Animal-Assisted Interventions: Incorporating Animals in Therapeutic Goals & Treatment – Christina Strayer Thornton

Proof of item:

• Neuroscience of the human-animal emotional bond
• Pairing AAT with other evidence-based therapies
• Interventions and treatment goals for:
  • PTSD, anxiety and depression
  • Attachment disorders, trauma and conduct disorder
• Telemental Health and ATT

Are you in need of an effective intervention to help build rapport with your clients who otherwise take many sessions to trust you and feel safe before disclosing? Animals can bridge the trust gap and accelerate the therapeutic alliance.

Join Christina Strayer, Ed.D, LPC, CCTP, AAT, DCC, and learn animal-assisted therapy activities and interventions that produce amazing results for your clients diagnosed with attachment disorders, trauma, anxiety, depression, PTSD, conduct disorder, ADHD and autism. You will receive specific examples of animal-assisted therapeutic goals and strategies to:

• Build social interaction, feelings of safety, security and trust
• Decrease hyperarousal, impulse control and dysregulation
• Empower self-efficacy and quality of life
• Promote motivation and goal setting
• Increase positive communication skills and empathy

This seminar also includes the latest research outcomes, solid foundational knowledge about the human-animal emotional bond and up-to-date information about relevant laws. You will also discover very practical information and resources to help you implement your own animal-assisted interventions.

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1. Describe the distinction between a therapy animal and a service animal.
2. Incorporate animal-assisted interventions in therapy to best match client’s needs.
3. Determine when AAT is best paired with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
4. Design AAT interventions for clients diagnosed with attachment disorders, trauma, conduct disorder, PTSD, ADHD and autism.
5. List federal laws that impact animal assisted interventions.
6. Identify the assessment tools for measuring a therapy animal’s temperament, limitations and stress levels.
7. Incorporate your animal in distance telemental health and video-conferencing.

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Brief Overview

• Human-animal emotional bond
• Therapy animal vs. service animal vs. emotional support animal
• Animal-assisted therapy vs. animal-assisted activities
• Handler vs. therapist

Mindfulness of Animals and How it Helps the Human Brain

• The neuroscience of the human-animal bond
• Why zebras don’t get ulcers
• Animal-assisted interventions without an animal

The Legal Landscape

• Four federal laws that impact animal-assisted interventions
• Client rights and when not to involve an animal
• Informed consent

Evidence-Based Interventions and Treatment Goals/Outcomes:

• PTSD, Trauma, Anxiety and depression
  • Tapping technique via petting
  • Breathing techniques to relax and calm
  • Empower self-efficacy
  • Increase socialization
  • Increase motivation and goal setting
  • Mindfulness exercises with animals
• Attachment Disorders and Conduct Disorder
  • Strategies to build trust and strengthen the therapeutic alliance
  • Structured play to share emotions/cognitions
  • Identifying with therapy animal’s narrative
  • Animal commands to develop norms of behaviors
  • Interventions that provide emotional support and enhance quality of life
• Autism Spectrum Disorder and ADHD
  • Social skills via role play and conversing with the therapy animal
  • Animals as mirrors to internal states
  • Improve sensory sensitivity through AAT
  • Increase confidence in clients
  • Animals facilitating relaxation strategies
  • Impulse control via body cues/narratives

Pairing AAT with Other Evidence-Based Therapies

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
• Solution Focused Therapy (SFT)
• Gestalt Therapy

Components of Animal-Assisted Intervention

• Protocol for introducing animal and client
• Interaction techniques for client and animal
• Closure, documentation and secure liability insurance

Become an Animal-Assisted Therapist

• Animal qualifications/characteristics and choosing your therapy animal
• Tools to assess therapy animal’s temperament, limitations and stress levels
• K-9 training and AAT certification programs
• Compassion fatigue: your therapy animal as a support system
• Telemental health: Incorporate your animal in distance video-conferencing

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