Telehealth Certification Institute

In today’s world, we have an exponential increase in our attention and energy being demanded by emails, social media, television and more. This demand has been proven to contribute to an increase in disconnection from others, ourselves and nature. This disconnection has contributed to the increase in many DSM-V diagnoses including ADHD, Anxiety and Depression.

This course is designed for clinicians, recreational therapists, teachers, occupational therapists and anyone working with people of any age to foster a healthier connection to self and community. You will come away from this course with a renewed way of seeing, feeling and thinking of how to work mindfully in nature with animals for the benefit of not only your clients/students but yourself as well! The Core Principles that are the foundation of mental wellness are woven throughout the course. We discuss how to access these intervention not only in the outdoor setting but also within your personal environment! Many examples of interventions, homework for clients/students and how to assess outcomes are presented. Participants will learn novel and current practices within the growing fields of AAT, Ecotherapy and Mindfulness to utilize within their own lives for relaxation and stress management as well as clinical interventions for clients/students. Creative and fun interventions incorporating art working with natural materials for processing and connection for example will be demonstrated along with many more valuable interventions!

Being mindfully in nature and incorporating sensory, cognitive and somatic interventions provides a memorable, grounding and fun way for clinicians/teachers and clients/students process, regulate and create change! Join us for this exciting opportunity to add to your knowledge of these fields or to learn about combining Ecotherapy, AAT and Mindfulness!

 Learning Objectives:

• Explain how to combine Animal Assisted Therapy, Ecotherapy and Mindfulness for interventions for your clients/students needs.
• List the Core Principles AAT, Ecotherapy and Mindfulness are made of that foster positive change for clients.
• Match AAT, Ecotherapy and a mindfulness interventions with specific mental health diagnosis for treatment.

This webinar is also offered without CEs for half-price.

Dr. Christina Strayer is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor and Supervisor, Licensed Clinical Addictions Specialist-Associate, Pet Partner Team Evaluator, Animal Assisted Therapist-Interventionist, and Life Coach with her coaching practice Energy Coaching with Horses and Others (E.C.H.O.) in North Carolina. Her private practice is Animal Assisted Therapy of the Triangle. She is trained in a variety of Integrative Therapies including Art, Yoga, and Mindfulness. Her theoretical approach is Client-centered and Holistic. Along with her mini goats, avian, equine, canine, and crustacean helpers, Christina combines her study of the power of the Human and Animal Bond in healing with proven counseling theories and techniques to guide clients in reaching their goals.

She has a diverse background in counseling and teaching. She is the Lead Instructor for the Animal Assisted Therapy Interventionist (AAT-I) certification course. She has served as an adjunct professor at Campbell University in the Counselor Education department. She has traveled and conducted AAT seminars for PESI, a national continuing education organization, and conducts Seminars/Workshops/Groups locally on a variety of Mental Health/Wellness topics. She primarily works in the areas of PTSD, Panic Disorder, Crisis Intervention, Compassion Fatigue, Stress, Trauma, Grief and Loss, Anxiety, Addictions, Depression, Goal setting, Consultation, Self-Esteem, Conflict Resolution, Social Skills, Team Building, and Life Balance/Transitions.

Christina graduated from the Doctoral program in Counselor Education and Supervision through Argosy University in Sarasota, FL. She obtained both a Master of Science in Counseling and Human Development with a concentration in K-12 School Counseling and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology from Radford University in Radford, Virginia. She completed her Doctoral dissertation in AAT with Dooli, a rescue English Bulldog/Boxer mix, who was a dear family member and a beloved therapy dog to many over the years.