The Gentle Barn - A Must-See for Foster Youth

"Princess Pebble" - @thegentlebarn on Instagram

Trigger Warning: Suicide, Self Harm

It was January of 2020, and I was spiraling. Memories from foster care, before foster care, and after foster care were spinning around in my head rent free, having parties while I slept and daring me to try to ignore them when I was awake. I didn't necessarily want to take my own life, but I didn't want to continue to live either. I would dissociate and then "come to" holding a kitchen knife to my stomach, or would drive from point A to B without even realizing the trip had happened. My mind was a never-ending pit that I continued to fall down, and it wasn't until my primary care physician decided to place me in the Psych Ward of a hospital that I was presented with actual time to fully grasp the severity of my depleting mental health and how it was affecting both myself and those around me. Though I felt lonely and judged, there was one truly sparkling moment of joy and comfort that I looked forward to during my stay - the visits from the therapy dogs. How could I access this when I was discharged, I thought? Was this only a comfort I could find behind the doors of a psych ward?

Stories of resilience and healing overwhelm this little patch of peace settled in Santa Clarita, California. The Gentle Barn was founded by special education and psychology major Ellie Laks, and is a safe haven for both animals who have experienced trauma, as well as children, to come together and feel safe and loved, together. Aside from the one in Santa Clarita, The Gentle Barn has locations in Nashville, Tennessee, and a third one in St Louis, Missouri. Not every situation makes it possible to easily get ahold of a therapy dog, but when there's a place like the Gentle Barn, there still exists an opportunity to engage in Animal-Assisted Therapy and reap its ample amount of benefits.

"At The Gentle Barn we stand up for the innocent, and we help animals and children alike remember that they matter." - The Gentle Barn

YouTube's The Try Guys recently took a trip to the Gentle Barn, and in their video they showed the soothing, therapeutic effect of being near these resilient animals and caring staff. Through their video, we got to hear some of the heartbreaking yet triumphant stories of animals who were saved from abusive situations and given second chances, and we got to experience how deeply moving and comforting it can be to be in their presence. These animals have been abused and neglected, but then saved from their turmoil and offered nurturing, care, and redemption through those at The Gentle Barn. Foster Children, at the end of the day, are also simply innocent beings that are being taken from turmoil and encouraged to heal. Bringing these two triumphant spirits together in one place can only be something that could be described as a magical experience.

The Gentle Barn offers various therapeutic programs for people from all different backgrounds, as well as the option to simply book a private two-hour tour and just take a look around and hang with the animals. Both a learning experience and a growing experience, the opportunity to look into the eyes of an animal and brush them, knowing where they came from and where they are now, can be an extraordinary healing moment for children who have experienced heartache and trauma in their own lives. In fact, according to UCLA Health, "Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) has been shown to reduce blood pressure in healthy and hypertensive patients. It reduces anxiety in hospitalized patients, too."

If you have a child in your care who has experienced trauma and live near a Gentle Barn, consider taking a trip together and allowing the children to witness what genuine love and care can truly achieve.