animal assisted learning
and therapy
Further training for professionals working with people who want to learn how to consciously and responsibly incorporate animals into their professional practice.
The development programme has been approved by the University of Denver’s Institute for Human-Animal Connection.
Who is the programme for?
For professionals working with people and for those looking for a new direction in their lives.
The programme is designed for professionals who want to enrich their work with new approaches and learn how to consciously include animals in learning and therapy processes.
For education professionals: teachers, youth workers, social pedagogues, special education teachers, speech therapists, trainers, coaches and others.
For mental health and other professionals: psychologists, therapists, doctors, social workers, peer counsellors and others.
The programme is based on the principle that when working with animals, the responsibility lies with the human — the professional must be able to consider the needs of the person, the animal and the environment.
10 modules,
certificate
The programme consists of 80 academic hours of classroom-based learning and 20 academic hours of independent work.
At each meeting, we explore a new topic, while the time between meetings is intended for practising and reflecting on what has been learned.
The programme is designed as one whole, with all modules connected to one another. Learning includes short lectures, practical activities with animals, examples and experiential learning.
Upon completing the programme and submitting the final project, participants receive a further training certificate featuring the logos of the University of Denver’s Institute for Human-Animal Connection.
To receive the certificate, participants must attend at least 80% of the classroom-based learning, complete all independent assignments and the final project, and pay the full programme fee.
Where and
when?
Aegviidu and various natural environments.
Most of the training takes place at the KONTAKT LOODUSEGA studio in Aegviidu, while different modules may also take place in other environments depending on the topic — one module takes place in Tartu and one at a farm in Western Estonia.
Dates 2026:
24.04 · 21–22.05 · 16.06 · 27.08 · 17.09 · 09.10 · 06.11 · 04.12
Training days: 10.00–16.30
Group: maximum 10 participants.
The organiser reserves the right to change the order of the modules if necessary.
Purpose and payment
The aim of the programme is to give professionals the knowledge and practical skills to consciously include animals in learning and therapy processes, while considering the needs of the person, the animal and the environment.
Participants learn to assess an animal’s suitability, well-being and stress behaviour, and to create activities that support both the person and the animal.
Upon completing the programme, participants can plan how to include an animal in a learning or therapy process and create suitable exercises.
Price: €1,650 until 15.04.2026, thereafter €1,850
Payment can be made in three equal instalments.
A €50 registration fee is payable upon registration and is non-refundable if you withdraw from the programme.
10 modules
The programme focuses on the conscious inclusion of animals in learning and therapy processes, exploring the human–animal relationship, the animal’s needs and behaviour, and how to create activities that consider the person, the animal and the environment. The programme is structured as one whole — each meeting focuses on a new topic, while the time between meetings is intended for practising and reflecting on what has been learned. Theoretical knowledge, practical examples and experiential learning with animals go hand in hand throughout the programme.
Throughout the programme, we explore where to begin, what an animal needs to be able to do, what the owner or professional needs to know, what requirements a therapy animal should meet, and how to ensure its well-being. We also explore how to design learning and therapy activities with animals and create exercises that support human development while taking the animal into account.
88 academic hours and 20 hours of independent work
If you withdraw from the programme voluntarily, fees for modules not completed will not be refunded. Upon request, a certificate confirming the number of hours completed can be issued. The organiser reserves the right to remove a participant from the programme if the training fee has not been paid as agreed.
Aim: Explore how nature supports our health and well-being.
Topics: Why do we need nature and forests? How does nature affect human health? What is my own connection with nature? What tools can we find in nature? What does international practice in forest therapy and forest bathing look like? Experience the effects of the forest — we go into the forest.
The training combines short lectures with practical exercises in nature.
Aim: Introduce different ways of including animals in supporting and educating people, and provide an overview of what needs to be known and done before beginning to work with an animal.
Topics: The human–animal relationship; different ways and settings for working with animals; which animals can be included in work with people; preparation before working with an animal; assessing a therapy animal; the role of the animal owner when working with both the animal and the person; stress behaviour in animals.
The training combines short lectures, practical examples with animals and video clips. The training covers the most common animal species, including dogs, cats, chickens and rodents.
Aim: Dogs are among the animals most commonly included in interventions that support people. These modules provide an overview of natural canine behaviour, needs and the skills needed for successful collaboration.
Topics: Natural canine behaviour. What are a dog’s needs? How does a dog perceive and communicate with the world, and how does this differ from humans? Canine body language — how dogs express themselves. How to recognise stress in dogs? How to support a dog during work and intervention processes? What skills does a dog need to participate successfully in interventions? How to adapt the working environment to suit a dog?
One module is more theoretical, with the trainer demonstrating exercises with their own dog.The second module is practical, with participants actively observing or taking part with their own dog.
Aim: Introduce different ways of including animals in counselling and therapy processes.
Topics: How to include an animal in client work? Which conditions can benefit from animal-assisted approaches? How to create your own activities to support your professional goals? How to design a complete programme that includes an animal?
