Dogs (and Other Nonhuman Animals) Need Therapy in Therapy, Too / Neurodiversity and Grief, Appearances May Vary
Information
Recorded
Learning Objectives
Participants will be able to:
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Summarize the impact of Animal-Assisted Interventions/Animal-Assisted Services (AAI/AAS) on nonhuman animals.
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Describe 3 strategies to create a mutually beneficial relationship between the nonhuman therapy animal and client in any AAI/AAS practice setting.
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Explain 1 therapeutic technique for the nonhuman therapy animal to support a natural recovery from AAI/AAS sessions
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Define at least 3-4 neurodiverse expressions of grief and empathy.
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Demonstrate how to support neurodiverse clients experiencing grief and loss.
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Explain 2-3 forms of empathy.
Educational Goal
Dogs (and Other Nonhuman Animals) Need Therapy in Therapy, Too
The educational goal of this workshop is to evaluate the need to protect and maintain the health and wellness of nonhuman therapy animals partnering with health and human service professionals in various therapy practice settings.
Neurodiversity and Grief, Appearances May Vary
The educational goal of this workshop is to increase knowledge about how grief is expressed by neurodiverse individuals.
Description
Dogs (and Other Nonhuman Animals) Need Therapy in Therapy, Too
If the mere presence of a dog, cat, horse, bird, reptile, or other nonhuman species, participating in Animal-Assisted Therapy, has been universally proven to benefit a human client’s health and development, is the mere presence of a human, participating in Animal-Assisted Therapy, been universally proven to be beneficial or detrimental for the nonhuman therapy animal’s health and development? Our nonhuman animal partners may intuitively enjoy working in treatment settings but their bodies are instinctually showing signs of stress that can be lowered (and eliminated!) with our unconditional support.
Neurodiversity and Grief, Appearances May Vary
Everyone grieves their losses but do we all grieve in the same way? This session explores similarities and differences in grief, loss, and empathy in neurodiverse populations. Practical tips as well as theoretical background will be shared.
Target Audience
- Counselor
- Marriage & Family Therapist
- Social Worker
Presenters
Cindy Brosig earned her Masters of Science in Nursing with an emphasis in Animal-Assisted Interventions in 2016 which lead to the founding of her private holistic nursing practice, Operation H.E.E.L. (Heal & Empower Every Life). As a U.S. Air Force Nurse Corps Veteran driven to continue to care for our U.S. military service members, Cindy was awarded the prestigious Department of Veteran Affairs 2016 Wisconsin Woman Veteran of the Year for the creation of no cost Animal-Assisted Intervention programs supporting the health and wellness of U.S. military children, by partnering with dogs. Her 29 years of nursing experience in various health care settings, caring for all ages of humans, has led to her accomplishments as a writer, researcher, instructor, and consultant in child and nonhuman animal welfare. Becoming a Certified Professional Dog Trainer in 2021 was a natural yet instrumental endeavor to help dog owners and guardians foster a deeper relationship through Empowered Dog Training and Human Coaching to prevent shelter relinquishment or worse, behavioral euthanasia. Recently appointed as the first female Commander for American Legion Post 279, Cindy practices and resides on 6 country acres near Madison, WI, sharing space and working alongside 2 rescued horses, 4 rescued dogs, 2 rescued cats, and a large flock of chickens with her U.S. Army Veteran husband, Max, and two college-bond young adult children. As a family they continue to provide safe refuge for dogs, cats, and horses by volunteering for local dog and horse rescue organizations who continue to do the hard work for which we are forever grateful for.
Dr. Muhovich is a 2001 graduate of the Colorado State University college of veterinary medicine. She has worked in various areas of veterinary medicine in Denver, Colorado for the past 23 years including general practice, shelter medicine, animal behavior, vet tech education and in-home euthanasia. She has worked in home euthanasia since 2015. Most recently Dr. Muhovich just finished a certificate in Veterinary Human Support through UTK. She makes her home with her husband of nearly 25 years, her two neurodiverse teens and her dachshund and three cats.
Financially Sponsored By
- International Association of Veterinary Social Work