In this course you will understand the ethics/laws in Animal-Assisted Therapy. You will identify how to ensure you select the right therapy animal to be your co-therapist. You will be able to explain the purpose of your animal as a co-therapist. You will identify multicultural considerations in the field of AAT. You will be able to explain key Core Competencies identified by the American Counseling Association and Pet Partners. You will understand the importance of your “Internal Object Relations World” as a factor in AAT. You will be able to identify positive training methods for dogs. You will learn assessment practices for your therapy animal.
This is a non-interactive, self-study course.
Textbooks are required to complete AAT-I learning content. Reading material is not included with course enrollment and must be purchased separately from retail booksellers. (See "Requirements" tab for specifics.)
1. Forum Posts: You will be required to make some forum posts for the course.
2. You will be required to complete writing assignments with the required reading in order to demonstrate understanding of the material.
3. The following required reading material is NOT provided to you with the purchase of the course.
- Fine, A.H. (2010). Animal Assisted Therapy: Theoretical Foundations and Guidelines for Practice-Fourth Edition. London, UK.
- Parish-Plass, N. (2013). Animal-Assisted Psychotherapy Theory, Issues and Practice. Purdue University.
This reading material can be purchased on www.amazon.com (Just type in title and/or author of the book)
- Explain the ACA Core Competencies for AAT-C
- Identify Pet Partners Identified Core Competencies for AAT-C
- Describe various ethics/laws that impact the practice of AAT
- Explain key Multicultural considerations that must be factored into the practice of AAT
- List general risks associated with the practice of ATT
- Describe the key elements of the triadic relationship between the client, the therapy animal and the therapist
- Report how to be your animal’s best advocate in an AAT setting
- Describe your professional identity as an AAT-C
This course is Course 2 of the AAT-I Program.
From the time of registration, you have six months to access the coursework.
Credit Hours: This course offers 7 credit hours
Counselors: Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No, 6693. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0048. Approval renewal date: 1/31/2026
Marriage and Family Therapists: Many MFT licensing boards accept our courses or one of the approvals which we have from professional associations. You can check with your board to determine if this course would be accepted by your licensing board.
Social Workers: Telehealth Certification Institute LLC, #1609, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. Telehealth Certification Institute LLC maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: 05/02/2021 – 05/02/2024. Social workers completing this course receive 7 clinical continuing education credits.
Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0435. Approval renewal date: 2/28/2026
Addiction Professionals: Telehealth Certification Institute is an approved provider of continuing education by NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals, provider #193104. Full attendance is required; no partial credit will be awarded for partial attendance.
Psychologists: Telehealth Certification Institute LLC is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Telehealth Certification Institute LLC maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0128. Effective 8/31/2021 – 8/31/2024
Art Therapists: Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed creative arts therapists #CAT-0093. 7/21/2021 – 7/31/2024
Other Professionals: This course qualifies for 420 minutes of instructional content as required by many national, state and local licensing boards and professional organizations. Retain your certificate of completion and contact your board or organization for specific filing requirements
This is a non-interactive, self-study course.
To receive your certificate of completion you must complete the course in its entirety.
To complete an Online Self Study Course, one must register, log in, select the My Courses option from the menu items, click the Course Title, complete all of the requirements, complete and pass the post-test(s), and complete the course evaluation.
Psychologists and other professionals seeking CE credit through our approval with the American Psychological Association are asked, but not required, to complete the course evaluation before obtaining their certificate of completion, however passing a post-test for online self-study courses, and submitting one's attendance for live on-site and live webinars is required.
You can download or print your certificate of completion by logging into your account, navigating to the course by selecting the My Courses option from the menu items, clicking the Course Title, scrolling to the Certificate of Completion section, and clicking on the Certificate of Completion link to either download it or print it.
Participants may request a printed version of their certificate of completion to be delivered by mail. A shipping/handling fee of $6.95 will be charged per request. Shipping internationally may require an additional charge.
Directions for completing a course can be found by clicking here.
Hold an approved license or certification. Click here to view the full list of approved clinician types.
Complete the entire AAT-I program, which includes the following 8 courses:
- The History of ATT and ATT Principles, 4 CE hours
- AAT Competencies and Multicultural Considerations, 7 CE hours
- Animals as Co-Therapists: Selection, Behavioral, and Training Considerations, 2 CE hours
- Introduction to Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy, 13 CE hours
- Animals as Co-Therapists: Blending Animal Interventions with a Range of Professional Theoretical Orientations, 11 CE hours
- Animals as Co-Therapists: Exploring Animal Assisted Interventions Across Professions, Settings, and Populations, 17 CE hours
- Developing Treatment Plans and Tracking Outcomes, 10 CE hours
- Weekend Intensive (Onsite in NC), 21 CE Hours
This is a non-interactive self-study course. Teaching methods for the course include recorded lectures, videos, text readings, assignments, and online discussion.
