This course is designed for qualified and soon-to-qualify healthcare professionals who are interested in incorporating animals into their practice. It covers the theoretical basis for working with animals in therapeutic settings, existing organisational requirements to set up an animal-assisted therapy program, and ways in which horses, dogs, and other animals may help practitioners provide therapeutic benefit for clients, while maintaining animal welfare and human health and safety. Supporting specific populations through animal-assisted therapy will also be covered. Students will learn from experts about how to appropriately introduce animals into their own practice.

Course content

Topics covered will include:

• The theoretical basis for working with animals in therapeutic settings
• The existing organisational requirements for successfully integrating animals into healthcare practice
• Ways in which horses, dogs, and other animals can help practitioners provide therapeutic benefit for clients
• Supporting specific populations (i.e., mobility impairments, mental health conditions, developmental disorders)
• Maintaining animal welfare and human health and safety.

Upon completion of the short course, students will gain an understanding of:

• The theoretical basis for working with animals in therapeutic settings
• The organisational requirements for successfully integrating animals into healthcare practice
• How to maintain animal welfare and human health and safety
• Ways in which horses, dogs, and other animals can assist practitioners to provide therapeutic benefit for clients
• How animal-assisted therapy can benefit specific populations

Course Coordinator Bios

Tiffani Howell

Tiffani is a Research Fellow in the School of Psychology and Public Health. She has extensive experience in research on animal welfare, dog-owner relationships, and assistance dogs, including surveys, focus groups, and behavioural studies. She is currently co-leading a trial, funded by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, to understand the effectiveness of assistance dogs as an adjunct to treatment for veterans with PTSD.

Pauleen Bennett

Pauleen is Head of Department of Psychology and Counselling at La Trobe University. She is Australia’s leading expert in Anthrozoology, past-President and Fellow of the International Society for Anthrozoology, and Associate Editor of the field’s leading journal, Anthrozöos. Since 2011, she has led a multidisciplinary research group focusing on human-companion dog relationships, and particularly on how these impact human health and dog welfare.

Vanessa Rohlf

Vanessa is a Research Officer in the School of Psychology and Public Health, and is a consultant, therapist, and educator specialising in compassion fatigue, stress management, pet loss, and animal bereavement.

Extra requirements

1. Broadband internet access and an active email address that can be accessed at home during study periods.
2. Students must have basic computer literacy skills (e.g. Word or other word processing software).