Animal-Assisted Interventions-An Incredible Range of Therapeutic Benefits – Brooke Wimer

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A toolbox of interventions for clients diagnosed with:

• Trauma, anxiety, depression and PTSD
• Mania and psychotic disorders
• Conduct and antisocial personality disorders
• Cognitive disorders, dementia and stroke
• Behavioral and personality disorders
• Intellectual and learning disabilities
• Physical and occupational disabilities

Join animal-assisted therapy expert Brooke Wimer, MOT, OTR/L, and learn how incorporating animals into your professional activities can greatly improve client outcomes in a surprisingly broad range of areas, including:

• Reduce stress and anxiety levels and lower blood pressure
• Lessen feelings of loneliness and poor self-esteem in those with trauma and anxiety
• Treat symptoms in people dealing with depression and PTSD
• Develop empathy in those with conduct disorder and antisocial personality disorder
• Improve physical function in people recovering from a stroke
• Improve reading and comprehension in children with learning disabilities
• And more!

You will receive specific examples of animal-assisted therapeutic goals in a variety of functional areas. You will develop a toolbox of animal-assisted interventions and animal-focused treatments you can employ the very next day. This seminar also includes the latest research outcomes and a solid foundational knowledge about the human-animal emotional bond. You will also discover very practical information and resources to help you develop programming and implement your own animal-assisted interventions.

OUTLINE

Brief Overview

• Human-animal emotional bond
• Therapy animal vs. service animal
• Animal-assisted therapy, activities and education
• Handler vs. clinician, clinician-animal teams
• Animal-based interventions without an animal

Mindfulness of Animals and How it Helps the Human Brain

• The neuroscience of the human-animal bond
• Why zebras don’t get ulcers
• Benefits of owning a companion animal

Interventions and Treatment Goals/Outcomes

• Mental, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral issues
  • Increase attendance and engagement in sessions
  • Treat symptoms related to trauma, anxiety and depression
  • Decrease loneliness and improve self-esteem
  • Develop empathy and encourage outward focus
  • Provide hope, meaning and purpose
• Challenges with learning
  • Improve reading and comprehension
  • Support vocabulary development
  • Increase verbal interactions
• Physical and occupational issues
  • Progress fine and gross motor skills
  • Improve sitting/standing balance
  • Increase endurance and activity tolerance
  • Facilitate improved sensory processing

Components of Animal-Assisted Intervention

• Selecting appropriate recipients for care
• How to approach clients
• Interaction techniques for client and animal
• Closure, documentation

Start Your Own Animal-Assisted Program

• Animal qualifications and characteristics
• Qualifications for clinicians
• Preparing and caring for the animal
• When the animal shows signs of stress and agitation
• Protecting your practice through risk management
• Organizations and resources for starting your animal-assisted program

OBJECTIVES

1. Identify evidence-based research outcomes regarding animal-assisted interventions.
2. Implement animal-assisted interventions for people with mental health disorders including anxiety, depression, bipolar, schizophrenia and personality disorders.
3. Design animal-assisted interventions to increase language and literacy in children with learning disorders.
4. Design animal assisted interventions to address physical and occupational challenges.
5. Employ animal-assisted interventions as a modality to treat people with dementia and other cognitive disorders.
6. Apply knowledge to design your own animal assisted programming.
7. Explain the difference between a therapy animal, a service animal and an emotional support animal.