Meraki Social Work Services has been established to explore ways of supporting people and the animals in our lives.
There is a growing interest in acknowledging and validating this special relationship.
There is a growing interest in acknowledging and validating this special relationship.
About Wendy
I am qualified social worker with experience working in the areas of mental health, child protection and family support, health services, family and domestic violence, drug and alcohol, with LQBTQI+ communities and youth support.
I practice from a holistic, trauma informed perspective and am passionate about creating a safe, kind and supportive space for reflection, exploring choices and discovering new ways of being.
I practice from a holistic, trauma informed perspective and am passionate about creating a safe, kind and supportive space for reflection, exploring choices and discovering new ways of being.
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I am especially interested in the bond between people and animals.
Having always felt affinity with animals and nature I am interested in the healing that comes when we engage with our natural world, including eco-social work practice in my work. I enjoy travelling and exploring different ways of being in the world. I am privileged to be a Founding Director of the recently formed Veterinary and Community Care charitable organisation.
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Veterinary and Community Care - social enterprise
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Veterinary and Community Care (VaCC) has been created through a meeting of minds of a group of colleagues with a shared vision. Veterinary and Community Care’s founders engaged support from within and outside the veterinary profession. This network of passionate people worked cooperatively to create the fundamental cornerstones of the organisation, resulting in Veterinary and Community Care being officially formed as a social enterprise company with charity and Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status in 2022.
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The goal of Veterinary and Community Care is to provide community centered veterinary care that is accessible to the ever-increasing cohort of people experiencing disadvantage, and who benefit from the bond they have with the animals in their care.
The mental health of those working in the veterinary profession is closely linked to the challenges of managing the complexities that this cohort of clients can present. Veterinary teams may not be trained, experienced or supported to provide optimal care and service for these clients and their animals – which may result in poor wellbeing outcomes for all concerned.
Through community centered veterinary services, including the integral services provided by Veterinary Social Workers, wellbeing benefits will flow not only to these clients and the animals in their care, but also to the veterinary teams themselves, improving the mental health of the profession.
The mental health of those working in the veterinary profession is closely linked to the challenges of managing the complexities that this cohort of clients can present. Veterinary teams may not be trained, experienced or supported to provide optimal care and service for these clients and their animals – which may result in poor wellbeing outcomes for all concerned.
Through community centered veterinary services, including the integral services provided by Veterinary Social Workers, wellbeing benefits will flow not only to these clients and the animals in their care, but also to the veterinary teams themselves, improving the mental health of the profession.
About the Meraki logo
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Meraki is a Greek word which translates to do something with soul, creativity or love. The essence of yourself that you put into your work. I love this concept!
The Meraki logo loosely resembles a tree; the hands form a strong trunk which produce healthy leaves and fruit. This symbolises our connection with the natural world and our ability to create. I have a strong interest in Eco-social work and the deeply interconnected and interdependent relationships between the ecological, political, social and spiritual aspects of our world. Open hands symbolise confident action, engagement, self expression and the place where change and creation occurs. |
Special Interest Areas
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Animal Social work
Therapy pony at Maryville TN
I studied Veterinary Science upon leaving school which gave an insight into the unique context of practice within this animal support profession. I did not complete my degree but followed my fellow students' journeys through their careers, witnessing the ethical, organisational and personal challenges experienced daily. As a social worker, I am especially interested in the mental health and well-being of those within the Veterinary field, and the disappointing high rates of mental health distress and suicide within this profession. Having always shared my life with animals, I also understand the deep connections we often have with our non-human mates, and the distress that comes with having to make treatment decisions or losing our pal. I have undertaken the Certificate of Veterinary Social Work with the University of Tennessee. |
Human-nonhuman Animal Bond
thousands of years people have had a reciprocal relationship with other animals. Animals can provide unconditional, non judgmental and joyful meaning to our lives. As more research is exploring this bond, I am really interested in the role of social work within this space. Animals are increasingly included as part of family systems, in therapeutic interventions, and associated with improvements in human health and wellbeing across the lifespan. Honouring both sides of the human-nonhuman animal bond ensures people and interspecies families are cared for and supported. Acknowledging that animals can experience adversity within human interactions recognises the need to support all species and address animal welfare issues within this bond. |
Wendy is currently living on Whadjuk/Wajuk, country in the Perth region of Western Australia. The traditional owners and custodians are the Noongar People as the first people to have lived in the Perth region.