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Birds Eye View and Wise Mind: Combining Ecotherapy,
AAT and Mindfulness

Enroll in the Online Self-Study course and complete it at your own pace.
1.5 CE hours available for behavioral health clinicians upon completion.

When clients are flooded, shut down, or stuck in survival mode, words often fall short. To truly regulate, reconnect, and recover, many need something deeper—an embodied sense of safety, connection, and trust that talk therapy alone can’t always provide.

Incorporating the intuitive wisdom of nature, the grounding presence of therapy animals, and the self-awareness cultivated through mindfulness, this course invites you to explore powerful, research-informed strategies for reaching clients where healing begins: in the body, in the moment, and in relationship.

Enroll in the 1.5 CE Online Self-Study for $30

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Dr. Christina Strayer—an experienced clinician, educator, and Animal Assisted Therapy expert—guides this learning journey with authenticity and insight. With her team of therapy animals and a holistic, trauma-informed lens, Dr. Strayer equips clinicians to engage clients in co-regulation, attunement, and meaning-making through ecotherapy and animal-assisted interactions.

This course weaves together neurobiology, attachment theory, polyvagal-informed practices, and embodied mindfulness to demonstrate how therapists can ethically and effectively incorporate animals and nature into their clinical work. Through stories, case examples, and clear frameworks, participants will learn how to tailor interventions to support clients in regaining nervous system balance and emotional resilience.

Topics covered include the biophilia hypothesis, trauma-informed equine-assisted psychotherapy, the role of animals as therapeutic mediums, the EcoWellness model, multisensory grounding techniques, the “Bird’s Eye View and Wise Mind” mindfulness approach, and matching interventions to specific clinical presentations such as PTSD, anxiety, and depression. Participants will also explore ethical considerations, cultural factors, and guidance for getting started with AAT and ecotherapy in their scope of practice.

Dr. Christina Strayer Headshot

Instructor

Dr. Christina Strayer, EdD, LCMHCS, AAT-I, THTC, CYT-200, NLC-P,  is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor and Supervisor, Licensed Clinical Addictions Specialist-Associate, Pet Partner Team Evaluator, Animal Assisted Therapist-Interventionist, and Life Coach with her coaching practice Energy Coaching with Horses and Others (E.C.H.O.) in North Carolina. She is trained in a variety of Integrative Therapies, including Art, Yoga, and Mindfulness. Her theoretical approach is Client-centered and Holistic. Along with her mini goats, avian, equine, canine, and crustacean helpers, Christina combines her study of the power of the Human and Animal Bond in healing with proven counseling theories and techniques to guide clients in reaching their goals.

Read more about Christina here.

Key Takeaways:

  • Integrative Frameworks in Action: Learn how to blend Ecotherapy, AAT, and Mindfulness for greater therapeutic impact.

  • Foundational Principles for Change: Understand the core elements that create safety, connection, and acceptance in healing.

  • Diagnosis-Informed Interventions: Match ecotherapy and animal-assisted interventions to the unique needs of clients with trauma, anxiety, depression, and more.

Why This Course?

  • Clinician-designed and delivered: Taught by a practicing therapist with deep experience using these methods with diverse clients and diagnoses.

  • Evidence-informed and embodied: Grounded in research and delivered through real-world stories and tools that speak to the nervous system.

  • Backed by a mission-driven CE provider: Offered by Telehealth Certification Institute, committed to equipping professionals with practical, ethical, and innovative continuing education.

Learning Objectives:

  • Explain how to combine Animal Assisted Therapy, Ecotherapy and Mindfulness for interventions for your clients/students needs.

  • List the Core Principles AAT, Ecotherapy and Mindfulness are made of that foster positive change for clients.

  • Match AAT, Ecotherapy and a mindfulness interventions with specific mental health diagnosis for treatment.

Whether you’re new to animal-assisted or nature-based approaches or looking to deepen your current practice, this course offers grounded guidance and inspiration.

Enroll today to reconnect with the roots of healing and expand what’s possible in your sessions.

This is a non-interactive, self-study course. Instruction consists of 1.5 hours of video instruction and a post-test.

Enroll in the 1.5 CE Online Self-Study for $30

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Availability: From the time of registration, you have six months to access the coursework.

Who Should Attend: This course is intended for clinicians who provide behavioral health services.

Teaching Methods: This is a non-interactive, self-study course. Teaching methods for this course include recorded lectures, videos, a post-test, and a course evaluation.

How to attend: Directions for completing a course can be found by clicking here.

This program was recorded on May 17, 2024.

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