Welcome to
The Healing Herd
Therapeutic Alpaca Activities
Who are we and what do we do?
The Healing Herd Ltd is a small company set up to assist customers with recovery from a variety of mental health issues through participating in a course of animal assisted interventions or crafting workshops and classes. The animal related sessions are carried out with our herd of Alpacas, or with our “Pets as Therapy” registered Labrador.
Alpaca Activities:
- School / Nursing home visits
- Walk and talk sessions
- Therapy programs
- Trekking
- Activity sessions
Crafts and Mindfulness
- Needlefelting with mindfulness
- Memory Bear making and Grief Therapy
- Wool spinning with mindfulness
Our Vision
The Healing Herd want to make a positive difference to the lives of local people who want to improve their mental health or self-image.
Our alpacas prove time and again that they bring pleasure to people of all ages that interact with them. They are very gentle and inquisitive creatures. But it’s more than just interaction with alpacas that we believe in.
It is understanding, analysing and learning from these animals that bring the real benefits.
Understanding how alpacas think, how they behave and how they cope with stress, fear, low-self esteem and anxiety can help us understand how and why we behave the way that we do.
We want to educate people in the coping methods that alpacas have, and how we can learn in a very basic way to better our own self-care and nurture our own Inner Alpaca.
Our Vision
The Healing Herd want to make a positive difference to the lives of local people who want to improve their mental health or self-image.
Our alpacas prove time and again that they bring pleasure to people of all ages that interact with them. They are very gentle and inquisitive creatures. But it’s more than just interaction with alpacas that we believe in.
It is understanding, analysing and learning from these animals that bring the real benefits.
Understanding how alpacas think, how they behave and how they cope with stress, fear, low-self esteem and anxiety can help us understand how and why we behave the way that we do.
We want to educate people in the coping methods that alpacas have, and how we can learn in a very basic way to better our own self-care and nurture our own Inner Alpaca.
Animal Assisted Interventions
We focus on translating Maslov’s hierarchy of needs and those listed by the Human Givens, into needs that can be easily understood when talking about animals. We compare the physical and mental needs of the alpacas to general human needs without direct comparison to the individual’s particular situation. Activities with the animals are tailored to the particular aspect that the individual is seeking to improve. We encourage as much physical activity as possible up to the client’s ability. We may complete obstacle courses or engage in a “Walk and Talk” session.
Working with a non-judgemental animal, with no expectation attached to the customer, takes pressure off individuals. Seeing the world from the animals’ perspective and working with the animals to perform certain exercises can demonstrate how progression can be made from “little steps forward” and ultimately how small changes can make a big difference. We study how trust can develop and how the animals instinctively protect themselves and their herd from threats, and what they need in order to feel safe. This can help draw parallels with our own lives. By observing animals progress with training we manage customers’ expectations without losing sight of the end goal, which is to enable us all to look after our own “inner alpaca”.
Animal Assisted Interventions
We focus on translating Maslov’s hierarchy of needs and those listed by the Human Givens, into needs that can be easily understood when talking about animals. We compare the physical and mental needs of the alpacas to general human needs without direct comparison to the individual’s particular situation. Activities with the animals are tailored to the particular aspect that the individual is seeking to improve. We encourage as much physical activity as possible up to the client’s ability. We may complete obstacle courses or engage in a “Walk and Talk” session.
Working with a non-judgemental animal, with no expectation attached to the customer, takes pressure off individuals. Seeing the world from the animals’ perspective and working with the animals to perform certain exercises can demonstrate how progression can be made from “little steps forward” and ultimately how small changes can make a big difference. We study how trust can develop and how the animals instinctively protect themselves and their herd from threats, and what they need in order to feel safe. This can help draw parallels with our own lives. By observing animals progress with training we manage customers’ expectations without losing sight of the end goal, which is to enable us all to look after our own “inner alpaca”.
Mindfulness and Crafting
We offer crafting activities based on using fibre from the alpacas. Spinning wool or needle-felting are quiet and contemplative activities which can be performed easily whilst talking in groups or one-to-one. Eye contact with others is not necessary and some distraction via “busy hands” can aid people in relaxing enough to speak/listen. During sessions, we discuss Mindfulness, how it works and how regular practice can benefit everyone’s mental health.
Mindfulness and Crafting
We offer crafting activities based on using fibre from the alpacas. Spinning wool or needle-felting are quiet and contemplative activities which can be performed easily whilst talking in groups or one-to-one. Eye contact with others is not necessary and some distraction via “busy hands” can aid people in relaxing enough to speak/listen. During sessions, we discuss Mindfulness, how it works and how regular practice can benefit everyone’s mental health.
Memory Bear Making
For individuals who are grieving the loss of a loved one, we hold classes where a memory bear, made from favourite clothes of the family member, can be made by the individual in a day class. The class includes:
- Time for talking with others in the same situation.
- Mindfulness guidance and some exercises to practice.
- A physical item that has a link to their loved one
- A new skill and a sense of achievement.
Memory Bear Making
For individuals who are grieving the loss of a loved one, we hold classes where a memory bear, made from favourite clothes of the family member, can be made by the individual in a day class. The class includes:
- Time for talking with others in the same situation.
- Mindfulness guidance and some exercises to practice.
- A physical item that has a link to their loved one
- A new skill and a sense of achievement.