Aim: Offer innovative methods for making teaching and educational work more effective with animals and increasing the joy of learning among children and young people. Also provide ideas for enriching the learning process and physical environment of educational institutions through the inclusion of animals.
Topics: How does learning take place with animals? How do animals influence the learning process? Animals that are at work 24/7 — what do you need to know when animals live in an educational institution? Animals that come to work — what do you need to know when animals work in an educational institution? How can activities with animals be integrated into subject lessons?
During the practical session, we visit a farm and take part in different activities with farm animals.
We put all the skills we have learned into practice and create our own meaningful and educational day.
Aim: Gain an overview of animal well-being and health, and get to know exotic animals.
Topics: The well-being of working animals. What do we need to know about animals’ needs, health and stress? Advice from a veterinarian. Getting to know exotic animals.
We learn from our own practical experiences and those of others.
Final gathering.
Upon completing the programme, participants will gain knowledge of:
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the history, terminology and main approaches of animal-assisted therapy
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the health and well-being of therapy animals
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how to assess the therapy animal, target group, environment and themselves
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how to prepare for including an animal in learning and therapy processes
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how to include an animal in the learning process
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how to include an animal in the therapy process
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natural canine behaviour and the skills a dog needs for successful collaboration
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animal health
Upon completing the programme, participants will be able to independently create a plan for including an animal in a learning or therapy process and develop suitable exercises and activities.
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What participants
say
“Bringing animals into my work gave me a completely new perspective on how to support people.”
Kaire, creative therapist
“Every exercise is practical and can now be part of my toolkit.”
Minna, psychologist
“I dare say it was the most enjoyable training I have ever attended!”
Tuuli, psychologist
Kristi Raava, Psychologist and Creator of the Development Programme
Kristi worked as a school psychologist for 15 years and is a US-licensed animal-assisted intervention specialist. She has incorporated animals into her psychological work since 2009. Her “colleagues” have included a rabbit, dogs, guinea pigs, chickens, fish and sheep.
Kristi provides communication training for both children and adults and is an expert trainer in values development at the University of Tartu Centre for Ethics. She has completed various training programmes in nature and forest therapy in Finland and Norway.
Since 2019, Kristi’s psychologist’s office has been the forest, with the animals of the Estonian Centre for Nature and Animal-Assisted Therapy serving as her co-therapists.
Katriin Mägi, Head of Studies and Class Teacher at SädeTERA School
Katriin is a qualified class teacher and has completed the “Animals in Learning and Therapy Processes” practitioner development programme. She explored the impact of animal-assisted interventions in school settings in greater depth in her master’s thesis and continues to contribute to the field as one of the leaders of SädeTERA School.
SädeTERA was created with the aim of consciously and systematically including animals in education, developing approaches and materials, and more.
Katriin currently carries out animal-assisted interventions with her two dogs, as well as with the stick insects and snails living at the school.
Read the research HERE.
Learn more about SädeTERA HERE.
Marita Kose — Class Teacher, Certified Animal-Assisted Intervention Specialist and Dog Behaviour Specialist and Trainer
Marita has been involving her own dogs in interventions since 2018. Her daily work includes teaching as a class teacher and developing the SädeTERA unit of Tartu Private School.
Marita earned her degree as a dog behaviour specialist and trainer in Norway in 2020–2022 at the Nordic Education Centre for Dog Trainers. She also runs the dog training school Brainy Paws and provides individual consultations to prevent or address behavioural problems in dogs.
Ants Raava, Veterinarian
Founder and head of Aegviidu Veterinary Clinic, Ants’ daily work focuses on animal health and well-being.
In addition to veterinary work, he works with animal behaviour and welfare and advises animal owners.
Kati Ernits — Psychologist, Estonian Kennel Union Certified Dog Trainer, International Dog Trainers School Certified Behaviour Consultant, Reading and Therapy Dog Handler
Kati is a psychologist by training and has worked with dog behaviour and training for the past 15 years. She runs her own dog training school and also trains diabetes assistance dogs.
Together with her dogs, she has conducted more than 200 hours of various animal-assisted intervention programmes. Kati currently has a male Yakutian Laika and a female Nenets herding Laika at home.
In 2023, Kati published her first book, Koer. Otse ja ausalt.
Learn more about Kati HERE.
Keity Särg, Exotic Animal Specialist
Keity knew from an early age that her future work would involve animals. After primary school, she moved to Helsinki to study animal behaviour, training and psychology.
She has worked with mink and reptiles at Tallinn Zoo and has also covered for colleagues working with rhinoceroses, elephants and African wild cats. She has also worked with dogs at PetCity and, in her free time, trains puppies and works with dogs with behavioural problems.
At home, she keeps chameleons, royal pythons and fennec foxes. Hiking and simply being in the forest are also among her greatest passions.
course trainers
“Animals enjoy their work when we know how to support and guide them.”
Leave your contact details and we will let you know once the dates for the next development programme have been confirmed.
join the group
The group is currently full, but register your interest and I will let you know when we open a new group.