A Country Mind

01/05/2026

Therapy doesn’t have to feel intimidating. We provide a safe, calm, and welcoming space where you feel supported 🌱

Your mind matters—no matter who you are 🩵

30/04/2026

Did you know that we offer in person and online support for counselling and psychotherapy
Australia wide? ✨

For eligible clients, we can process Medicare rebates and work with private health funds where applicable
📲Check with our team to confirm your eligibility.

29/04/2026

Meet Bonnie 👋

Bonnie Pappas is an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker and the founder of A Country Mind

She created the service to offer flexible, practical mental health support that meets people where they are, combining evidence-informed strategies with warmth, honesty, and genuine care.

A Country Mind was shaped by two key influences. The first is Bonnie’s experience working in regional Victoria, which deeply influenced her practice. Seeing how regional communities approach challenges with practicality, humour, and heartfelt support reinforced the importance of meeting people where they are and offering care that is grounded and meaningful.

The second is Bonnie’s personal connection to the countryside. She has always found nature deeply calming and restorative — from shorelines and bushlands to rivers and open spaces. That connection continues to inspire the calm, clarity, and reflection that underpin her work with every client 🪴

25/02/2026

Couldn't of said it better myself! 👏

It’s seven weeks or so since the disaster.

From the outside, people think everything is “back to normal.”

The cameras are gone.
The headlines have dried up.
The politicians aren’t walking the streets.

But here’s what I’m seeing:

Recovery isn’t linear. Some are moving forward. Some have gone backwards. Some are steady. Some are barely holding it together, smiling in public, falling apart at home.

Resilience? Don’t get me started. Resilience can f*&k off.

What matters is capacity before crisis. Emotional, financial, social, and community capacity. If that was thin before, the disaster exposes it.

Low capacity? That’s not failure. It can be rebuilt, slowly, deliberately, with support. Honest conversations, asking for help, reconnecting with your community. Small steps. That’s where hope lies.

The cameras may leave. The world may assume it’s over.
But the real work? That’s only just beginning.

If you know someone impacted, check in again. Recovery doesn’t follow a news cycle.

17/02/2026

It has been an absolute pleasure welcoming new clients into our little practice over the last few weeks and connecting with our wonderful community here in Bacchus Marsh!

We provide mental health support to individuals aged 5+ years & are still accepting new referrals via:

🌿Mental Health Care Plans

🌿NDIS

🌿Private/ Self-referrals

Currently, there is NO WAIT LIST, though our books are filling up quickly!
Appointments can be booked online via our website or by calling 0440 126 887 to secure your session today.

- Bonnie

15/02/2026

Anxiety is normal but when does it become a problem?
The best thing you can do to help your child cope is to foster self-advocacy skills 🗣️ 💪 🧩
Anxiety can show up anytime throughout their life, so teaching them how to manage it and speak up for their own needs is essential at every age.
Swipe through for a parent’s guide to signs, causes, and support 👇

13/02/2026

Heading into the weekend, let's be sure to fill our cup with a little self-care! Try this Self-Care Bingo and see how many boxes you can tick off over the weekend. 💖📝 Make time for YOU!

11/02/2026

10/02/2026

NDIS-Funded Mental Health Support Tailored to You! 🌟

At A Country Mind, we help children, teens, and adults build confidence, independence, self-advocacy, and practical life skills to ensure mental health and wellbeing is fostered far beyond the therapy space.

We take a collaborative approach, working closely with families, schools, support coordinators, and care teams to ensure continuity of care. After all, it takes a village!

✅ Flexible sessions: in-clinic, online, or Via community outreach
✅ Currently only accepting self-managed & plan-managed NDIS participants

05/02/2026

Being connected to others is one of the biggest protective factors for our mental health, but we so often over look this.

Many of us enjoy and genuinely need alone time...I, for one THRIVE in my alone time - it’s good for my soul!
And you know what, it's actually super healthy to be selective about who we share our time and energy with.

But loneliness is different. I truly believe it is a public health issue.
Feeling disconnected, isolated, or unsupported is something many people experience, and over time it quietly chips away at mood, self-esteem, motivation, sleep, and even physical health.

As humans, our nervous systems are wired for connection at every age. We heal, evolve, regulate, and cope better in safe relationships.
Connection doesn't need to be big or complicated. Small moments like chatting with with a mate or a friendly little word with someone at the supermarket is sometimes all it can take.

04/02/2026

Here are some things that I implemented for both my little one and myself in making the transition back to routine as seamless as possible this week...

✨️ Authenticity over perfection: As much as I wanted the perfect first day back photo. It wasn't happening and looking back, honestly my daughter swinging off the tree instead of standing still with a forced smile is so beautifully her...I'm so happy I'll have that to look back on for years to come. Sounds crazy, but sometimes us big kids get wrapped up in things that just are so not important....like perfect pics for the gram, and it just adds pressure to our already really full mental load. Swipe to see my little monkey doing her thing 👉🙈

✨️ Established a nightime routine and consistent bed time as best as possible 2 weeks before returning: Did this look perfect every night? Absolutely not!! We tried though... and absolutely insisted on bedtime happening from about 5 days out. Big Feelings are so much worse when there's tiredness involved.

✨️ Offered as much choice over as possible: From lunch box choices, to outfit, to hair style.... I had my little one involved and in the driver's seat as much as possible. All within reason... control over what can be controlled helps foster independence, build confidence and meet the core psychological need of autonomy.

✨️ Party car or Calm car on the way to kindy: I'm known to have little dance parties with the kids in the car. It always helps set the energy for the day...but sometimes, everyone isn't on that level. I asked if my daughter wanted the music on or if she wanted a quiet space. She opted for quiet....which for me as mum let me know that we were in our feels a little because normally she's all about the party. I said yes without drawing attention to it, and then after 5 minutes of quiet and calm I asked her to name 2 things she was most excited for. Then 1 thing she was worried about. Time and space to talk without pressure allowed for at least one worry to be made to seem not so bad and managed before the day even begun 💪

*All steps were adapted to meet the needs of my Miss 4... All points are transferable dependent on age.