PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

CANASSIST ANIMAL ASSISTED THERAPY – COUNSELLING CERTIFICATE

The CANASSIST Therapy Dog Program offers an Animal Assisted Therapy – Counselling (AAT-C) Certificate program for clinicians who are interested in integrating a therapy animal in their practice. The program can also provide important mental health background to professional dog trainers so they are better able to meet the needs of clients who need the support of an animal. The CANASSIST program fosters student competence, flexibility and professional skill development that enables mental health clinicians and professional dog trainers to meet the complex demands of today’s clients. CANASSIST ensures that students are actively involved in shaping their learning environment, while implementing new research and ideas in practice. Graduates of the program can become leaders in the field in the areas of professional practice, research, and theoretical development in animal assisted therapeutic interventions. 

The ANIMAL ASSISTED THERAPY – COUNSELLING (AAT-C) Certificate program is a dynamic, comprehensive, and academically rigorous program that encourages critical thinking, and welcomes experiential perspectives while maintain a research and evidence-based approach to education. Experiential learning fosters student competence, flexibility and professional skill development that enables professionals to meet the complex interactions of animals in therapeutic and service relationships. CANASSIST ensures that our students are actively involved in shaping their learning environment, while implementing new research and ideas in practice. Graduates of the program become leaders in the field in the areas of professional practice, research, and theoretical development in animal assisted therapeutic interventions.

Our Certificate Program provides mental health providers, counsellors, social workers, students in caregiver fields of study, therapeutic animal owners and trainers in the mental health field, and other approved professionals with the knowledge needed to integrated animals into their practice. Two streams of study are possible:

1. Animal Assisted Therapy in Counseling (AAT-C) Certificate – Trauma Focused

A history of trauma can result in challenges with post-traumatic emotional and physical self-regulation and impulse control. Addictive behaviours and substances can provide a temporary sense of relief when the client is feeling overwhelmed. Although sharing knowledge about the connection between trauma and addiction may prove useful, traumatic memories are normally stored in parts of the brain where language cannot access them. Animal Assisted Interventions can provide tools and resources to effectively support clients who are dealing with both trauma. The trauma-focused certificate explores the needs of clients of all ages and provides the opportunity to develop specific interventions and treatment needs that are adaptive.

2. Animal Assisted Therapy in Counseling (AAT-C) Certificate – Addictions Focused

Animal-assisted therapy offers a varied range of applications to meet patient needs in different settings, and for a variety of conditions. These include the opportunity to experience a safe connection/relationship with a therapy dog, equine/riding therapy, and in some cases clients have been able to engage in the rehabilitation and training of service animals to assist others with specific needs in their day to day lives. In some therapeutic settings, clients are able to interact with trained therapy animals in individual and group sessions. Studies have found that AAT is significantly effective in treatment with adult substance use disorder clients in residential addiction treatment programs, individuals mandated by the criminal justice system to enter substance abuse treatment, and adolescents/young adults in inpatient and day treatment settings. The addictions focused certificate assists in the development of specific interventions that are responsive to the needs of clients in various settings.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES AND OUTCOMES

As a graduate of the AAT-C program you will have gained knowledge and skill in:

• legal and ethical issues in AAT-C
• the human animal bond, health, development and life stages
• ethology, body language and observational skills
• applied behavior analysis
• applied learning theory in animals
• trauma or addictions track – focused study on working with select populations
• counselling skills and best practices in documentation and assessment of your effectiveness as an animal assisted clinician
• individual supervision is provided monthly

CANASSIST Guiding Values

CANASSIST operates on the principle that the human-animal bond should be mutually beneficial.

CANASSIST endorses work that only includes animals whose lives are enriched by that work; as determined by ongoing assessments to assure that each animal is free to participate or withdraw if they choose.

CANASSIST recognizes the value of animal assisted interventions that adapt to the needs of individual and work to positively build on their strengths.

CANASSIST provides students and access to research findings and resources that support an evidence-based education in animal assisted interventions.

CANASSIST

Therapy Dog Program Inc.

Certificate in Animal Assisted Therapy in Counseling (AAT-C)

PROGRAM NAME

Certificate in Animal Assisted Therapy in Counseling (AAT-C)

CREDENTIAL AWARDED

Certificate in Animal Assisted Therapy in Counseling (AAT-C)

PROGRAM DELIVERY METHOD(S)

Distance education (Online)

TUITION AND FEES

2020/21 Academic Year

Tuition for the full Certificate is $5700 Canadian.

Tuition payments may be made according to a payment schedule as stipulated in the student enrollment contract.

DESCRIPTION OF THE SCHOOL

The CANASSIST Therapy Dog Program Inc., is a non-profit Division of CEAACT – The Centre for Expressive Arts and Addictions Counselling Therapies. CEAACT and CANASSIST are registered as a private vocational school in the Province of Saskatchewan, Canada. Private vocational and training institutions in Saskatchewan are regulated by The Ministry of Advanced Education is responsible for “developing a skilled and educated workforce that meets the needs of Saskatchewan’s labour market. The ministry works with the private sector, educational institutions and community organizations to develop, retain and attract skilled workers”. By maintaining a non-profit status, CANASSIST is able to promote the mental and emotional health of individuals and families and to people of all socio-economic backgrounds through the promotion of educational programs. We maintain partnership agreements with select groups and organizations dedicated to meeting the need for animal assisted interventions.

