This is your opportunity to specialize in a booming field within Psychology and take your knowledge to the next level”

Animal-Assisted Interventions have experienced a great rise in the last decade due to the human need to create a special bond with animals which has evinced their potential emotional healing effect. These Animal-Assisted Interventions are dynamic and participatory proposals whose purpose is to improve the quality of life of people from a biological, social and psychological perspective.

With this intensive program, Psychology professionals will be able to develop a stable bond with animals and a structured methodology of non-conventional animal-assisted interventions, adjusted to each user (patient or trainee) with clear and achievable objectives.

 
The specialization also addresses the set of techniques and exercises necessary to intervene as therapists at a psychomotor level, using horses as co-therapists to work on a physical, emotional, sensory, cognitive and social level.

At the same time, the training utilizes an alternative methodology for using birds in captivity to generate benefits both in humans and in the birds themselves, not without first understanding their characteristics as a species that mostly thrives in a natural environment.

Finally, the program offers specialized knowledge about non-conventional animals that regularly participate in assisted interventions, characteristics and recommendations in terms of their care, work methodologies with respect to both birds and users, pathologies for which these animals are suited and the basic parameters that ensure their well-being.

The development of new therapeutic methodologies to counteract the negative effects of stress generated by social, cultural and biological impacts, make assisted interventions a natural alternative.

A high-level program, especially designed to update student knowledge in a comfortable and effective way”

The postgraduate diploma in Canine, Equine, Avian and Non-Conventional Animal-Assisted Interventions contains the most complete and updated academic program on the market. The most important features of the program include:

• Practical cases presented by experts in Animal-Assisted Therapies
• The graphic, schematic, and eminently practical contents with which they are created, provide scientific and practical information on the disciplines that are essential for professional practice
• Breakthroughs in Animal-Assisted Therapies 
• Practical exercises where self-assessment can be used to improve learning 
• Special emphasis on innovative methodologies in Animal-Assisted Therapies
• Theoretical lessons, questions to the expert, debate forums on controversial topics, and individual reflection assignments 
• Content that is accessible from any fixed or portable device with an Internet connection

This postgraduate diploma is the opportunity you were waiting for to take your career to the next level and become a prestigious Psychologist”

The teaching staff is made up of professionals in the field who bring to this program the experience of their work, in addition to recognized specialists from prestigious reference societies and universities.

The multimedia content, developed with the latest educational technology, will provide the professional with situated and contextual learning, i.e., a simulated environment that will provide immersive training programmed to train in real situations.

This program is designed around Problem Based Learning, whereby the professional must try to solve the different professional practice situations that arise during the academic program. For this purpose, the professional will be assisted by an innovative, interactive video system created by renowned and experienced experts in Animal-Assisted Therapies. 

As this is a 100% online academic program, you will be able to balance your studies with your professional work"

You will have at your disposal the best didactic material, which will provide you with a contextual study to facilitate your learning"

The objective of this academic program is to help psychologists understand the significance of the desired results that Animal-Assisted Therapies provide people with social and behavioral problems. Thus, after completing this postgraduate diploma, professionals will be fully capable of designing and implementing this type of interventions, offering optimal conditions for both the animals and the users participating in the therapy. This will not only increase their professional skills, but will also turn them into first level practitioners.

You will have at your disposal numerous case studies that will teach you how to act in real situations”

General Objectives

• Analyze the natural behaviors displayed by the canine species in order to convert them into capacities and potentialities in the use of assisted interventions 
• Make an objective assessment of the characteristics and minimum requirements that assisted intervention dogs must have in terms of its behavioral development
• Generate skills and management tools in guide animal through the understanding of canine learning to facilitate the development of a working session
• Identify the minimum care dogs require and the problems that may arise in a working session 
• Develop specialized knowledge of horse ethology 
• Choose the right horse for the interventions 
• Compile techniques to work with horses 
• Determine the importance of horse care 
• Analyze the natural behaviors of the different avian species in order to convert them into capacities and potentialities in the use of assisted interventions 
• Make an objective assessment of the characteristics and minimum requirements that assisted intervention dogs must have in terms of its behavioral development 
• Generate skills and management tools in guide animal through the understanding of avian learning to facilitate the development of a working session 
• Identify the minimum care birds require and the problems that may arise in a working session
• Determine which are the unconventional animals in assisted interventions 
• Analyze their basic behavior and biology 
• Develop the most recommended training and work techniques 
• Evaluate the most notable problems for their involvement

Specific Objectives

Module 1. Canine-Assisted Interventions

• Examine the development of the natural behaviors of dogs, both instinctive and acquired, and the influence of human behavior in each of them
• Conduct a detailed evaluation of the positive behaviors in the dog to be incorporated into an assisted intervention program, as well as the behaviors that could generate problems in the learning process 
• Adequately interpret the results of behavioral selection tests performed on the dogs to be included in the assisted intervention program 
• Generate a training protocol according to the qualities of the dog and the work objectives in each session 
• Propose methodological alternatives in the intervention sessions based on the objectives previously set for each user 
• Routinely assess the health status of intervention dogs, identifying red flags or signs of discomfort for timely veterinary action and care
• Identify behavioral problems that develop in intervention dogs before, during, and after sessions with users

Module 2. Equine-Assisted Interventions

• Analyze the horse's behavior 
• Determine the role of the horse in therapy 
• Examine the profile of horses suitable for therapy 
• Develop an appropriate method of horse care 
• Compile the necessary material for each intervention 
• Specify the activities and techniques for the intervention 
• Analyze the different pathologies and the choice of horse according to patient characteristics

Module 3. Avian-Assisted Interventions

• Identify the physical and behavioral aspects within the nature of the different species of birds used in assisted interventions
• Examine the uses given to birds throughout history
• Establish the main characteristics that a bird must have in order to provide a service in interventions
• Identify the different management tools for training and activities with intervention birds 
• Evaluate the optimal adaptation of bird handling facilities to ensure the maximum possible well-being
• Develop preparation methodologies for birds while observing the objectives sought in assisted intervention sessions
• Determine the health status of intervention birds, identifying red flags or signs of discomfort for timely veterinary action and care 
• Identify behavioral problems that develop in intervention birds before, during, and after sessions with users

Module 4. Non-Conventional Animal-Assisted Interventions

• Determine the intervention scenarios with unconventional animals 
• Delimit the field of intervention for each species of animal 
• Explore relevant training strategies 
• Evaluate the mechanisms of such interventions 
• Promote awareness of the responsible use of these animals in AAIs 
• Educate on the importance of ensuring animal well-being 
• Propose future perspectives in the field of intervention and animal well-being

A unique specialization program that will allow you to acquire advanced training in this field"