continue to advocate for safe, ethical, and evidence-based animal-assisted services that enhance wellbeing across the lifespan. Read more here:

https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-8533549/v1.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com

16/02/2026

🌿🐴 We’re looking to welcome an Occupational Therapist to our Team (Contractor Role) 🐾🌈

Hunter Valley Children’s Therapies is looking for a passionate Occupational Therapist to join our small, supportive team!

This is a contractor position, starting at 1–2 days per week (Thursday and Friday), with the opportunity to expand your caseload over time.

We are aiming to offer nature-based Occupational Therapy, with opportunities to incorporate equine and animal-assisted therapy into your work (once you're certified - additional training will be required). If you love thinking outside the box (and literally working outside!), this could be the perfect fit for you.

🌟 Essential Criteria
You must:
Absolutely love working with children
Be neurodiversity-affirming in your practice
Have extensive experience supporting autistic children and young people
Be flexible, fun, and creative
Love working outdoors in nature and confidently manage all weather conditions (heat, cold, mud and everything in between!)
Love animals
Be available to offer a minimum of 10 sessions per week
Be able to work afternoons

💚 What We Offer
A genuinely supportive team environment
Regular workplace supervision and support
The opportunity to join a practice established for over 10 years, with a strong reputation for high-quality, best-practice support
A flexible work environment
Access to both indoor and outdoor therapy spaces, and a wonderful crew of animals, allowing you to work creatively and tailor sessions to meet the individual needs of each child.

🚫 This Role Is Not Suitable For…
Practitioners who need a clean, air-conditioned workspace at all times
Those who struggle with extreme weather conditions
Therapists who prefer highly structured, rigidly planned sessions only
People who don’t like animals

If you’re an OT who thrives in nature, values authentic connection, embraces creativity, and wants to be part of something meaningful — we’d love to hear from you!

Learn more about us: https://www.facebook.com/.../www...

📩 Send me an email to express your interest - nadine@hvct.com.au.

04/02/2026

The opportunities for personal growth and development are endless when it comes to working alongside horses.

Huge congrats to our colleague Karen Manning and the team at Arrow Equine Therapy & Counselling for creating this incredible program.

Did you know our Youth Justice Centres run equine therapy programs? 🐎

Equine therapy involves guided activities with horses to help young people build confidence, manage emotions and practice respectful communication.

Last October, young people at Orana Youth Justice Centre took part in a 7 day program delivered by Arrow Equine Therapy & Counselling.

With support from the Orana Psychology team, young people cared for and worked alongside horses while learning skills they could use in everyday life.

27/01/2026

Welcome back to all our clients for the start of their individual therapy sessions for 2026.
HAPPY TUESDAY