18/06/2025
🌿 "The difference in levels of anxiety experienced in my boys – from high anxiety, to low and calm at the end (of the session)."
This powerful feedback captures the heart of our Wellness Workshop held on Saturday 14 June in Edenhope — a calm, supportive space for families to learn practical tools for managing anxiety, especially the kind that can become heightened or “stuck” after stressful events like storms.
The event offered a mix of learning, connection, and experiential activities with our incredible horses through Equine Assisted Learning (EAL). Together, we explored how anxiety shows up in our minds and bodies, and how we can respond in ways that bring regulation, clarity, and calm.
What we covered during the session:
🔹 Worry vs Anxiety – We explored the difference between worry (thought-based, often about future problems) and anxiety (a more physical, emotional experience). Naming it helps guide how we respond.
🔹 DBT-Based Regulation Skills – Participants learned and practiced practical strategies like mindful breathing, grounding through movement, TIPP skills and sensory awareness — useful tools for moments of dysregulation.
🔹 Reframing Overwhelming Thoughts – When anxiety takes over, our thinking can become unhelpful. We talked about how to notice and gently shift these patterns, especially in moments of emotional overwhelm.
🔹 When Anxiety Gets Stuck – Sometimes, stress lingers in the body. To help shift this, we began with a five-senses grounding activity, encouraging participants to slow down and really take in the environment — the colours of the trees, the sounds of birds, the feel of the ground beneath us. This not only had a calming effect, but also prepared us to engage more openly and calmly with the horses.
💬 More reflections from participants:
"I felt calmer and connected."
"So beneficial for the family, much appreciated."
"The most impactful thing about this session was how calm I felt afterwards and understanding the importance of 'slowing down' and taking the environment in."
Horses are intuitive and honest, responding not to what we say, but to how we feel. They help us notice what's happening internally, and teach us — simply by being themselves — how to slow down, self-regulate, and connect.
Thank you to everyone who joined us, and to our wonderful herd for helping hold the space so gently. 🐴
If you'd like to join us for our final free session this coming Saturday 21 June 10am - 12pm, message here or contact us at michelle@edenhopepsychotherapy or 0412 326 431. We have just a few spots left.
Thanks to Cardinia Shire Council for funding these wonderful events.
*Photos shared with permission
