Animal Assisted Therapy & Learning Levels 1,2 & 3
Whether you are looking to incorporate animals into Animal Assisted Therapy, Animal Assisted Learning, or you’re running a Therapeutic Program, we’d love to help you get set up.
While there isn't an official accreditation process for AAT in Australia, our programs are proudly accepted by Animal Therapies and fully meet the national recommendations for insurers. With new guidelines on the horizon, we’re excited to already be meeting the required standards of education for therapists and educators.
Animal Assisted Therapy & Learning Level 1
Practice development and professional skill building with a range of animal species.
This multi-disciplinary coaching program will help you set goals and develop your practice skills and service. We will help you to include animals of different species, husbandry and training into your professional Animal Assisted Therapy or Animal Assisted Learning Practice. We will help you set up a service which matches your expertise and passion (we are not specialised in canine therapy and assessing partnerships, so if you only want to work with your dog we recommend seeking a course specialising in this).
This course is suitable for Occupational Therapists, Allied Health Practitioners, Teachers/Educators, MH Nurses, AHA's and Counsellors who are qualified with strong animal training and care skills, and a goal to include animals in their clinical practice. This may also suit experienced Support Workers and Therapy Assistants.
Level 1 is a part-time course, 8-week online as well as workbook content, and includes;
- Competencies
- Registration and Insurance Expectations
- What to call yourself and how to promote your service
- Animal welfare
- Understanding of Industry Guidelines and and solid understanding of the AAT industry
- 10 Weeks of email and telephone support
- 8 Coaching sessions online (75mins each)
- Practical support focussing on professional core skills
- Self-reflection worksheets to establish understanding of AAT and how to implement this into practice
- Goal setting (with or without a business plan)
- Planning programs for your practice and your specific animals and population, working to your individual needs and stage in the sector
You will be issued with a certificate on completion.
Booking essential. Level 1 for 2024 commences Wednesday 4th September 2024.
Animal Assisted Therapy & Learning Level 2
Working with animals and hands-on practice workshop.
This hands-on, practical 2-day program will help you develop your animal care, documentation and clinical skills. By the end of this workshop you will feel competent to develop your professional Animal Assisted Therapy or Animal Assisted Learning to include people and animals working together.
This is a 2-day group session, held at Gadara Farm in Boneo (Mornington Peninsula) in Victoria. There is plenty of local accommodation if needed.
The course is suitable for professionals who have successfully completed Level 1, or have done online training but have not done a face to face program including animals.
Day 1 - Animal Care and Training
Day 2- Supervised Therapy Practice, feedback and forward planning
Booking essential. Level 2 for 2024 runs Monday 21st October and Tuesday 22nd October.
Animal Assisted Therapy & Learning Level 3
Experiential learning focussed on mental health through practitioner self care, mindfulness and wellbeing.
This 2-day workshop can follow on from Level 2. Level 3 is for experienced AAT practitioners who want to delve into animal assisted mental health in an experiential way. Be the recipient of wellbeing approaches alongside horses and make a plan to take your learnings back to your practice.
Level 3 includes;
- Nurture yourself by experiencing equine therapy from a participant perspective
- Enhance skills to reduce anxiety and improve boundaries
- Exchange mindfulness practices
- Develop a plan for improving your mental health and your therapy service
You do not need to have completed our other courses to attend. You do need to demonstrate that you have consolidated your Animal Assisted Therapy Practice in regular client sessions.
Booking essential. Our course dates for 2024/2025 are;
Saturday 20th & Sunday 21st April 2024
Saturday 25th & Sunday 26th April2025
