Dreamcatcher Nature Assisted Therapy

12/19/2025

Show us your furry friends enjoying the holiday vibes! Drop a pic in the comments! 🐶🐱

12/18/2025

We know the holidays can be a difficult time for some. What does honoring both loss and celebration look like for you right now?🕯️

12/17/2025

Drop your top wishlist item in the comments—let's see what everyone's hoping for this year! 🎁

12/16/2025

Feel free to share your challenges with us or if you prefer, take a moment to reflect and celebrate your strength and resilience! 💪

12/15/2025

Self-care can look different for everyone. Perhaps it's winding down with a bubble bath at the end of the day, practicing self-reflection through journaling, taking a short walk to decompress, or reconnecting with friends and family with a fun activity. What self-care act do you do to that seems to help the most? ✨

12/15/2025

We want to hear about your holiday traditions! Are you holding on to an old tradition, creating new ones, or blending both new and old?

12/13/2025

What's that one movie that instantly puts you in the holiday spirit? 🎅

12/06/2025

Critters are all thriving despite the temperature drop.

Onward we go into the deep freeze! 🥶

12/04/2025

What an incredible night at our Dreamcatcher Staff and Volunteer Zombie Asylum Murder Mystery Party! 🧟‍♀️🔍 All of our participants did phenomenal! The way everyone committed to their characters and worked together to solve the murder was so much fun to watch. And the karaoke session afterward? Pure joy! 🎤

A massive thank you to Headquarters Restaurant and Bar for hosting us and providing the perfect venue for our Christmas celebration.

Special recognition goes to Jess Mayhew, who poured her heart into organizing every detail of this event—from planning the intricate murder mystery to coordinating all the logistics and making sure everyone had an amazing time. Your dedication and creativity brought this whole evening to life!

Thank you to Megan Riley for creating a beautiful video showcasing our staff, volunteers, animals, and cherished memories from recent years. It was such a touching tribute to all the incredible work we do together. Watch this video here: https://www.canva.com/design/DAG6SrZFRbo/od0ZmMYRDyBKzOKVCGChuA/watch?utm_content=DAG6SrZFRbo&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=uniquelinks&utlId=hc2cde21fc5

And of course, a huge thank you to Dreamcatcher for treating us to a delicious dinner and for making this wonderful party possible!

Most importantly, thank you to all our incredible staff, volunteers and animals for the tireless work you do and the unwavering support you give every single day. This night was a beautiful celebration of our Dreamcatcher family, and you all make the magic happen!

12/03/2025

We do it everyday and we all love it! Especially our horses 🐎 💕

Discover simple, non-ridden activities that help you and your horse connect, play, and grow together.

12/03/2025

Dreamcatcher Nature Assisted Therapy is offering 10 complimentary individual therapy sessions for young adults and older adolescents with Tourette Syndrome who are navigating the transition to adulthood. These specialized sessions are designed to provide targeted support during this critical developmental phase, utilizing a tranquil, natural environment to address the unique challenges of this life stage.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗲:
Working with a qualified therapist in a nature-based setting with animals, young adults will develop essential skills for successful transition into adulthood, including:

𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁
🔹Understanding and articulating personal needs related to Tourette Syndrome in educational, workplace, and social settings
🔹Building confidence in self-disclosure and setting appropriate boundaries
🔹Developing a positive self-concept that integrates their neurodivergent identity

𝗘𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁
🔹Learning to recognize and manage anxiety, frustration, and overwhelming emotions that often accompany life transitions
🔹Developing personalized coping strategies through interaction with calming natural environments and therapeutic animals
🔹Building resilience to navigate setbacks and unexpected challenges

𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴
🔹Practicing communication skills in a non-judgmental, supportive environment
🔹Developing strategies for building and maintaining meaningful relationships
🔹Addressing social anxiety and building confidence in new social situations

𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲
🔹Setting realistic goals for education, employment, and independent living
🔹Problem-solving and decision-making in a supportive therapeutic context
🔹Developing organizational strategies and time management skills

𝗧𝗶𝗰 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹-𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘅𝘁𝘀
🔹Exploring practical strategies for managing tics in various life situations
🔹Reducing shame and anxiety associated with tics through therapeutic animal interactions
🔹Building confidence to participate fully in work, school, and social activities

Nature-based and animal-assisted therapeutic interventions provide unique opportunities for experiential learning, where young adults can practice new skills in real-time while receiving immediate, non-judgmental feedback from animals and the natural environment. This approach has demonstrated significant benefits in promoting emotional regulation, building resilience, and developing effective coping mechanisms.

𝗔𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱. 𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲.

Contact info@dreamcatcherassociation.com to register or learn more about how we can support your youth’s journey.

11/29/2025

🐕 Do you know the difference? Understanding assistance/service animals (ASA's), therapy dogs/animals, and emotional support animals (ESA's) is important! These are the new National Standards in Animal Assisted Human Services (AAHS) terminology. Here's the breakdown:

What are Human Services Assistance Animals (HSAA)? HSAAs are domesticated, healthy, suitable, appropriately socialized, often trained, and evaluated and a positively motivated partner in the delivery of Animal-Assisted Human Services (AAHS).

🛡️ Assistance/Service Animals (a type of HSAA), they are individually task-trained by an organization or person to help individuals with disabilities and live with the individual. They are often allowed in public spaces and have legal protection under human rights legislations.

🏥 Therapy Dogs or Therapy Animals (a type of HSAA), they are working animals that support clients in a professional, educational, or other designated setting. Access to public or private spaces may require written permission, specific protocols, and contracts.

❤️ Emotional Support Animals provide comfort and emotional support to their owners and are not usually specifically task-trained for a disability or evaluated for community engagement. For this reason, ESA's do not fall under HSAA's.

All three play important roles in supporting people's wellbeing. Understanding these distinctions helps us appreciate the valuable work service animals do! 🐾

Check out the The Canadian Foundation for Animal-Assisted Support Services infographic highlighting the differences here: