Border Collie Louie provides a 'crucial service' to those in need
By Jo Abi|
Louie is one of the most highly trained dogs in the country. But he's still a dog. At the time of this interview, the border collie is sitting at the front door of his home waiting for the mailman.
In the middle of my phone call with his owner Caroline Brunne Louie erupts into frantic barks. But it's when he is in dog mode that Brunne says Louie is able to "decompress".
"I was actually sharing with someone just on the weekend ... it was a beautiful day, we didn't have much on, so I was like, go have a swim. And we got to swim and play with other dogs and get all muddy," she said.
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"And that's such an important part of his decompression because he does so much emotional work and supportive work for humans, that decompression part and being a dog and getting to play and roll around in mud and just be a dog ... "
Brunne took ownership of Louie at the end of 2020 and began training him for the important job he was about to do, assisting her in her work as a trauma survivor coach through Therapy Dogs Australia.
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Together they offer a unique blend of breathwork and animal-assisted therapy to support mental health and trauma recovery.
Therapy dogs are increasingly recognised as powerful tools in trauma recovery and mental health treatment. Research has shown that animal-assisted interventions can significantly reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, enhance emotional well-being, and improve coping with stressful life events.
"I work with clients to support them in three foundational tools around their values, boundaries and communication and how that trauma recovery is impacting their lives today and what they want into the future," she explains.
"When I'm working with clients one-on-one in person, Louie is in session with me and provides that additional support; they're patting him, they're interacting with him ... it's almost a beautiful distraction as they're going through that process."
It was 20 years ago that Brunne arrived at Gold Coast Centre Against Sexual Violence for support for herself.
"I have lived experience of trauma and that's how I ended up in the trauma coaching space or the trauma survivor coaching space," she says. "I then was looking for additional components to add to the mix, which is when I added breathwork to the mix.
"And around the same time, I had really noticed in my coaching that a handful of clients who loved Louis and just were happy for him to be in the space ... he's a really good therapy dog."
Now she and Louie work at that same location helping others, although she explains her primary role is to support Louie's work as his "side kick".
"My role is to support him to do his job and look out for his cues so our bond is really strong and I can kind of pick up on his body language and see if he's starting to take on a lot of that emotion, if we need to kind of switch what we're doing or give him a break," she says.
She describes Louie as her "best work colleague ever".
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Sexual violence remains a deeply pervasive issue in Australia. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, one in nine women have experienced sexual violence by a male intimate partner since the age of 15. These figures represent real survivors, women who are left to navigate the long-term impacts of trauma, often without adequate support systems.
"Survivors like myself go on to create meaningful change – we heal, we rebuild, and we find a way forward," she said.
"Being able to share Louie's talents with the Gold Coast Centre Against Sexual Violence is incredibly special. It's my way of giving back to an organisation that supported me during my most vulnerable moments, when I needed it the most."
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Di Macleod, Founder and Director of the Gold Coast Centre Against Sexual Violence, highlights the importance of offering diverse forms of support for survivors, including therapy pets.
"Caroline and Louie's work brings an invaluable layer of comfort and connection to this journey," she says.
"The presence of a therapy dog like Louie provides a gentle, grounding presence for those navigating trauma, offering a sense of calm and safety that words alone often can't achieve. We are incredibly grateful to have them as part of our organisation, continuing the cycle of support and empowerment that is at the heart of everything we do."
Those interested in experiencing Louie's calming presence can book a session with Caroline Brunne at her studio in Nerang. Louie participates in both group and one-on-one breathwork sessions, offering unique, tailored support to help individuals navigate their mental health and trauma recovery journeys.
Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).
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