About

Mindfulness with Farm Friends

Mindfulness with Farm Friends is a holistic mental health & disability support service located in Lower Beechmont, in the Gold Coast Hinterland. Here NDIS participants are supported to reconnect with themselves through the healing power of nature, mindfulness & the gentle presence & camaraderie of farm animal friends.

A donkey and a horse standing side by side on grass in front of a background of trees.

Who are the Farm Friend Animals and how is their gentle presence incorporated in the service?

The Farm Friend Animals are made up of beloved farm animals including sheep, goats, a pony and a donkey. Some of our animal friends were rescues, others were in need of urgent rehoming, and others were orphaned by unfortunate circumstances relating to their birth mothers.

In caring for these animals, we learn that healing is a process, one that requires patience, understanding, and trust—values we also bring into our own lives. These animals are not here to serve us; we are here to support them as they find their way forward, just as we ourselves must find our own paths of healing. Through this mutual exchange, we gain invaluable insights into the power of presence, compassion, and gentle care, both for others and for ourselves.

Led by Compassion, Grounded  in Care

It is in the compassionate care we provide to these animals, and the understanding we extend toward their past experiences, that we are reminded of our own potential for growth. By honouring the animals’ journeys as equally important as our own, we create a space where both animals and humans can flourish.

At Mindfulness with Farm Friends, we nurture both the animals’ and humans’ souls, and in doing so, we invite a profound connection that helps all of us overcome the challenges we face, and emerge empowered, more resilient, and more connected to the world around us.

Two women joyfully jumping in a sunflower field under a vibrant rainbow, surrounded by butterflies and sunflowers.

Personalised One-to-One Support

Mindfulness with Farm Friends offers a person-centred small-scale approach to support. Unlike larger, more generalised programs, this service provides tailored one-to-one support, ensuring that each participant receives the individual attention they require. This guarantees we provide optimal safety and wellbeing all times, and are able to deliver specialised programs specific to each participants needs, goals, values and capabilities.

Learn More About Our Services

Collage with farm animals and nature elements, including a cow, donkey, horse, sheep, bird, butterflies, flowers, and a planet background.

Forever Home & Haven for Animals

What makes this service even more heart-led is that all the Farm Friends Animals are part of their forever home. This means participants can form deep, lasting bonds with the animals, knowing they will always be cared for and treated with the utmost respect. For true animal lovers, this assurance that the animals will never be worked, or sold is a source of great comfort. This approach sets the service apart from other farm programs based on “working farms”.

Learn More About Farm Friends Animal & Nature Program

Person in a wheelchair smiling and holding a lamb on their lap on a wooden deck with trees in the background.

Mindfulness with Farm Friends aligns with NDIS support categories and outcomes by offering:

  • Capacity Building (Social and Community Participation)

  • Individualised Support

  • Life Skills Development

  • Improved Health and Wellbeing:

  • Community Access and Recreational Activities

A young man in a green patterned shirt holding a butterfly in a forest setting, with sunlight filtering through the trees.

“When you are looking for peace, nature is always the answer”.

~ Unknown ~