Workshops for Professionals 

Healing Paws has developed workshops that serve to answer questions and provide individuals with more options in this growing field.  
If you are interested in having these trainings presented to your organization or group, please contact Christi at cwdudzik@healingpaws.com  for more information.

Animal Assisted Interaction (AAI) as a Paid Profession

The intent of this workshop is to move animal assisted interactions to the next level, that of a paid profession.  This workshop serves to shift the participant’s mind-set from getting to take their pet to work to considering them an integral part of the work, serving as our “animal co-workers.”

Some of the topics covered in this workshop:

• The importance of working with registered therapy animals

• The animal co-worker’s safety and overall well-fare

• Setting boundaries with clients and co-workers

• Screening of clients for AAI suitability

• Working within the boundaries of the handler's professional degree

• Techniques for working with one’s animal co-worker and the client’s needs

• The importance of insurance coverage

At the conclusion of this workshop, participants will have a different mind-set for working with a registered therapy animal in their professional practice, and techniques for working with the therapy animal specific to their practice.

Fee Required.

Animal Assisted Therapy's Group Connection

The intent of this workshop is to educate professionals on techniques when working with a registered therapy animal in a variety of group settings, such as:

            Mental health
            Bereavement
            Education

This workshop will show how the therapy animal can serve as a bridge, connecting people with people, appropriately and respectfully. 

Some of the topics covered in this workshop:

• The registered therapy animal’s safety and overall well-fare

• Importance of briefing and debriefing

• Group rules

• Group structure

• Group facilitation

• Role playing: techniques for different age groups, different cognitive levels, different group focus

• Development of a group activity suitable for participant’s client population

At the conclusion of this workshop, participants will have new group techniques to implement when working with a registered therapy animal.  The professional will understand when to implement each technique in order to best meet the needs of the group participants.

Fee Required.

Developing Animal Assisted Interaction (AAI) Training Courses in Your Community

What type of AAI training do you think is needed in your workplace or visiting site? The intent of this workshop is to create needed AAI trainings specific to one's community. 

The workshop's focus:

• Creation of a therapy team introductory workshop

  • What it means to be a therapy team

  • The procedures for registering with some of the country's top therapy animal organizations

• Create an experiential therapy animal class

  • For volunteers and professionals interested in participating in animal assisted activity and therapy programs with their animals

• Create one training course you would like to implement in your community

  • Develop an outline and share with participants

  • If desired, receive feedback/suggestions from instructor and class

Fee Required.

The Incorporation of Therapy Teams in the Rehabilitation Setting

This workshop is for both Rehab professionals and therapy animal handlers.  The focus is to understand the roles and expectations each has of the other, with the goal being to create an effective interaction between the patient and therapy team (handler-animal). 

Some of the topics covered:

• The registered therapy animal’s safety and overall well-fare

• Benefits of utilizing therapy teams when working with patients in Rehab

• When utilizing a therapy team is not considered beneficial for the patient

• The animal’s skill set

• The handler setting boundaries for the interaction

• Patient information the handler needs prior to the session

• Examples and discussion of how to incorporate therapy teams with patients experiencing:

  • Orthopedic injuries and surgeries

  • Neurological conditions

  • Speech or language difficulties

  • Balance problems

  • Stroke and brain injury

Fee Required.