Animal Assisted Therapy Albany WA 

Canine & Equine Therapy Programs
for Children and Teens 

We provide personalised programs for private clients and NDIS participants based on your specific wellness goals and therapy needs.  

Traditional talk therapy doesn’t work for every child 

Some kids can feel constrained, controlled and overwhelmed by the need to ‘perform’ in a clinical setting. This is especially true for neurodivergent kids, teens with trauma, and those with learning disabilities and behavioural complexities. 
 
Luckily, there’s an alternative way to support the mental health of our children and teenagers.  

Animal assisted therapy is a natural fit for kids  

Therapy animals build trust, break down barriers and allow for organic and supportive conversation. This modality creates a non-judgemental environment where children feel safe and heard. Allowing participants to build capacity, confidence and skills through play and interaction. 

What is animal assisted therapy?

During an animal-assisted therapy session, participants engage with horses through activities like grooming, leading, and interactive games, and with dogs through play and training. These activities can help address a wide range of mental health challenges, including anxiety, depression, PTSD, autism, and trauma. 

During a session participants will be guided by Melanie, an experienced social worker of 13 years. Her therapeutic style is trauma-informed, strength-based and child-led. Melanie is a firm believer in supporting clients in reaching their desired outcomes by reinforcing their strengths rather than focusing on areas of concern.  

The goals are set by the children and their families. 

Melanie will support and empower your child to work towards their goals in a safe environment.   

What are the benefits of animal assisted therapy? 

Emotional Regulation 

Patricipants learn how to tune into themselves and deal with big emotions in a healthy way. Leading to calmer and more predictable reactions to everyday stressors and emotional triggers. 


Building Trust and Confidence 

Horses require patience, consistency, and trust, which can help improve self-esteem and foster emotional growth. Greater confidence can enable kids to participate socially and feel successful in school and life.  

Social Skills and Communication 

Interacting with horses can improve communication and interpersonal skills, especially for individuals with social challenges or developmental disorders. Leading to an ability to better express themselves and connect with family and friends on a deeper level.  

Physical Benefits 

For some, leading horses in groundwork, playing therapeutic games with dogs, or simply spending time with animals can improve coordination, balance, and motor skills. Giving kids more confidence to participate in life.  

heal the heart

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mend the mind

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soothe the soul

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heal the heart ✧ mend the mind ✧ soothe the soul ✧

Hi, I’m Melanie Crowley

Registered Social Worker, Equine Wellbeing Practitioner, and Founder of Creature Comfort Therapy and Wellness  

During my 13-year-long career in Child Protective Services, I saw countless children struggle with standard therapeutic models.   

Children often felt controlled and constrained by clinical environments and their needs were going unmet despite the best intentions of my colleagues.  

6 years ago, I witnessed something profound. I followed an intuition to bring a young girl under my professional care to visit my horse, Mackie.  

In Mackie’s presence, she opened up with such ease. We were able to have those big conversations in an organic and comfortable way. I never forgot that moment.  

Since then, I’ve been supplementing my 13 years of boots-on-the-ground experience, with multiple qualifications in animal assisted therapy. 

Mackie has completed training to become a therapy horse (he was a natural), and I’ve added two gorgeous therapy dogs to the team, Maise and Mabel. They’re both hypoallergenic Spoodles with boundless energy and a playful, gentle nature.  

I know there’s no such thing as one size fits all when it comes to mental wellbeing. I’m able to combine my clinical experience, and intuitive understanding, to create bespoke programs for my clients.  

Get in touch to see if animal-assisted therapy is right for your family.

Meet the team 

Mackie | Therapy Horse

Mackie is an inquisitive, and calm 17-year-old Welsh Cob, who has an uncanny ability to intuit what’s is needed in a therapy session. 

 Trained in natural horsemanship, he’s gentle and enjoys working with both children and adults. Mackie is quite a character. He loves eating liquorice and showing off his tricks. If you’re lucky, he’ll give you a soft kiss on the cheek.  

Maisie | Lead Therapy Dog

Maise is a lovable 3-year-old spoodle, with gorgeous tactile fur and floppy ears. She's hypo allergenic, non-shedding and suitable for clients with allergies.  

She’s very proud to have achieved Level 3 at Albany All breeds Dog club, Canine Therapy, and she enjoys creating a calm relaxed environment for therapy sessions.  

 Maise loves swimming in the ocean, running on the beach, and chewing squeaky toys.  

Mabel | Trainee Therapy Dog 

The puppy of the group, Mabel is a bundle of love and energy. She’s a second-generation therapy dog, but she’s still completing her training and learning from her big sister Maisie. 

 Mabel is also a hypoallergenic spoodle, and loves making new friends, eating treats and playing with Maisie.  

Despite her puppy energy, Mabel is very gentle and has a wonderful temperament. She’s going to blossom into an extraordinary therapy dog.  

Animal Assisted Therapy Packages & Pricing 

We offer a 12 week program, individually tailored to each client's therapy needs and wellness goals. 

 

We are fully NDIS compliant and can provide clients with an interim outcome report every four weeks and a comprehensive outcome report at the completion of the 12-week program.  

Clients 7 years and under

We recommend 45 minute sessions - $165 per session  

Clients 8 years and above

We recommend 60 minute sessions - $190 per session 

4 week Interim Review and Report

$135 per report  

12 week Comprehensive Outcome Report

$195

Wondering if animal assisted therapy is right for you? 

Book a free
15-minute pre-admission consultation call and let’s chat.  

FAQ’s

  • Yes, counselling if often part of animal assisted therapy.  

  • Yes, animal-assisted therapy can support ADHD treatment by improving focus, reducing anxiety, and encouraging positive social interactions. 

  • Animal therapy can be highly effective for individuals with autism, fostering communication, emotional regulation, and sensory engagement. 

  • Yes, we specialise in trauma therapy, incorporating canine and equine-assisted approaches tailored to individual needs. 

  • Yes, we provide compassionate therapy for survivors of family and domestic violence, focusing on healing, empowerment, and emotional recovery. 

  • Yes, we offer parenting support to help families navigate challenges, strengthen relationships, and build positive strategies for growth and connection. 

  • As a registered allied health professional we are able to offer animal assisted therapy to meet the NDIS requirements for eligible participants to use their funding for this approved service. 

  • Our therapy dogs undergo professional training focused on obedience, socialisation, and responding calmly to various therapeutic scenarios. 

  • Equine therapy is highly effective for adults, helping with emotional regulation, stress reduction, and building confidence. We work predominantly with children, but we also work with adults. 

  • No, all sessions are conducted in my home office in Albany WA, or with my therapy horse, Mackie on a local farm.  

  • Sessions with Mackie on the farm are wheelchair accessible, but currently my home office is not set up for wheelchair accessibility. This is something I hope to remedy in the very near future. 

  • We recommend a 12-week program for the best results and lasting benefits. If you’re not sure if animal assisted therapy is right for you, please book a pre-admission consultation with our team.  

  • We usually require payment in full before the 12-week program begins, but in certain circumstances we can offer payment plans to make our therapy services more accessible.  

  • We understand that life happens. If you need to cancel a session, please give us appropriate notice and we can reschedule your appointment. Details of our cancellation policy are provided within our service agreement.