It was great to spend time at Stablemates on Friday and see Animal Assisted Therapy in action. Thank you to Kate Kee and the incredibly inspiring young lady that she was supporting on the day for telling me about her achievements made possible through their therapeutic relationship. Kate showed her client how to use body language and energy to guide a pony between cones, without touch or need of a lead rope; this put a beaming smile on her face and was a joy to see. Developing empathy and intuition with animals is an amazing way to promote the personal growth of young people, as they learn about their own needs, group dynamics and the basis of respectful relationships. When I was farming, I did not need words to form a trusting connection with individual herd members; taking time to observe and notice individual traits and nuances was the basis of good animal husbandry. If I took a negative energy into the milking parlour, I could guarantee the cows would lay down the green carpet. As a counsellor, I rely on intuition and gut instinct, to hear and understand what is not being said; silences too can speak volumes. The presence I have can affect how at ease my clients feel. So there is much learning to be taken from our time spent with animals. Countryside Counselling will be supporting individuals, in association with Stablemates and I'm delighted to announce that my evening appointments will be based there. I fully believe in working together with other agencies and professionals to put in place the network of support required by my clients to get themselves well. The promotion of choice and options can only be a good thing.