The AAT-C Certificate program is a dynamic, comprehensive, and academically rigorous program that encourages critical thinking, and welcomes experiential perspectives while maintain a research and evidence-based approach to education. Experiential and embodied learning fosters student competence, flexibility and professional skill development that enables clinicians to meet the complex demands of today’s clients. CANASSIST ensures that our students are actively involved in shaping their learning environment, while implementing new research and ideas in practice. Graduates of the program become leaders in the field in the areas of professional practice, research, and theoretical development in animal assisted therapeutic interventions. 

PROGRAM ORGANIZATION

This Certificate requires, and provides students with, monthly supervision with your instructor. The cost of tuition can be paid in full for the entire 7 course program for a total of $5700. Alternatively, tuition can be paid for one course at a time as desired. The cost of each individual course is $850.

*NOTE: Due to CANASSIST’s ongoing enrollment, and based on a student’s background and clinical experience, courses and practicum can be completed concurrently, or students can pace themselves to fit their work situation.

Fees and Course Descriptions

These are the 7 core certificate courses:

1. AAT-C 1: Foundations of Animal assisted Therapeutic Interventions – The human animal bond. 

The Foundations of Animal assisted Therapeutic Interventions – The human animal bond explores the well documented, mutually beneficial relationship between humans. Specifically, this course explores how the potential for that bond can be developed in therapeutic settings where the relationships include the animal and therapist, animal and client, and therapist and client. You will understand how different animals, depending on their size, nature, and environmental needs, can facilitate therapeutic interventions with various populations of different ages, and with different needs. The course is designed to help dog owners, owner-trainers and mental health professionals determine a become familiar with the development of treatment plans and appropriate animal-assisted interventions.

2. AAT-C 2: Legal and Ethical Issues in Animal Assisted Interventions. 

Working with various types of animals require several legal and ethical considerations. Increasingly, as animal-assisted interventions gain recognition, so too does the need for formal training and an awareness of the implications to the animal, the client, and more broadly to your practice. This course requires an awareness of these issues, but also asks students to reflectively consider how they may impact decisions made about the way they integrate animals in their practice.

3. AAT-C 3: Animal Behavior, Ethology, Health and Development. 

The learning objectives of this course is to teach the clinician to recognize body language, stress vs. distress through observation. Learners will understand and interpret therapy animals’ behavior (ethology), and to better communicate with the animals they work with in order to create therapeutic interventions that enrich the lives of the animals and humans alike.  This course provides the foundation for AAT-C 4: Learning Theory and Training – Applied animal behaviour.

4. AAT-C 4: Learning Theory, Interpersonal Theory, and Training – Applied animal behaviour. 

This course familiarizes the practitioner with the theoretical basis of training terminology and meanings in the context of animal assisted interventions. Learning theory emerged from the recognition that animal behaviours are learned in response to various stimuli that motivate them to act, or not. This course moves deeply from theoretical background, into the elements of applied animal behaviour and training. For this course, it is necessary that you have an animal to work with and video demonstrations of various techniques will be required.  The application of AAT or AAP is most often thought of within its own context, not within the context of sound theory. Your competency in animal assisted interventions will be evaluated based on your ability to integrate theory with a focus on the path you have chosen for this course:

• Animal Assisted Therapy in Counseling (AAT-C) Certificate – Trauma Focused

• Animal Assisted Therapy in Counseling (AAT-C) Certificate – Addictions Focused

5. AAT-C5: Focused Study (trauma or addictions path) – Working with select populations. 

This course will encompass current theories and best practices in working within a trauma-focused or addictions-focused spectrum, with the integration of animal assisted interventions. For example, some interventions may integrate animal assisted interventions with the use of metaphor and storytelling, attachment and empathy building activities, play therapy and arts-based expressions. This course provides the opportunity for learners to explore the literature that supports AAT in clinical settings that are most relevant to their practice. The learner will identify the specific risks and benefits of AAT, for both humans and animals.Participants will develop a framework for treatment plans with specific interventions for their chosen track of study. Other areas of focus relevant to the learner may be considered in consultation with the instructor/supervisor.

6. AAT-C6: Best Practices and Research as an Animal Assisted Clinician. 

This course is a thorough review of best practices in managing your clinical practice with the adjunct of animal assisted therapy animals. The primary focus is on canine assisted interventions, although the material can be applied to other animals as discussed throughout the course. Research is an important tool in establishing the success of animal assisted interventions. The course will review both qualitative and quantitative research methodology to prepare you for a study you will be required to complete. The study does not need to be complex and you will be given a great deal of support and guidance. The findings of your study will be submitted as a written assignment.

7. AAT-C7: Integrating Animal Assisted Interventions in Therapeutic Settings. 

This course provides learners with the opportunity to fully develop a framework for practice with animals involved in therapeutic relationships, and in a variety of settings. This is a highly individualized course and may also include practicum hours when and where availalble.