Darwin Dog's held an incredibly informative and thought provoking strategy workshop today led by Ruth Dwight. Clients, the CEO, trainers and trustees all came together to talk Assistance dogs, growth and more. The dogs had a lot to say too! Here's to the future! #mentalheathmatters #makingchange #workingtogether #hope #assistancedogsuk #buildingfoundations (fb)

Mental Health Awareness Week. A mental health condition can be very isolating. Some conditions cause life to feel very unpredictable. The world is not the same every day and this can make it difficult for people to know how to adjust and adapt when their condition requires routine and consistency. Loud noises, busy overstimulating environments, constant questioning; even if well meaning, sudden change for example can lead to meltdown, shutdown, refusal, and challenging behaviour. This is no fault of the person experiencing the mental health condition. It is purely their illness that cannot cope. Just as a person with a broken leg would find it challenging to climb a flight of stairs, and may attempt but give up halfway or even before depending on the severity of the circumstances. Masking can happen. Where the person desperately tried to conform to society's norms and what the feel is expected of them. This puts even more pressure on them and will eventually make things worse and lead to increased fatigue and burnout. An assistance dog can help with a mental health condition by learning to alert to the signs of a situation becoming too much for their handler and removing them, or finding safe people. Putting measures in place to prevent situations occurring as much as possible, such as blocking or deep pressure therapy. #mentalhealthassistanacedog #LifeChanging #mentalheathmatters #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek #cockapoo #assistancedogsuk (fb)