All you need to know about getting started as an Animal Assisted Therapist.

Canine-Assisted Therapy in Practice


A practical, ethically grounded training for professionals integrating Animal-Assisted Services into their work

 

Developed by Anita Geary

  • Accredited Mental Health Social Worker, Clinical Supervisor, and nationally recognised practitioner in Animal-Assisted Services
  • Co-author of the Animal Therapies Ltd Minimum Competencies


Get Instant Access to 30+ Comprehensive Lessons for only $299 AUD

If you’re considering Animal-Assisted work, you’ve likely asked yourself…

    • Where do I actually start?
    • How do I know if this is appropriate for my work?
    • What does safe and ethical practice really require?
    • How do I move from interest into confident, real-world application

This training was created to answer those questions clearly and honestly.

Built from real practice, not theory alone

This course is grounded in active clinical work.

You’ll engage with:

  • Applied scenarios and case reflections
  • Practice considerations often missed in certification pathways
  • Real examples of how this work unfolds in different settings


The focus is on helping you think critically and apply this work with confidence.


Who this course is for?

  • Mental health professionals, social workers, counsellors, psychologists
  • Allied health practitioners
  • Educators and school wellbeing staff
  • Professionals exploring Animal-Assisted practice before certification
  • Practitioners wanting more clarity in how they implement this work


A considered, ethical approach

This training aligns with the standards of Animal Therapies Ltd and professional frameworks including the Australian Association of Social Workers.

It reflects a contemporary understanding of Animal-Assisted Services:

  • The practitioner holds clinical responsibility
  • Animals are not tools, and their welfare is central
  • The work is relational, intentional, and grounded in professional practice

 

What’s included

Skillfully trained AAT practitioners are able to create a nurturing environment where the profound connection between humans and animals can activate emotional growth, trust-building, and improved well-being.

Course is composed of 35 structured lessons including video content, applied examples, and supporting resources.

Optional:

  • One-on-one supervision sessions
  • Conference presentation: Healing Interpersonal Trauma through Animal-Assisted Therapy

Investment $299 AUD – one-time payment

Animal-Assisted work can be incredibly powerful. But it also requires careful consideration.

This course supports you to move forward with clarity, not guesswork.


Begin building a considered, ethical, and sustainable approach to Animal-Assisted Services 

Course curriculum

    1. Welcome

    2. Assessment and Certificate of Completion

    1. Understanding the Different Types of Animal-Assisted Services

    2. Foundations of Animal-Assisted Services

    3. Understanding Outcomes in Animal-Assisted Services

    4. Dog behaviour, body language and safety

    1. Ethics and prioritising the animal's needs

    2. Understanding the Animal as an Individual

    3. Animal welfare

    4. Selecting the right animal

    5. Client agreement and safety

    1. Foundations & Evidence Based Benefits of Animal-Assisted Therapy

    2. Common Therapeutic Goals and Areas of Support

    3. Building Connection, Safety and Engagement Through Animal-Assisted Services

    4. Attachment, Relationships and Animal-Assisted Practice

    5. Relational Process in Animal-Assisted Practice

    6. Integrating Animal-Assisted Practice with Therapeutic Approaches

    7. Animal-Assisted Play Therapy and Play-Based Animal-Assisted Practice

    1. Dogs in Educational Settings

    2. Animal-Assisted Education (AAE) in More Depth

    3. What This Looks Like In Pracitce

    4. Animal Assisted Services in Schools vs Therapy Rooms

    1. Practioner Code of Conduct

    2. Embedding the Minimum Competencies into Ethical AAT Practice

    3. Training, Assessment and Professional Responsibility

About this course

  • $299.00
  • 35 lessons

Testimonials

  • "I found it so useful to learn about the relationship between the handler, dog and client as well as how to incorporate strategies with the dog into practice."

  • "You can see Anita is passionate about dog assisted therapy and therapy as well. It was interesting listening to her knowledge and interesting hearing about her therapy in general. Loved it."

  • I loved this opportunity for an introduction and also really excited by the work Anita is doing in the child and youth space.

Sign up now

All of this content is available to you for only one payment of $299

Get started now

Instant Course Access

This online course is available on demand.
You can instant access on sign up.

Your access link and account details will be sent to you via email, and you can sign in to access the course content any time of the day or night. 

Course Support

With Canine Assisted Therapy in Practice you will get more than just the recorded content and opportunities to watch AAT in action. 

