When emotional struggles or difficult life experiences become hard to manage, many people turn to therapy, which can provide structured support and help them make sense of what they are going through.
However, mental health counseling is not limited to one method, and different approaches of therapy may be better suited to different clients and different therapeutic goals. One of the more experiential forms of therapy is animal-assisted therapy, which involves the guided presence of trained animals to support the clinical work taking place in session.
If combining mental health care with the therapeutic value of the human-animal bond is something that interests you as a career option, the guide below can help you get started. In it, we’ll outline the key qualifications you need to meet to enter this field professionally and show you how to become an animal-assisted therapist, step by step.
Understanding Animal-Assisted Therapists
Animal-assisted therapists are licensed mental health professionals who incorporate trained animals into the therapeutic process to support their clients’ treatment.
In this specialized form of therapy, therapists combine established counseling techniques with purposeful human-animal interaction to help clients become more engaged in therapy and more responsive to the support being provided.
The approach of using human-animal interaction in a clinical setting can be very effective because some clients find it easier to open up, stay present, or participate in therapy when an animal is involved in the session. Their presence can help create a calmer and less intimidating environment, which may give the therapist more room to build trust and guide the client toward meaningful clinical work.
While dogs are the animals most commonly involved in animal-assisted therapy, the approach can also incorporate purposeful interactions with cats, rabbits, horses, and even dolphins.
Considering that the main therapeutic value of incorporating animals in clinical treatment is improving client engagement, this type of therapy is most commonly used when treating clients who may benefit from a calmer and more interactive therapeutic setting.
This may include children, trauma survivors, veterans, older adults, Alzheimer patients, as well as clients with behavioral health concerns such as anxiety, depression, autism spectrum disorder, or PTSD.
We want to point out that animal-assisted therapy is not a newly developed treatment method, but rather an established therapeutic approach that has been used since the 1960s. One of its most well-documented benefits is increased oxytocin production, which can reduce stress, promote relaxation, and strengthen trust and social bonding during therapy.
Professional Mental Health Roles That Can Practice Animal-Assisted Therapy
Considering that animal-assisted therapy involves working with clients in ways that can directly influence their mental health and well-being, qualifying for professional work as an animal-assisted therapist is a regulated process that involves meeting strict education and licensure requirements.
This means that animal-assisted therapists are licensed mental health professionals authorized to assess clients, develop treatment plans, and provide psychotherapy, who happen to incorporate trained animals into their therapy sessions.
In the professional context, there are several mental health roles that can qualify for practicing animal-assisted therapy professionally, including:
- Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs)
- Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs)
- Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFTs)
In addition to these three master’s degree roles, mental health professionals with doctoral or medical training, such as psychologists, psychiatrists, and psychiatric nurses, and even rehabilitation therapy roles like physical therapists and occupational therapists, can also become qualified for practicing as animal-assisted therapists.
Naturally, we can’t cover every possible qualification pathway in a single article, so in this guide, we will focus on explaining the process by following the career tracks of the three master’s degree roles highlighted above, as they follow a broadly similar qualification process.
Common Professional Work Settings for Animal-Assisted Therapists
As we mentioned earlier, animal-assisted therapy can be used to treat and support different types of clients and treatment goals. This means that the therapists who are authorized to utilize this approach to counseling can offer their expertise in several professional settings, including:
- Private practices, where therapists may incorporate animal-assisted therapy into individual, family, or group counseling when structured human-animal interaction supports the client’s treatment.
- Counseling centers and mental health facilities, where animal-assisted therapists may use trained animals to make outpatient or structured behavioral health sessions more engaging for clients.
- Hospitals and healthcare facilities, where therapy animals can help support patients whose stress, illness, pain, or recovery affects their emotional well-being.
- Schools and educational settings, where animal-assisted play therapy may support students whose emotional, social, behavioral, or learning needs affect their school experience.
- Nursing homes and long-term care facilities, where animal-assisted work may help residents with loneliness, mood, communication, or social engagement.
- Rehabilitation centers, where animal-assisted interventions may support motivation, participation, emotional adjustment, or recovery-related goals.
Having said that, regardless of where they may practice, animal-assisted therapists are always expected to follow the ethical standards of their profession and only use animal-assisted therapy within the limits of their training, license, and competence.
Becoming an Animal-Assisted Therapist: Qualifications Breakdown
Having explored the animal-assisted therapist role in detail and clarified how this specialty fits within the broader field of mental health practice, we can now move on to outlining the qualifications aspiring professionals need to meet before they can practice animal-assisted therapy professionally.
To become a qualified animal-assisted therapist, aspiring individuals need to meet the following requirements:
- Earn a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university
- Complete a master’s degree in counseling, social work, or marriage and family therapy
- Accumulate the required number of supervised experience hours for their chosen therapist license
- Pass the national and state licensing exams required by their professional board
- Secure a professional therapist license that authorizes them to practice independently
- Receive advanced training in animal-assisted therapy and gain practical experience applying this approach with clients
In other words, aspiring animal-assisted therapists first need to meet the licensure requirements for becoming professional mental health counselors, and then complete the advanced training needed to use animal-assisted therapy safely and responsibly.
