Headspace opens tranquility garden to promote mental health

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Headspace Murray Bridge has opened a new garden to promote mental health in their clients and workers alike.

The tranquility garden is intended to help those at Headspace reset and recharge in a more natural setting.

It will provide a sensory experience by featuring a variety of plants such as natives, edibles, and plants of different textures, colours and smells.

Headspace community engagement officer Sally Hardy said the garden would be an asset to the facility.

“When a client has a session with one of our therapists, they can now choose to sit inside or come outside to sit in the garden,” she said.

“And it will be good for staff, because working in the mental health space, they often have a lot to deal with in the day.

“They can go sit in the garden to have a breather, and reconnect with something peaceful and lovely.”

Ms Hardy was given the role of managing the project on her first day on the job, earlier this year.

Although Ms Hardy said she was definitely a “nature person”, she admitted she wasn’t a green thumb.

Fortunately, the garden’s creation was a collaborative effort, involving Ms Hardy, a team of NDIS participants and their mentors from Employment Options.

NDIS coordinator Jake Stewart said that, during the planning stages, they had been mindful of what materials they should use, and which plants would best suit the space.

“All the pots are offcuts of upcycled fibre glass water tubes,” he said.

“The table is made from an old basketball court floor, which was recycled from the redevelopment of Murray Bridge High School.

“When the garden grows a bit more, it will enclose you and feel a lot more private … it will be a great supplementary therapy space.”

Country SA Primary Health Network provided funding for the garden as part of a suicide prevention grant.

• Get help: Talk to your GP; visit Headspace Murray Bridge at 10 Second Street from 9am-5pm most weekdays, or 11am-7pm on Thursdays; call 8531 2122; follow along on Facebook or Instagram; or call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467. In an emergency, call 000.
• More information: headspace.org.au.