Catalyst Living Skills
Counselling Communication Creativity Community
960 Old Cooma Road, GOOGONG NSW 2620
Tel: 0413 451 589
Email: catalystlivingskills@gmail.com
ABN: 81253 051 149
Catalyst Living Skills
A unique approach to reach your full potential
New Program
The Farm Program
Pathways to work and independence
Recently left, preparing to leave or struggling to engage at school?
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Are you ready to become more independent and want to participate in practical, employment focused activities, such as animal care, horticulture, hospitality and customer service, in a supportive environment that acknowledges and develops your interests and strengths.
Then the Farm Program might be right for you? Starting February 2026
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Starting
February 2026
Programs for adults and children
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Catalyst Living Skills offers programs for children and adults , with a focus on:
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Communication
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Self esteem
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Decision making
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Creativity
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Co-ordination and motor skills
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Focus and observation
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Relationships
To achieve our goals we work with horses, other animals on the farm, in nature and creative activities.
What we do
We run individual and group programs to develop the life skills needed to function effectively in society, building on our individual strengths, finding our own solutions, being mindful, regulating our emotions and working effectively with others. Combining counselling techniques and Equine Assisted Therapy, with creative, nature and farm based activities in small groups and with individuals, our programs take an interactive approach using games, puzzles, and other teaching techniques to keep the participant wholly involved in the sessions where their focus is on having fun rather than on learning something new.
Building confidence and self esteem through achievement is the primary goal for most of our clients and is central to pretty much everything that we do. Our horses are willing partners supporting people to achieve things they never imagined in an active, challenging and fun way.
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Many of our clients are supported by the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
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We do not teach horse riding.
Horses are great teachers
Equine Assisted Therapy (EAT) has been shown to teach people about themselves and their interaction with others around them. Through EAT sessions, you can develop confidence and coping skills, whilst making friends, having fun and building your social and communication skills.
Horses are the MASTER teachers of life skills. They demand personal leadership and can teach you how to learn, develop and apply these skills to your life.
In EAT, horses are a “barometer”. They react to your' emotional responses, whether they are calm, confused, frustrated, or excited. A horse's reactions provide an EAT facilitator with insights that can help them guide and assist the journey of building foundational life skills.
What's a life skill?
Catalyst Living Skills programs are guided by the six essential life skills identified by the World Health Organization (1999)
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- Decision making and problem solving .To understand problems, find solutions alone or with others, and then take action to address them.
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Creative thinking and critical thinking. To think in different ways about problems, and find new solutions, or generate new ideas, coupled with the ability to assess information carefully and understand its relevance.
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Self-awareness and empathy (emotional intelligence). To understand yourself and be able to feel for other people as if their experiences were happening to you.
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Assertiveness and equanimity, or self-control. To stand up for yourself and other people, and remain calm even in the face of provocation.
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Resilience and the ability to cope with problems. To recover from setbacks, and treat them as opportunities to learn, or simply experiences.
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We offer a variety of group programs for people looking to build skills and to generally have fun. Our groups are small with a facilitator working with no more than three clients at a time which means you are always busy and included.
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We run after school and Saturday groups for children over 8 years old. Many are looking to learn ways to manage specific issues such as anxiety and emotional regulation and ADHD and autism are common. Our children's group program is for 75 minutes.
The Farm @ Catalyst Living Skills is a longer program for young people with a disability, starting in February 2026 that will provide opportunities to develop independence, confidence, and work-readiness through engaging farm-based and other employment activities and supported practice.
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Safety for our clients, the horses and facilitators is paramount. We require all of our participants to have the capacity to follow instructions. As most of the sessions are held outdoors in a sand arena our group sessions may not be suitable for people with significant mobility or balance issues. Contact us to have a chat about your needs.
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We generally undertake a one hour assessment and opportunity to try out EAT for potential clients to establish individual needs and abilities to ensure an appropriate program is provided as well as providing an opportunity to a prospective client to experience some elements of EAT.
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The 1:1 program is ideal for anyone seeking to develop mindful skills and strategies to communicate effectively, manage emotions and develop confidence.
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This program is suitable for adults and children over 10 years of age and can be modified for participants with special needs. We undertake a one hour assessment for potential clients to establish individual needs and abilities to ensure an appropriate program is provided as well as providing an opportunity to a prospective client to experience some elements of EAL.
Whilst we try to be as inclusive as possible there are some clients that may not be suitable for EAT as ensuring client safety is our number one priority.