We are excited to share that Hartpury University has launched the first UK Masters degree in Animal Assisted Counselling and Psychotherapy, this is a course ONLY for people who have already have been practicing as a BPS, BACP or UKCP accredited counsellor or psychotherapist for at least a year and having clinical supervision during this time.
There are still some places left to enrol! Read more about the course from SCAS Member and Hartpury Senior Lecturer, Dr. Clare Thomas-Pino:
Our course was developed as there was great concern many people were bringing animals into their practice and offering Animal Assisted Counselling or Psychotherapy without fully comprehending the need to be effectively educated about the legal, ethical, animal welfare, and practical challenges of incorporating animals into their patient’s care. Each aspect of the course design has incorporated UK (e.g. SCAS Code of Practice) & International AAS/AACP industry best practice guidelines (e.g. IAHAIO, AAII etc…) and the development had been overseen, supported, and critiqued by leading UK & International AAS professionals.
We have a clearly structured timetable consisting both of onsite blocks along with online synchronous & asynchronous sessions, sessions are delivered mostly on Fridays and Saturdays with a couple of Thursdays in the autumn semester. In person sessions occur approximately every 3 weeks, and include both the aforementioned onsite blocks and a 3 day off site trip to receive additional experientially based education at carefully chosen AAS providers centres. As part of one of the modules, students will also undertake a minimum of a 120 hour AAS placement, which will be complemented by accompanying clinical supervision sessions provided by systematically selected qualified supervisors with extensive AAS & counselling or psychotherapy supervision experience. The delivery and content of the modules has been carefully balanced, blended and timed to provide both theoretical knowledge and practical experiences.
Our mission is that Graduates of MSc/PGDip Animal Assisted Counselling and Psychotherapy can confidently apply their knowledge of the ethical and sustainable practice of working with animals in the mental health care of humans to enhance the wellbeing of both the humans and animals they work with. If you would like to find out more, here is the link to the programme: MSc Animal Assisted Counselling and Psychotherapy | Hartpury University .
– Dr. Clare Thomas-Pino, PhD, SFHEA
HE Senior Lecturer | Programme Manager MSc Animal Assisted Counselling and Psychotherapy, BSc (Hons) Human Animal Interaction and BSc (Hons) Human Animal Interaction with Psychology