You will also have direct access to myself, course creator Anita Geary, for additional support via email.

BONUS ADD ON: Access one-on-one mentoring sessions with Anita, to help you to start delivering high quality, meaningful and ethical AAT practice for your clients.

Is this right for me?

If you’re stuck on the fence and trying to decide if it’s worth the financial outlay to complete certification, or you have an interest in working therapeutically alongside your dog but feel unsure how to deliver AAT in practice, this course is for you.

Comprehensive and practical, this course will provide you with a deeper understanding of the requirements and practice considerations, introduce you to the steps required to become an Animal Assisted Therapist or Animal Assisted Educator in Australia, and prepare you through real-world examples of AAT in action.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Will there be opportunities to see Animal Assisted Therapy in practice?

    Yes. A big part of why I created this course was to provide participants with real life examples of what AAT looks like in the room in order to skill and familiarise therapists with the implementation of AAT.

  • I have already completed my certification, will this course teach me anything new?

    Although it is hard to answer this question without knowing which course you have completed, we have had participants tell us that this course has been incredibly helpful post certification. I know myself that, although I was certified, I was really unsure of how to actually deliver AAT in the room with clients. This training reflects that and has practical elements built in at each step of the way.

  • Will this training provide me with certification to work as a practitioner?

    No. This is a course which will provide you with strong foundational knowledge of what is involved in delivering AAT and does not replace certification. You will gain a significant amount of theoretical and practical knowledge and skills but you will not be completing assessments for yourself or your animal so you will not meet certification requirements as a therapy animal team.

  • Will this help me figure out if AAT is right for me and my dog?

    Yes! This training delivers all the information you need to know about what AAT looks like in practice and what you need to be able to work effectively as a animal handler team.

  • Do I need to have a dog already to do this course?

    No. This course is fantastic for those who are considering AAT regardless of if you have an animal yet or not.

  • Will I be able to ask questions along the way?

    I'll do my best to support your learning thought-out the course and be accessible through email for the duration, however this is not a substitute for your own professional supervision.

Why Animal Assisted Therapy?

Animal Assisted Therapy is an evidence-based modality with studies showing that when skilfully integrated into client sessions it:

  • Improves outcomes and promotes client engagement 
  • Enhances client experiences of trust and safety in sessions
  • Builds rapport and relationship with the therapist more rapidly to enable a more efficient therapeutic alliance
  • Keeps the client focused on the present moment to enable the exploration of long-standing issues that may be too painful to discuss without an animal present
  • Provides an experience of unconditional support and acceptance that can be difficult for clients in a vulnerable state of mind to seek out from other human beings
  • And so much more…

About the Trainer

Anita Geary

Anita Geary is an experienced Animal Assisted Therapist, based in Wodonga, Victoria. A committee member of Animal Therapies Limited (ATL), Anita has been recognised for her ongoing contribution to the development of the profession in Australia, and in 2023, she presented at the ATL conference (Brisbane), on the use of AAT when working with clients who have experienced interpersonal trauma. In her role as Lead Therapist (ACA Registered Counsellor & AASW Accredited Social Worker) at Insight Therapies Counselling and Consultancy, Anita combines quality therapy with her fully trained and certified therapy dogs Bacardi and Kaluah, to engage her clients by delivering a therapeutic team of self, client and therapy dog. Anita first began the process of AAT certification for both herself and her then 3-year-old Labrador Bacardi, in 2019, after noticing a natural longing for Bacardi to offer comfort to others. Anita recognised that these innate skills demonstrated by Bacardi, when combined with her experience of working successfully with adults and children who have experienced trauma, could offer children, young people and adults a meaningful and highly valuable therapeutic experience. Since the beginning of Insight Therapies Counselling and Consultancy in early 2020, Bacardi’s daughter Kaluah has also completed her certification and now joins the team with her gentle nature and her willingness to share her calm to promote positive emotional experiences for those who work with her. Insight Therapies Counselling and Consultancy is the first and only canine-assisted therapy practice in the Albury Wodonga area and have been featured for their support to those in need by Prime7 news, The Border Mail and ABC Goulburn radio. https://www.insighttherapiesvic.com.au/featured/

Still not sure?

  • Email support is available throughout the course to answer any questions you may have.
      
  • Option to purchase additional one-on-one support is available if you'd like a more guided approach.
      
  • 3 months access to the content allows you to work through the content at your own pace.
      
  •  Save almost 50% compared to attending the face to face workshop.