Applying Supervision to Animal Assisted Therapy: Using the Integrative Development Model

A study conducted by Hartwig and Smelser (2018) reported 91.7% of clinicians being aware of animal assisted therapy (AAT) who agree it is a legitimate treatment model. However, 57% of respondents expressed interest in receiving AAT training. Although published standards and competencies published by ACA and IAHAIO indicate the requirement for clinical supervision when implementing AAT, research does not address supervision protocols for AAT. This manuscript suggests a protocol for supervising the implementation of AAT. The consequence of untrained supervisors is the potential harm to the well-being of the client as well as the clinician and the animal. As such, the purpose of this manuscript is to propose the application of the Integrative Developmental Model (IDM) to AAT supervision. The creation of the IDMAAT supervision model provides an overview for supervisors who work with clinicians new to the utilization of animals in clinical sessions. Scenarios are provided to demonstrate considerations and suggestions to implement this model.