I began using pets as an elementary school counselor in 1998. I didn't know how to contact other counselors who also used companion animals. I needed to ask questions and to learn how to best make use of pets in my guidance program. Ten years later I am heavily researching the field and I continue to be excited and amazed by what I have learned.
I look forward to hearing from those of you who are involved in animal-assisted therapy and from those of you who are interested in becoming involved. My plan for this blog is that we will use it to disseminate information about AAT and use it to learn from one another about the effective use of companion animals in mental health and educational settings.
Let's use this blog to do the following:- publish stories of your successes
- tell us the pets you use, how you use them, and with what populations
- ask questions of the bloggers to further your learning and interests
- let us know about good books, articles, the latest or greatest research
- tell us about other resources for learning how to utilize companion animals
2 comments:
I really enjoyed your presentation at TCA. I also had fun interacting with Winston. Thanks for posting this blog. I am very interested in AAT. I plan on taking the course at University of North Texas after I graduate with my Masters. I would love to use my dog, but I realize that it would not be appropriate. He just doesn't have the personality for it. Thanks for all the information and the help.
I once made the trip to UNT just to hear Dr Chandler speak. You will get a lot out of the course. I have another dog, a great little pet for me, but she just does not have the temperament needed for the work. Its important to know that. You can spend your time researching breeds and looking for one with the right personality. some people have had good luck with shelter dogs, but that can be risky too.
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