‘Makes me feel like I’m someone in the world:’ Animal-assisted therapy helps Manitobans

Animals wait patiently at the gate, wondering which of them will be harnessed and groomed by Lucy Sloan.

It’s miniature horse Sweety’s lucky day.

“So one of the things about Sweety, she loves having someone scratch her,” Sloan said.

Jackson Goertzen grabs a red brush and gets to work. He’s part of the animal-assisted therapy program at Lil’ Steps Wellness.

“It helps me with my stress, it makes me feel like there is someone there to help me. It makes me feel like I’m someone in the world,” Jackson said.

Lil’ Steps Wellness was founded by Sloan, a counsellor, about 10 years ago, after she was inspired to expand her services.

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“After a serious head injury, I ended up purchasing two miniature horses named Peanut and Sweety and I realized this whole therapeutic piece to having animals and so I decided to integrate that into my work,” Sloan said.

Lil’ Steps Wellness now has dozens of staff offering a number of mental health therapy services to people of all ages, with an office in Winnipeg and a farm in St. Malo, south of the city.

The farm is home to horses, cats, rats, sheep, goats and more, all of whom help, in their own way.

“Sometimes we will do some grooming, talk about self-care but we also do a lot of storytelling and talking to (clients) about things the animals have experienced that maybe they can relate to,” said Monique Tellier, an animal-assisted therapist at Lil’ Steps Wellness.

She said animal-assisted therapy can help with stress, emotional well-being, confidence and physical health.

Jackson’s mom, Brianne Goertzen, said she’s noticed a big difference in her son in the last six months.

“It’s providing him the tools he needs to succeed and to feel better about himself and the strong emotions that he has and to be better equipped for school and for life,” Brianne said.

And Jackson couldn’t agree more.

“I would suggest to anyone that this therapy is one of the best you can get,” Jackson said.