Melissa Vaught

Licensed Occupational Therapist

Melissa is a licensed Occupational Therapist who graduated from the Medical University of South Carolina.  She has been practicing for over 20 years primarily in the area of pediatrics.  Melissa is skilled in using sensory modalities to work with children on the Autism Spectrum.  She currently has received her micro-credentials for Autism by the National Board of Occupational Therapy.  Melissa has also received certification for treating children with sensory impairments and is SIPT certified. Having grown up with horses Melissa has always been interested in combining her skills with horses and children with Autism.  She completed Level 1 and Level 2 coursework for hippotherapy in 2006.

 

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ACE: When 12 Out of 20 Children Carry Hidden Wounds

Here's a number that stopped us in our tracks:

In Virginia, 12 out of every 20 children have experienced at least one Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) — events like trauma, abuse, neglect, or household instability.

That's 60% of our kids. Carrying wounds that aren't always visible. Struggling with emotions they don't have words for. Acting out in ways that look like behavior problems — when really, they're signs of a nervous system that never learned it was safe.

At The Fox Moon Farm Project, we know these children. We work with them every week.

And we know that nature, animals, and the right environment can begin to reach them when nothing else has.

Through our Healing with Horses program and farm-based learning, we help children who have experienced trauma:

🌿 Learn to manage anger and regulate their emotions
🌿 Reduce anxiety and quiet an overactive stress response
🌿 Build self-confidence and a sense of their own strength
🌿 Develop trust — first with animals, then with people

A farm is not a clinic. But sometimes, healing doesn't start in a clinic.

Sometimes it starts with a horse standing quietly beside a child who's never felt truly safe — and staying there until they do.

Visit foxmoonfarm.org to learn more about our programs and how we support children who have experienced ACEs. 💚

#ACEs #ChildhoodTrauma #TraumaInformedCare #FoxMoonFarm #HealingWithHorses #FarmTherapy #SpecialNeeds #EmotionalRegulation #NatureHeals #VirginiaKids #ResilienceBuilding
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ACE: When 12 Out of 20 Children Carry Hidden WoundsHeres a number that stopped us in our tracks:In Virginia, 12 out of every 20 children have experienced at least one Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) — events like trauma, abuse, neglect, or household instability.Thats 60% of our kids. Carrying wounds that arent always visible. Struggling with emotions they dont have words for. Acting out in ways that look like behavior problems — when really, theyre signs of a nervous system that never learned it was safe.At The Fox Moon Farm Project, we know these children. We work with them every week.And we know that nature, animals, and the right environment can begin to reach them when nothing else has.Through our Healing with Horses program and farm-based learning, we help children who have experienced trauma:🌿 Learn to manage anger and regulate their emotions
🌿 Reduce anxiety and quiet an overactive stress response
🌿 Build self-confidence and a sense of their own strength
🌿 Develop trust — first with animals, then with peopleA farm is not a clinic. But sometimes, healing doesnt start in a clinic.Sometimes it starts with a horse standing quietly beside a child whos never felt truly safe — and staying there until they do.Visit foxmoonfarm.org to learn more about our programs and how we support children who have experienced ACEs. 💚#ACEs #ChildhoodTrauma #TraumaInformedCare #FoxMoonFarm #HealingWithHorses #FarmTherapy #SpecialNeeds #EmotionalRegulation #NatureHeals #VirginiaKids #ResilienceBuildingImage attachment

🌻 Growing More Than Vegetables 🌻

Down in the Fox Moon Farm community garden, it's been all hands on deck — and we couldn't be prouder of the bounty taking shape!

Maria and her team, alongside our wonderful clients, have been busy as bees: planting, tending, and harvesting under the summer sun. 🐝 And the garden is rewarding all that hard work. We've got crisp cucumbers, summer squash, vibrant peppers, and tomatoes so beautiful they practically glow on the vine. 🍅🥒

But here's what makes this garden truly special: every cucumber picked and every tomato ripened is destined for a neighbor in need. Our community garden exists to put fresh, healthy food on the tables of families facing food insecurity right here in our community.
There's something powerful about working the soil, watching seeds become harvest, and knowing your hands helped feed someone else. That's the heart of Fox Moon Farm — healing, growing, and giving, all rooted in the land we love. 🌱

