What you will receive:

• 4 Live Webinar Sessions with Q & A
• 4 Links to the Recordings
• 4 CECs

Animal-assisted therapy modalities are increasing in popularity in the field of mental health. Yet, there are many ways their effectiveness is still not fully known due to the enormity of factors that shape the therapeutic encounter. The implication for interested and practicing clinicians is to continually revisit human traditions of relating to horses while incorporating new understandings about the human and animal connection. This course introduces foundational concepts and offers attendees a survey of the many elements involved in the practice of animal-assisted psychotherapy, and then supports them with ways to integrate this knowledge into their own practice.

This course will inform the interested attendee about working with animals in psychotherapy by first presenting an overview of human and animal relatedness from the depth psychological traditions, to support students in understanding the impact on our current day relatedness to animals. Attendees are then introduced to concepts in neuroanatomy and ethology to explore the physiological similarities across species and how those may influence the practice of animal-assisted therapy. Skills to see relatedness as behavioral (somatic displays), in addition to emotional (psychological understanding), will also be provided to attendees, to support them in their practice of animal-assisted therapy. Attendees will then be supported in identifying ways apply these concepts in their specific practice contexts.

This Course is Ideal For:

• You’re a practicing mental health clinician or student in pursuit of this vocation.
• You’re a practitioner working with therapy animals in schools, nursing homes, or businesses.
• You’re interested in learning more about the field of equine assisted therapy or working with therapy animals.

Course Overview: (Weekly Titles/Themes)

Week 1 – Depth Psychological Overview

The meaning-making tendencies in our human culture about animals and our relationships with them, as described by the tradition of depth psychology, will be provided. Works by theorists and authors including Jung, von Franz, Hillman, and Buber will be reviewed in order to support attendees in understanding the wide variety of ways patients in animal-assisted therapy modalities may approach the therapeutic encounter. Implications for treatment will be discussed.

• Introductions to the Course, Overview of Content
• Introductions of Attendees, including attendee intentions for course
• Overview of Theorists and their contributions to literature on animals
  • Jung
  • von Franz
  • Hillman
  • Buber
• Considerations for Practice of Psychology
• Q & A

Learning Objectives:

• Attendees will be able to identify the importance of animals in the history of depth psychology by naming two ways that speech projects human traits onto animals.
• Attendees will be able to describe at least two ways that awareness of cultural references to animals are relevant in the current practice of psychology.

Week 2 – Neuropsychology Implications

The fields of neuropsychology and ethology are continually providing information necessary in the application of animal-assisted therapies.  The human brain shares many ancestral structures with our animal counterparts and for humans, these often operate at non-conscious levels.  Being in relationship has the capacity to heal previous traumas, and our own instinctual drives lead us to these relationships.  Participants will gain an understanding of these physiological structures, their similarities across species, and how they can operate in the practice of animal-assisted modalities.

• Overview of Limbic System
• Introduction of Polyvagal Theory
• Discussion of Autonomic Nervous System Similarities in Humans and Horses
  • Cardiac, Respiratory, Eye Contact, and more patterns
  • Facial Action Coding Systems, for Humans and Horses
• Eye Contact Experiential Exercise
• Q & A

Learning Objectives:

• Attendees will be able to articulate a basic understanding of the physiology humans share with animals by naming at least two features that are similar between species.
• Attendees will be able to identify eye contact patterns of anxiety and dissociation in humans and horses.

Week 3 – Relatedness as Behaviors

An introduction to the ability to recognize behaviors as indicative of the relatedness, or resonance, between beings will be provided.  In the therapeutic encounter, the non-conscious neuropsychological elements are activated and often drive the patient’s behaviors.  Yet, patients of animal-assisted therapy may be ascribing a meaning to the relationship with the animal that is distinct from either the neuropsychological conditions or the behaviors presented in session.  Interpretations from the psychotherapist in this regard are powerful support for the patient, but the practicing therapist must first be able to recognize them and place them in context. Attendees will be introduced to practical methods for learning to observe these behaviors and apply interpretations.

• Review of Similarity in Autonomic System Functioning Between Species
• Questions and Observations from Attendees Between Sessions
• Introduction of Behavioral Synchronicity Between Species
• Preliminary Discussion of Coding Categories and Explanation of Research
• Q & A

Learning Objectives

• Attendees will be able to recognize the significance of at least two behaviors in the practice of animal-assisted therapy.
• Attendees will be able to form interpretations associated with behaviors observed.

Week 4 – Integrating into Practice

Attendees will explore ways they can apply the course to their practice of psychotherapy.  Recognizing the likelihood that attendees will be from a broad spectrum of interest in the topic, the instructor will provide examples of how to implement these skills in multiple contexts.

Attendees will be supported in considering how best to apply these topics in their own relationships with others, and where possible applications to their animal-assisted therapy work.

• Attendee Descriptions of Interest in Applications to Individual Professional Contexts
• Group Discussion Facilitated by Instructor of Examples of Application of Course Content
• Small Group Discussions of Applications to Attendee’s Professional Contexts
• Group Sharing/Q & A

Learning Objectives:

• Attendees will be able to formulate course concepts into three applications to incorporate into their own practice of psychology and/or animal-assisted activities.
• Attendees will be able to name how relatedness to animals can be diagnostic and inform the therapeutic process in at least two ways.

By the End of This Course You Will Be Able To:

• Identify the importance of animals in the history of depth psychology and describe at least two ways this is relevant in the current practice of psychology.
• Articulate a basic understanding of the physiology, e.g. neuroanatomy that we, as humans, share with animals.
• Recognize the significance of at least two behaviors in the practice of animal-assisted therapy and be able to form interpretations to support the patient in treatment.
• Formulate concepts presented into three applications to incorporate into their own practice of psychology and/or animal-assisted activities.

References:

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Bozarth, J. D., Zimring, F. M., & Tausch, R. (2002). Client-centered therapy: The evolution of   a revolution. In D. J. Cain (Ed.), Humanistic psychotherapies: Handbook of research and practice (pp. 147-188). American Psychological Association.

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Buber, M. (1996). I and Thou (W. Kaufmann, Trans.). Simon & Schuster. (Original work published 1923)

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