‘Downward-Goat’ brings healing to at risk youth and a community at large

It’s an unlikely sight, but Goat Yoga is a much-loved therapy helping tackle the immense mental health challenges in Smithton Tasmania.

Three years ago Alyssia Coates suffered a traumatic event, losing her job shortly afterwards and triggering a downward spiral in her mental health. Following the despair of a suicide attempt and struggling to find support that worked for her, Alyssia embraced the healing power of animal therapy, and now she’s determined to share it with her community and beyond.

“I didn’t respond to traditional treatment, sitting in a room with four walls and having a chat with a psychologist. I actually regressed further,” she says. “You know I’m a strong person, I’m a survivor and all of a sudden I wasn’t surviving anymore.” 

Inspired by her husband, it was at Alyssia’s lowest that she made the decision to return to her roots as a Dairy Farmer. On a whim they bought four milking goats on Gumtree, and from there, inch by inch, everything turned around.

“The goats gave me a purpose,” she says. “Some days all I did was get out of bed and milk those goats, and that’s it. And then half an hour turned into an hour, and then two hours, and then I’d start pottering in the garden, and the kids would be with me, and gradually I began to pull myself out of it and feel more confident. I attribute my mental health and wellbeing now to my goats. My husband and the goats saved my life.” ALYSSIA COATES

Once Alyssia understood the healing capacity of the goats, she enlisted the help of a local yoga teacher to develop a practice integrating the animals, achieving similar effects to equine therapy. While the Goat Yoga sessions kicked off to some giggles and scepticism amongst the local community, it didn’t stop people signing up.

“It went off. We had four sessions with eighty-nine people attending. There were people from Queensland, others drove from three hours away, and everyone just loved it. It was the laughter, the wellbeing, the calm. One elderly lady said ‘This just makes me so happy. I can’t thank you enough. I haven’t smiled that much since my husband passed away.’”

And so the Grumpy Goat Co Care Farm was born. It’s the first care farm in Tasmania and has become a thriving animal therapy enterprise. Besides regular Goat Yoga, they host baby animal open days with up to 1,500 visitors through their gates. They produce a range of goats milk soaps which Alyssia’s husband and 6 kids are responsible for, and are hoping to receive their dairy farming accreditation for the production of goats milk by the end of the year. They also sell off the goats whey to a local gin maker, and excess milk to a local cheesemaker who will produce a camembert under the Grumpy Goat Co brand to raise funds.

The farm is now an integral part of the Smithton community, welcoming absolutely everyone in need and with a strong focus on at risk youth. They have already received funding from a rural mental health organisation, Boots On The Ground, which helps to identify at risk and disengaged youth.

“We have at risk youth come out from the local primary and high schools to spend the afternoon with us and the feedback from teachers has been amazing. Students returning from a few hours with us in a totally different calm state. Kids returning like completely different people.” ALYSSIA COATES

Alyssia wants to develop more partnerships like this one with other mental health services. The aim is to build preventative programmes, mentoring and ultimately employing an on-site counsellor with the ability to refer people.

It seems this unlikely venture has been turned into a thriving, trusted and loved local support for mental health.

“In the end I wear the title of ‘crazy goat lady’ with pride.”