We can't wait to start sharing this bounty. Stay tuned! 💚

#FoxMoonFarm #CommunityGarden #FarmToTable #FeedingFamilies #FoodSecurity #GrowingTogether #HealingThroughNature #FarmLife #KingAndQueenCounty
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🌻 Growing More Than Vegetables 🌻Down in the Fox Moon Farm community garden, its been all hands on deck — and we couldnt be prouder of the bounty taking shape!Maria and her team, alongside our wonderful clients, have been busy as bees: planting, tending, and harvesting under the summer sun. 🐝 And the garden is rewarding all that hard work. Weve got crisp cucumbers, summer squash, vibrant peppers, and tomatoes so beautiful they practically glow on the vine. 🍅🥒But heres what makes this garden truly special: every cucumber picked and every tomato ripened is destined for a neighbor in need. Our community garden exists to put fresh, healthy food on the tables of families facing food insecurity right here in our community.
Theres something powerful about working the soil, watching seeds become harvest, and knowing your hands helped feed someone else. Thats the heart of Fox Moon Farm — healing, growing, and giving, all rooted in the land we love. 🌱We cant wait to start sharing this bounty. Stay tuned! 💚#FoxMoonFarm #CommunityGarden #FarmToTable #FeedingFamilies #FoodSecurity #GrowingTogether #HealingThroughNature #FarmLife #KingAndQueenCountyImage attachmentImage attachment+5Image attachment

🌿 A Morning of Coming Home to Ourselves 🌿

This past Sunday, our women gathered at the farm for another Hoofbeats & Heartbeats workshop — a guided journey of self-discovery and emotional integration.
We began on the deck of Soul Moon Cove, settling into stillness as the morning unfolded around us. Together, we explored our core emotional needs — the quiet questions so many of us carry from childhood and into adulthood:

✨ Am I good enough?

✨ Do I have a purpose?

✨ Am I safe?

✨ Am I loved?

These questions become the filters through which we see our lives, shaping the themes we wrestle with — intimacy, connection, trust, fear of rejection, people-pleasing, over-giving, rescuing. We approached each one not with judgment, but with curiosity and compassion, gently uncovering the truths beneath our patterns.

After our reflection, we made our way down to the horses. Lora led each woman through a heart-centered meditation with her horse, and then — slowly, carefully, intentionally — each woman groomed her companion. There is something profoundly healing in this quiet exchange. The horses meet us exactly as we are, mirroring back an honesty we don't always offer ourselves.

We were also grateful to be joined by massage therapist Cathleen Pigg, who offered gentle bodywork to some of our women as the morning came to a close.

It was a day of self-work, self-love, and being held — by the land, by the herd, and by one another. 🐴 We can't wait to gather again in two weeks. 💛

The Fox Moon Farm Project — where nature and animals help us heal.
... See MoreSee Less

🌿 A Morning of Coming Home to Ourselves 🌿This past Sunday, our women gathered at the farm for another Hoofbeats & Heartbeats workshop — a guided journey of self-discovery and emotional integration.
We began on the deck of Soul Moon Cove, settling into stillness as the morning unfolded around us. Together, we explored our core emotional needs — the quiet questions so many of us carry from childhood and into adulthood:✨ Am I good enough?✨ Do I have a purpose?✨ Am I safe?✨ Am I loved?These questions become the filters through which we see our lives, shaping the themes we wrestle with — intimacy, connection, trust, fear of rejection, people-pleasing, over-giving, rescuing. We approached each one not with judgment, but with curiosity and compassion, gently uncovering the truths beneath our patterns.After our reflection, we made our way down to the horses. Lora led each woman through a heart-centered meditation with her horse, and then — slowly, carefully, intentionally — each woman groomed her companion. There is something profoundly healing in this quiet exchange. The horses meet us exactly as we are, mirroring back an honesty we dont always offer ourselves.We were also grateful to be joined by massage therapist Cathleen Pigg, who offered gentle bodywork to some of our women as the morning came to a close.It was a day of self-work, self-love, and being held — by the land, by the herd, and by one another. 🐴 We cant wait to gather again in two weeks. 💛The Fox Moon Farm Project — where nature and animals help us heal.Image attachmentImage attachment+2Image attachment
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Healing, Learning, and Growing Together: Empowering Lives through Horses, Community, and Wellness.