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.
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.
Key Takeaways:
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Integrative Frameworks in Action: Learn how to blend Ecotherapy, AAT, and Mindfulness for greater therapeutic impact.
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Foundational Principles for Change: Understand the core elements that create safety, connection, and acceptance in healing.
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Diagnosis-Informed Interventions: Match ecotherapy and animal-assisted interventions to the unique needs of clients with trauma, anxiety, depression, and more.
Why This Course?
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Clinician-designed and delivered: Taught by a practicing therapist with deep experience using these methods with diverse clients and diagnoses.
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Evidence-informed and embodied: Grounded in research and delivered through real-world stories and tools that speak to the nervous system.
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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:
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Explain how to combine Animal Assisted Therapy, Ecotherapy and Mindfulness for interventions for your clients/students needs.
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List the Core Principles AAT, Ecotherapy and Mindfulness are made of that foster positive change for clients.
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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.
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: Instructions for attending and completing a course can be found here.
![Dr. Christina Strayer]()
Dr. Christina Strayer, Ed.D, LCMHCS, AAT-I, THTC, CYT-200, NLC-P
Dr. Christina Strayer 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. Her private practice is Animal Assisted Therapy of the Triangle. 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.
She has a diverse background in counseling and teaching. She is the Lead Instructor for the Animal Assisted Therapy Interventionist (AAT-I) certification course. She has served as an adjunct professor at Campbell University in the Counselor Education department. She has traveled and conducted AAT seminars for PESI, a national continuing education organization, and conducts Seminars/Workshops/Groups locally on a variety of Mental Health/Wellness topics. She primarily works in the areas of PTSD, Panic Disorder, Crisis Intervention, Compassion Fatigue, Stress, Trauma, Grief and Loss, Anxiety, Addictions, Depression, Goal setting, Consultation, Self-Esteem, Conflict Resolution, Social Skills, Team Building, and Life Balance/Transitions.
Christina graduated from the Doctoral program in Counselor Education and Supervision through Argosy University in Sarasota, FL. She obtained both a Master of Science in Counseling and Human Development with a concentration in K-12 School Counseling and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology from Radford University in Radford, Virginia. She completed her Doctoral dissertation in AAT with Dooli, a rescue English Bulldog/Boxer mix, who was a dear family member and a beloved therapy dog to many over the years.
Disclosure Statement: The instructor(s) for this course receive compensation for their services. There are no reported conflicts of interest to disclose.
Credit Hours: This course consists of 1.5 continuing education hours of credit.
Counselors:
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Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No, 6693. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Mental Health Counselors. #MHC-0048.
Marriage and Family Therapists: Many MFT licensing boards accept our courses or one of the approvals which we have from professional associations. You can check with your board to determine if your licensing board would accept this course.
Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0135, effective May 8, 2025.
Social Workers:
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Telehealth Certification Institute LLC, #1609, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 05/02/2024 – 05/02/2027. Social workers completing this course receive 1.5 clinical continuing education credits.
Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Social Workers #SW-0435.
Addiction Professionals:
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This course has been approved by Telehealth Certification Institute LLC, as a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, for educational credits. NAADAC Provider #193104, Telehealth Certification Institute LLC is responsible for all aspects of the programming.
Psychologists:
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Telehealth Certification Institute LLC is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Telehealth Certification Institute LLC maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Psychologists #PSY-0128.
Art Therapists: Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Creative Arts Therapists #CAT-0093.
Other Professionals: This course qualifies for 90 minutes of instructional content as required by many national, state and local licensing boards and professional organizations. Retain your certificate of completion and contact your board or organization for specific filing requirements.
This is a non-interactive, self-study course.
