Therapists learn to 'think like a farmer' in order to help them

By Farah Siddiqi

Ohio has about 74,000 farms and farmers face many stressors, from economic troubles to unpredictable weather. They also have one of the highest suicide rates of any occupation.

Behavioral health care providers are now being taught a new method to identify depression, anxiety and other issues among farmers.

Kaila Anderson, codeveloper and licensed master social worker for the therapy training organization LandLogic, who grew up on a farm, said farmers do not typically talk about their emotions but asking them to draw a map of their land and explain what happens and where, helps start a conversation, which can reveal underlying emotional struggles.

"Because we believe that licensed behavioral health providers that may be wanting to serve this population just need that one little piece to connect," Anderson explained. "Then, their knowledge and expertise in their work with the farmer can take off from there."

A cattle feedlot, for instance, might be a source of intense stress when there is not enough money to feed the cattle, or a field of alfalfa could be a place where a farmer finds solace.

Anderson noted farmers are problem solvers by necessity. The therapists LandLogic trains learn to identify mental health issues using everyday farm tools and items, like a pair of favorite work gloves. They then help a farmer learn to overcome challenges on their own as they spend time out on their land.

Therapists are also taught how to identify 10 common negative thinking patterns Anderson called “barbed-wire thinking.” They include "toxic grit," which she described as what farmers show when they continue to toil away, even when it is causing them harm.

"The ‘get 'er done,’ ‘pull yourself up by the bootstraps,’ ‘there’s no time for emotions,’ that piece is part of what has kept farmers farming, and is a very good skill set," Anderson observed. "Until the moments that it’s not."

She stressed farmers are good at their jobs in part because they are deeply attached to their land and can feel at risk when their role is threatened. Anderson added the moment they see how the agricultural imperative affects their behavior is a launching point. Once they can name it, she explained, they can own it and work it out.

"'Naming it and claiming it' is one of the most important parts of LandLogic for the farmer, because it brings so much light, and you can see it. You can see it visibly when they have that moment of clarity," Anderson underscored. "That’s really powerful, and awesome to watch."

Based on original reporting by Dean Kuipers with the Food and Environment Reporting Network.