Anna & Esther: A Pet Therapy Team in the Making
Comfort, care, and companionship—offered by a thanatologist and her giant, gentle helper
- MSW student (Liberty University)
- MA in Thanatology (CUNY Brooklyn College)
- Thanatology & community health professional
- Volunteer bereavement support caller (Accent Care Hospice)
- Trained end-of-life doula
- Working toward grief & bereavement therapist licensure
- Guided by compassion, dignity, and the belief that no one—human or animal—should face death alone
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Preparing for Real Visits with Confidence and Compassion This week’s lesson, Unit 7: Putting It All Together, marks a turning point in our journey. After learning the foundations of animal-assisted therapy, infection control, and teamwork with facilities, this unit helps us envision what an actual visit will look like, from the moment we pack our…
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Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAI) have come a long way since Dr. Boris Levinson’s dog, Jingles, broke through a child’s silence in a therapy session. What began as one psychologist’s curiosity about the comfort animals bring has grown into a respected professional field built on science, ethics, and compassion. In The State of Animal-Assisted Interventions, Dr. Aubrey…
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Why Esther’s Health and Vaccinations Matter in Therapy Work When people see a therapy dog like Esther, they often notice her calm presence, her gentle eyes, and her comforting energy. What they might not realize is how much care goes into the background to ensure she’s healthy, safe, and ready to serve others. Therapy animals…
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Building Trust and Teamwork in Therapy Settings One of the most essential lessons from Unit 6 is that therapy animal visits aren’t just about the handler and the animal; they’re about teamwork and collaboration. Each visit is a collaborative effort between the visiting team, the staff, and the individuals receiving care. A successful visit depends…
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As Esther and I continue our Pet Partners Handler Course, Unit 5, “Visit Best Practices“, it feels like a significant turning point. It leverages all the foundation we’ve built in communication, teamwork, and safety to apply it to what matters most: creating meaningful, safe, and compassionate visits for those we serve. The Parts of a…
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Understanding the Evaluation As Esther and I continue our Pet Partners handler course, Unit 4, The Team Evaluation, stands out as one of the most critical steps in our journey toward becoming a registered therapy team. This module outlines how Pet Partners evaluates both the handler and the animal as a team, focusing not only…
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When preparing an animal for a therapy visit, grooming is much more than a cosmetic step, it is an essential part of ensuring comfort, health, and professionalism. For therapy teams, appearance and hygiene directly reflect the standard of care offered to clients, many of whom may be vulnerable or immunocompromised. Why Grooming Matters Health and…
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As Esther and I continue our journey toward getting evaluated and registered as a Pet Partners therapy team, I’ve come to see that this process is just as much about me as it is about her. The Pet Partner’s Handler course has helped me step into my role with greater awareness, responsibility, and purpose. Esther…
Anna & Esther: A Pet Therapy Team in the Making 