This three-course bundle, 23 CE bundle is available exclusively to members of the Louisiana Counseling Association members attending the 2022 LCA Conference.
The Animal Assisted Therapist - Interventionist courses are designed for licensed/certified professionals to learn how to utilize Animal-Assisted Interventions ethically and intentionally per the American Counseling Association’s AAT-C Competency Requirements. This program is developed by an instructor with a Doctorate in Counselor Education and Supervision, as well as a practicing Animal-Assisted Therapist with almost two decades of experience. The program content has been reviewed by an advisory board of relevant professionals (e.g. LPC’s, LCSW’s) to ensure quality and relevance to a breadth of professionals seeking AAT certification and/or CEU’s. Your instructor believes in the evidence-based healing power of the human-animal bond. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA, 2018), “The human-animal bond is a mutually beneficial and dynamic relationship between people and animals that is influenced by behaviors that are essential to the health and well-being of both. This includes, but is not limited to, emotional, psychological, and physical interactions of people, animals, and the environment.” This program teaches you how to be co-therapists in a triadic relationship with animals in a variety of settings to accelerate growth and transformation via the mind, body, spirit connection.
The full AAT-I program consists of 7 courses and one 3-day Live Intensive.
Four of the courses were offered as Live Webinars during the LCA Conference on September 23, 2022 and September 24, 2022.
This bundle consists of the remaining 3 courses, which must be completed as online self-studies.
Separate registration is required for the Live Intensive.
Full List of Courses required for those seeking to earn the AAT-I Credential:
- The History of ATT and ATT Principles (available as a 1 CE Live Webinar, 9/23/22, 9am-10am CST)
- AAT Competencies and Multicultural Considerations (available as s 2 CE Live Webinar, 9/23/22, 10:30am-12:30pm CST)
- Animals as Co-Therapists: Selection, Behavioral, and Training Considerations (available as a 2 CE Online Self-Study in this bundle)
- Introduction to Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy (available as a 3.5 CE Live Webinar, 9/23/22, 1pm-5pm EST
- Animals as Co-Therapists: Blending Animal Interventions with a Range of Professional Theoretical Orientations (available as an 11 CE Online Self-Study in this bundle)
- Animals as Co-Therapists: Exploring Animal Assisted Interventions Across Professions, Settings, and Populations (available as a 6.5 CE Live Webinar, 9/24/22, 9am - 5 pm CST)
- Developing Treatment Plans and Tracking Outcomes (available as a 10 CE Online Self-Study in this bundle)
- 3-Day Live Intensive (21 CEs)
The courses in this bundle are non-interactive, self-studies.
3 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.)
Animals as Co-Therapists: Selection, Behavioral, and Training Considerations:
- Explain how to understand and know an animal’s temperament
- Describe the needs/stress signals of different animals
- Identify how to select the appropriate training for you and your animal for the therapy setting
- Report how to objectively assess an animals’ suitability, strengths and limitations
- Identify key elements of animal care and advocacy
- Explain the ability to detect and as necessary arrange to facilitate the animal’s socialization, desensitization, and comfort to prepare them for work in ATT
- Explain the topic of Zoonosis and its implication in AAT
Animals as Co-Therapists: Blending Animal Interventions with a Range of Professional Theories:
- Describe how the therapeutic alliance is enhanced with an animal Co-therapist.
- Explain attachment theory and how an animal as a co-therapist can provide a corrective attachment experience for your clients.
- Explain the process of how to match AAI’s with a variety of Counseling theories.
- Explain how you would incorporate AAI’s with your theoretical orientation.
- Describe how to assess the suitability and amenability of each client to animal-assisted interventions in counseling.
- Explain the different means by which the human-animal interaction can elicit unexpected vulnerability and disclosures in others.
- Describe how to demonstrate respect for the attitudes of others, particularly those concerned with the animal’s presence in a counseling session.
- List potential safety issues related to AAIs in AATC.
- Identify evidence-based research linking AAIs with counseling theories in the AAT field.
- Describe specific examples of evidence-based research in the AAT field that supports the population with which you choose to work.
- Identify multicultural considerations when matching AAIs with counseling theories for the population with which you choose to work.
Developing Treatment Plans and Tracking Outcomes:
- Define key elements that factor into the effective matching of AAIs with clients’ needs/goals
- Explain how AAT can increase empathy in clients
- Explain how AAI’s can be utilized in the Educational Setting with ADHD, Conduct Disorder, and Test Anxiety
- Explain how AAT can be utilized with clients who have experienced Trauma/PTSD
- Identify how AAT can be utilized in a crisis setting, including examples of specific crisis animal-assisted interventions
- Explain how AAT can be intentionally utilized with Clients on the Autism Spectrum
- Explain how AAT benefits clients experiencing Grief/Loss
- Explain how AAI’s can be utilized in the Correctional Setting
- Identify types of AAI’s beneficial for clients with Substance Abuse issues
- Explain how AAT can benefit the Aging Population
- Explain how AAT can be beneficial in a Medical setting
- Identify how AAT can be incorporated into a Speech and Language therapy setting
- Describe how AAT can be incorporate into a Physical and Occupation therapy setting
- List specific health considerations that must be factored into client interaction with animals in a medical setting
- Describe different ways AAT can be incorporated into a group counseling setting
- Explain the “inner Zoo” and how to have animals as co-therapists in Group Settings.
- Describe how to secure training for Distance Counseling and how to have Animals as Co-therapists in Distance Counseling (Telementalhealth).
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. (2019). Animal Assisted Therapy: Theoretical Foundations and Guidelines for Practice-Fourth Edition. London, UK.
- Levinson, B.M. and Mallon, G.P. (1997). Pet-Oriented Child Psychotherapy. Charles C Thomas Publishing, Springfield, IL.
- 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)
4. The final project requires you to create a presentation (using PowerPoint or an equivalent presentation software) to communicate your cumulative learning within the program. The details of this project are explained in the course.
From the time of registration, you have six months to access and complete the coursework and claim the CEs.
Credit Hours: These courses offer a total of 23 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: 1/31/2023
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 23 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: 2/28/2023
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
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Other Professionals: This course qualifies for 1380 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 each 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.
In addition to this course bundle, the four webinars presented on 9/23/22 and 9/24/22 (or their online equivalent) must be completed, as well as the 3-day live intensive course in order to earn the AAT-I credential.
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
- AAT Competencies and Multicultural Considerations
- Animals as Co-Therapists: Selection, Behavioral, and Training Considerations (included in this bundle)
- Introduction to Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy
- Animals as Co-Therapists: Blending Animal Interventions with a Range of Professional Theoretical Orientations (included in this bundle)
- Animals as Co-Therapists: Exploring Animal Assisted Interventions Across Professions, Settings, and Populations
- Developing Treatment Plans and Tracking Outcomes (included in this bundle)
- Weekend Intensive (onsite in NC), 21 CE Hours
Teaching methods for the course include recorded lectures, videos, text readings, assignments, and online discussion.
