Find suicide prevention services with Fossil Creek Farm Trust
The end of the year can be the perfect opportunity to take stock of our own mental health and check on our colleagues, friends and family at the same time. Whilst it can be somewhat normal at this time to feel like you are battling through to the end of the year, keep an eye out for people in your network who could be struggling in a different way.
When it comes to mental health – getting straight to the point can sometimes be the best way forward.
With that being said, local therapy provider Fossil Creek Farm Trust has funding available for suicide prevention and intervention, with founder Lloyd Tibble saying the door is open to anyone in need of this service. He is also very adamant that the funding needs to be used. “Because the alternative is losing more Nelson people to suicide.”
What is Fossil Creek Farm Trust?
In short it is a healing sanctuary for people and animals. It was created by owners Jude Porteous (nga puhi) and Lloyd who see themselves as the guardians of the farm and are driven by a desire to reduce suicide numbers in our community.
Jude had always wanted to be a social worker and when she and Lloyd first purchased the farm a few years ago, she knew it could be the perfect place for people to come to heal, alongside the rescue animals who reside there.
Thus, Fossil Creek Farm Trust was created.
It offers unique respite facilities including qualified therapists, on 100 acres with 150 animals.
Equine, nature and animal therapy are integrated into this experience with a focus on preventing suicide and assisting to support people. The horses, alpaca, and kunekune pigs are just some of the animals living there that form part of the healing experience, says Lloyd.
“Therapy is not necessarily about sitting in an office, ‘tell me what your problems are’, here it’s done in such a way amongst nature, that is truly unique and very relaxed. It can be done in an informal, non-threatening way, trust can be built and sitting and forming a connection with the animals is part of the therapy.”
Fossil Creek Farm Trust also takes people who are actively suicidal and have nowhere else to go. They wrap services around these people and are committed to offering support for as long as it is needed.
What makes Fossil Creek Farm a place of healing?
Lloyd says alongside the qualified staff, it is the connection back with nature that acts as a key ingredient to its success in helping people with their mental health struggles.
“Everyone knows what they feel like when they walk up a mountain, or go to the beach, that feeling of connection with the environment, it makes you feel good and that’s what we are offering here in a farm setting.”
“Quite often there is a cloud hanging above somebody, everything is weighing down on them and they can’t see a way through. It can sometimes be about getting them to see the wood from the trees, what are their priorities, what’s important to them, providing clarity in the problems they are facing, then the fog clears a little bit.”
There are very few places in Nelson and even the top of the South where people can come and take a break away from their lives and have therapy in such a unique environment, says Lloyd.
“It’s also an open invitation, where you can come and seek help in your life and once you leave, you are welcome back any time. Once you have come to Fossil Creek Farm, you’re part of our whanau. You can recharge the batteries, reset, start again and your journey with us is never over.”
The actual therapy itself can take the form of intensive intervention, where a person could visit the farm several times a week. Or they could choose to stay on the farm utilizing the residential therapy option.
“They can break away from what they may be doing, get out of the cycle they might currently be in. All of the above, whoever needs it – we are there to do it”
So who is Fossil Creek Farm for?
“We have seen the positive results of our work with tamariki and rangatahi whom we do a lot of our work with. We work with empathy and understanding in a non-judgemental space, so our services are for anyone.
But in a perfect world, we would hope this message would get out to men in our region. We struggle to get men to acknowledge when they need help. It’s the take a concrete pill and harden up mentality which is rife in the kiwi world.
We also see many people from the neurodivergent community who find the calm of the farm a tonic to life.”
If you or someone you know needs help, filling out the enquiry form on the website is a great first step, or through messenger on Facebook. BOOK NOW
Because of the funding available to Fossil Creek Farm Trust, there is no cost to a person wishing to access suicide prevention and intervention services, for themselves or someone else. Some of the other therapy services also have funding options which can be explored to assist people into therapy.
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