Animal Assisted Therapy Introduction Experiential

This workshop will start with an orientation webinar on Friday June 24 from 2-5pm provided over Zoom. The remainder of the course, which is primarily experiential, will meet at the instructor's farm in Dexter, Michigan on Saturday, June 25.

Course Description:
This course provides an experiential opportunity for participants to explore animal-assisted therapeutic activities specifically designed to further a wide range of therapeutic goals with children, adolescents, families and adult clients. Like play therapy and art therapy, animal-assisted interventions, when integrated with evidence-based methods including (but not limited to) CBT and mindfulness, trauma recovery, family systems, cultural-relational and psychodynamic approaches, offer opportunities for people to work through a variety of issues and insecurities related to attachment, trauma, self-esteem and identity concerns, dysregulation, behavioral difficulties, mental illness, developmental disabilities, and family and relational problems. With selected animals as therapy partners, the therapeutic team helps people of all ages and positions foster new alliances, understand more fully existing problems and build practical life-skills to enhance confidence, effectiveness and joy. Presently, animal-assisted therapy is gaining acclaim in the field of mental health intervention and there is a growing body of evidence supporting its efficacy and standards in the field to be explored. This course introduces the theoretical foundations, standards, ethics, evidence, certifications, integration of methods, case examples, evaluation and practical skills involved in partnering with a variety of animals, in particular dogs, cats, goats, pigs, horses and chickens (yes, chickens!)- to provide engaging and effective interventions.