Advanced Animal Assisted Psychotherapy team. By Mairead Ashcroft 31/3/2019
Moon Shadow and I have spent the past week upgrading our Therapy Dog qualifications.
After intensive training and testing at Alpha Canine Professionals and having been put through simulated counselling situations by Lead The Way Institute, Moon Shadow is now classed as an Advanced Therapy Dog, and Co -Therapist in our little psychotherapy team. Particular
attention was payed to her responses to human emotional ques, from crying,
laughing and shouting, to the more subtle body gestures such as introverted
body postures and nervous ticks to energetic covert and more elusive, overt
aggression ques. Moon Shadow has shown aptitude for relational subtleties.
Working with a Therapy Dog at this level will enable clients to experience
lower levels of cortisol, the stress hormone which we carry in our blood stream
in times of stress. With lower levels , we can think with clearer minds, breath
with less constriction and lower our heart rates, leading to an overall experience
of better wellbeing.
We met some wonderful 4 and 2 legged friends during the training at Alpha Canine Professionals in Maccelsfield, and at the Honeyeater BnB where we stayed with my husband John.
After intensive training and testing at Alpha Canine Professionals and having been put through simulated counselling situations by Lead The Way Institute, Moon Shadow is now classed as an Advanced Therapy Dog, and Co -Therapist in our little psychotherapy team. Particular
attention was payed to her responses to human emotional ques, from crying,
laughing and shouting, to the more subtle body gestures such as introverted
body postures and nervous ticks to energetic covert and more elusive, overt
aggression ques. Moon Shadow has shown aptitude for relational subtleties.
Working with a Therapy Dog at this level will enable clients to experience
lower levels of cortisol, the stress hormone which we carry in our blood stream
in times of stress. With lower levels , we can think with clearer minds, breath
with less constriction and lower our heart rates, leading to an overall experience
of better wellbeing.
Moon Shadow was less interested in learning tricks like shaking her paw and rolling over than she was in the interpersonal work. We shall practice what we have learned and I know that over time, Moon Shadow will be able to perform tasks when required. She is a very agile little dog and loved going over the obstacle course. I think it may have reminded her of climbing the Pier and walking along the Altona Beach wall, which is one of her favorite past times.
We met some wonderful 4 and 2 legged friends during the training at Alpha Canine Professionals in Maccelsfield, and at the Honeyeater BnB where we stayed with my husband John.
Our next step, the Lead the Way Institute Master’s
Class specialising in Trauma, which we will begin in 3 weeks, with the plan of
completion this October. All of out training so far has been a prelude to this
qualification which will prime Moon Shadow and I to being one of the most
highly skilled therapy dog teams in our field.
Moon Shadow and I specialise in provideing Adult Trauma informed Psychotherapy, Art Therapy, Cynophobia / Dog Phobia Recovery work and we also provide Adult Generalised Counselling and a variety of other therapies. We do not provide marriage/ partnership counselling.If you would like to make an appointment with us please call me on
Mob: 0401 649 967
or EMAIL: artoflifewithmairead@gmail.com
Live you Bliss
Mairead
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