Welcome to Nourishing Hearts Wellness Care Farm!
We are a therapeutic farm offering a unique blend of Animal Assisted Therapy, Nature Assisted Therapy, and Play Therapy. We offer a safe and nurturing place where children, youth, and families living with developmental disabilities, autism, ADHD, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, grief, loss and trauma can heal and grow. Located on our family farm in Rodney, Ontario - halfway between London and Chatham - our one-on-one counselling services, therapeutic family experiences, recreational group experiences, and self-care retreats are designed and delivered by a registered MSW therapist. Our individual and family counselling sessions are typically covered by insurance, OAP funding, and NIBH. We also organize seasonal community events, run The Joy Store – a roadside stand and community space that supports mental health and promotes mental wellbeing, and have a commercial kitchen and gathering space that
can be rented out for private use.
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Learn more about how Nourishing Hearts Wellness Care Farm can support your family.
"My work in mental health revealed a heavy emphasis on short-term solutions. I longed to offer something more profound, a nurturing space where individuals could cultivate self-compassion and build upon their inherent strengths. Nourishing Hearts, a farm created with my husband, provides this sanctuary. Here, we foster a sense of belonging and unconditional acceptance, empowering individuals to discover their own unique paths to managing stress and life's challenges."
~ Julie
About Julie
As the founder of Nourishing Hearts Wellness Care Farm, Julie offers a unique approach of supporting mental health by integrating the care of animals and nature with the care of people. Her extensive background in social work, combined with her dedication to holistic mental health practices, makes her approach both compassionate and innovative.
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Julie is a registered social worker with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers. With over 20 years of experience in diverse care settings, she brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her practice. Her educational credentials include a Master of Social Work degree, a Developmental Services Worker diploma and a certification as a Personal Support Worker. Julie is also a trained Animal Assisted Therapist and a Certified and Registered Play Therapist with the Canadian Association of Play Therapy.
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In addition to her work on the farm, Julie serves as a fly-in therapist with Dalton Associates, providing child therapy in a remote First Nations Community in Ontario's far north. This role underscores her commitment to reaching underserved populations and offering mental health support where it is most needed.
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As a mother of two and now a grandmother, Julie integrates her lived experiences into how she supports families. Her personal journey enriches her professional practice, allowing her to connect with families on a deeper level and provide empathetic, informed guidance. Julie's work at Nourishing Hearts embodies a holistic vision of mental health care, where the natural world and compassionate human connections form the foundation for healing and growth.
About Tim
Tim is the dedicated co-founder of Nourishing Hearts and a supportive husband to Julie. He plays a vital role in turning Julie's visions into reality by taking on the responsibilities at the farm. From maintaining the grounds, grooming the walking trails, tending to gardens and caring for the animals to constructing buildings and co-hosting events and services. Tim's background as a certified Personal Support Worker caring for the elderly and those with disabilities, as well as a creative Cabinetmaker and musician, along with diverse experiences in fatherhood, forest management, and as a mental health support worker with the Canadian Mental Health Association, he brings an abundance of knowledge and compassion to Nourishing Hearts.
As a mother to two young children—a daughter and a son—I bring a conscious, connected approach to both my parenting and my professional work. I am deeply guided by the importance of secure attachment, emotional regulation, and open communication in a child’s development. These values sit at the heart of my practice and inform how I engage with both children and their families. ~ Mina
About Mina
For over nine years, Mina has had the privilege of caring for children and their families as a pediatric nurse across both hospital units and community settings. Her work has taken her through complex medical cases, postpartum care, mental health support, and pediatric medicine, always with a deep commitment to nurturing each child’s unique journey. Recognizing that healing goes beyond physical care, she has now broadening her approach to offer a gentle, child-centered form of counselling designed to help children explore their emotions, build confidence, and find their voice in a safe and supportive environment.
Her therapeutic work aims to focus on supporting autistic children, as well as children who are navigating anxiety, emotional dysregulation, or low self-esteem. In today’s fast-paced and ever-changing world, many young people are feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, or unsure of how to process their emotions. She offers a gentle, safe space where children can explore their feelings, build resilience, and feel deeply heard and understood.
Our Counselling Approach
At Nourishing Hearts Wellness Care Farm offers children, youth & adults counselling that combines traditional in-office talk therapy with animal and nature assisted counselling and play therapy.Techniques such as positive psychology, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), play therapy, animal-assisted counselling, mindfulness, self-love & compassion are creatively woven into sessions to assist with validation, re-framing personal experiences, challenging unhelpful thoughts, developing healthy coping strategies, and creating a strong sense of self and belonging.This humanistic approach cultivates trust and safety, empowering clients to embrace what makes them unique, identify strengths and develop the ability to problem-solve, overcome challenges, and succeed in life.Our alternative therapeutic approach is suitable for all, but may be especially impactful for children and youth who have difficulty adapting to traditional office-based therapy. If you, or someone in your family, struggles with Anxiety, Trauma, Depression, Grief and Loss, ADHD, ASD, FASD or Developmental Disabilities, we can help. No formal diagnosis or referral is required.
Our Farm
Nourishing Hearts Wellness Care Farm is a thoughtfully-organized 5-acre farm that is fully fenced and accessible to wheelchairs. This setting allows Julie to provide a client-centred approach where people can lead her to where they feel comfortable talking. This may be sitting in the barn’s snuggle stall while cuddling and grooming support animals, or with a support animal with them in the office counselling space. Others may feel more comfortable talking while exploring the wetland, walking the meadow trail, sitting around a campfire, or doing arts & crafts.
Our Support Animals
Many hooved, pawed and feathered friends call Nourishing Hearts Wellness Centre Farm home. This
includes Bambi our smoochy horse, Nllie, Jasper, Blossom and Yoda our cheeky goats, Sweet Pea and Baa
Baa our darling sheep, Cornelius our belly scratching loving pig, Chloe and Earl our
adventurous kittens, Nanook, Sakih, Arie and George our tail-wagging dogs, Radish our velvety rabbit, and Jenny, Shelia, Randy, Elvis, Blondie, Joyce and Madge our feathered explorers.
Learn more about our support animals.
Address
21907 Queens Line
Rodney, Ontario
N0L 2C0
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Contact Information
Tel: 226-239-3230
Email: julie@nourishinghearts.ca
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