Animal‑Assisted Therapy in Community & Healthcare Settings
About This Course
This course provides participants with foundational knowledge and practical skills to plan, facilitate, and support Animal-Assisted Activities (AAA) safely and ethically across community, healthcare, and educational settings. The programme introduces the human-animal bond and its application in structured activities aimed at supporting emotional wellbeing, social engagement, and stress regulation. Participants will learn key principles of AAA, animal welfare considerations, participant safety, and basic programme design aligned with local regulatory and ethical expectations.
What You'll Learn
1. Understand the principles of the human-animal bond and its relevance to health and wellbeing
2. Gain foundational knowledge to plan, facilitate, and support Animal-Assisted Activities (AAA) safely and ethically in community and healthcare settings
3. Identify ethical, legal, and risk considerations when planning AAA programmes
4. Design age and context-appropriate AAA session plans for community, education, and care settings
5. Demonstrate basic documentation and reflection practices for AAA programmes.
Disclaimer:
This course and its Certificate of Completion are for education and theoretical proficiency only. They do not provide professional certification, licensure, legal registration, or practice rights. Participants remain responsible for meeting all external registry, temperament, health, legal, insurance, facility, and jurisdictional requirements before working as a professional animal-assisted therapist.
Entry Requirements
Participants with prior experience or current involvement in healthcare, social care, therapy, or care/well-being roles will benefit from the applied nature of this course