Hello there everyone. My name is Rolo and I am the newest member of the Clear Sky Therapy team, along with Heidi, who looks after me!
I am 9 years old and I am a Standard Poodle. Heidi has spent a long time learning how to become a Certified Professional Practitioner of Animal Assisted Play Therapy®, so that she and I could work together in ways which make a difference in children and young people’s lives.
Animal Assisted Play Therapy® is a goal directed intervention in which an animal, meeting specific criteria, is an integral part of the work. As the name implies, Animal Assisted Play Therapy draws on play, incorporating an animal, as a way of connecting with and supporting children and young people.
AAPT® is delivered by a trained mental health, allied health or education professional who is either a registered play therapist or has had core training in play therapy techniques. Both the practitioner and the animal have undergone a rigorous certification process before being independently assessed by the AAPT International Certification Board®.
Heidi and I have joined the Clear Sky team so that we can work in Oxfordshire schools, helping some of their vulnerable children and young people to work on whatever comes up for them- it could be anything from anxiety about peers to difficulties concentrating in school to worries in the home, or perhaps just feeling misunderstood. We’re here to give children and young people a space to explore whatever is on their mind- and we do it playfully, so there’s no pressure!
I’ll be sharing lots of information with you over the coming weeks, so that schools can learn more about AAPT, and know how this approach can support children, whilst working alongside Heidi and me in a safe space.
Look out for my next blog, when I will share more about AAPT with you!
Woof woof for now!
ROLO