How to Become an Animal-Assisted Therapist: Step by Step
Now that we have a better understanding of the animal-assisted therapist role and the qualifications involved in practicing this approach, we can move into the practical part of the guide. Below, we will walk through the main steps aspiring professionals need to complete to become animal-assisted therapists.
Complete a Bachelor’s Degree Program in a Field Related to Therapy
The first step toward becoming an animal-assisted therapist is enrolling in a bachelor’s degree program from an accredited college or university. This is the education phase where aspiring animal-assisted therapists can start building a foundation that can support them during the later, more advanced stages of their academic training.
As undergrad students, future therapists are not required to choose any specific majors to qualify for graduate-level therapist training. However, it is still a good idea for them to enroll in subjects that can introduce them to some of the key concepts connected to mental health, human behavior, communication, and client support.
This includes studies in subjects like psychology, social work, sociology, counseling, human services, and behavioral science that can help students become familiar with the ideas that will appear again in graduate school and clinical practice.
Bachelor’s degree programs for aspiring therapists may be offered on campus, online, or through hybrid study formats, depending on the school they enroll in. The time needed to earn an undergraduate degree can take about four years, though the exact timeline can depend on course load, transfer credits, and enrollment status.
Earn a Master’s Degree in a Qualifying Mental Health Discipline
While undergraduate education gives students a broad academic foundation, graduate school is where therapist training becomes more specialized and directly connected to their future clinical practice.
At this point in their education, aspiring animal-assisted therapists need to choose the master’s degree program that will qualify them for obtaining the therapist license they want to practice under:
- Future LPCs are expected to complete a master’s degree program in counseling or clinical mental health counseling
- Future LCSWs need to earn a Master of Social Work
- Future LMFTs need to complete a master’s degree program in marriage and family therapy or a closely related field
Having said that, we should point out that graduate education is much more focused on clinical preparation than undergraduate study, in addition to being directly tied to the licensing process.
The curriculum of graduate programs for therapists includes coursework in advanced subjects connected to professional counseling practice, such as client assessment, diagnosis, counseling theories, treatment planning, human development, and other clinical competencies.
What’s more, most qualifying graduate degree programs also include a practical component such as a field placement, internship, or practicum where future therapists get the chance to start applying their classroom knowledge in real client-facing settings for the first time.
Satisfy the Post-Graduate Supervised Experience Requirement
Once they graduate, aspiring therapists can shift their academic efforts from classroom-based theoretical preparation to practical training. This is the phase when they can start working toward completing the supervised experience requirement for licensure.
However, the point at which graduates can begin counting supervised experience hours toward their licensure can vary based on their state and the therapist license they are pursuing.
Some states allow graduates to begin supervised practice soon after they earn their master’s degree, but others require them to first register with the licensing board, or to obtain an associate or provisional credential, or even pass an initial examination before they can start practicing.
In any case, once they have the necessary authorization, therapist graduates can start counseling clients under the guidance of a qualified supervisor.
During their time as supervised clinicians, graduates are allowed to conduct therapy sessions, assess client concerns, and participate in treatment planning. All the while, their supervisor reviews their work, gives them constructive feedback, and helps them improve their clinical approach.
The exact number of hours of supervised experience graduates need to complete to meet the licensure requirement can vary depending on the license type they are pursuing and the state they practice in.
In most cases, they are required to complete several thousand hours of supervised clinical experience, which includes direct client contact, and finish this requirement in at least 24 months.
Pass the National and State Exams Required for Licensure
After completing the experience requirement required for licensure, aspiring therapists can move into the examination stage of the process and take the national exams designed to assess their clinical knowledge and readiness for independent therapist practice.
Considering that each of the three therapist professions is regulated by a different board, candidates who pursue different licenses need to pass different exams to qualify:
- LPC candidates need to pass the National Counselor Examination or the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination
- LCSW candidates need to pass the ASWB Clinical Examination
- LMFT candidates need to pass the National Marriage and Family Therapy Examination
We should point out that in addition to the national counselor examinations. some states also require candidates to pass a jurisprudence, law, or ethics exam that focuses on the rules that govern therapy practice in that specific state.
Although they are not administered nationwide, in the states where they are required, these additional state-specific exams are also mandatory for obtaining a therapist license.
Apply for and Secure Your Professional Therapist License
Candidates who passed the necessary exams and met all the other requirements can finally take the last step of the licensure process and apply for a professional therapist license through the state board that regulates their profession.
They can do this by submitting their completed application as well as the necessary documents that could be used to verify their qualifications by the licensing authority that regulates their therapist profession.
It is worth pointing out that completing a background check is also a common practice during the application review process, as it allows the licensing authority to determine whether the applicant has any disqualifying offenses that could affect their eligibility for licensure.
Once the application is submitted, the licensing board will review the materials and verify the candidate’s qualifications. If everything is in order and the candidate meets all requirements, the board will issue a license in their name and grant them authorization to professionally practice as a therapist or a counselor.
Start Practicing as a Fully Licensed Therapist in Your State
The moment a therapist secures their professional license marks the official end of their formal qualification process, as this credential grants them the authorization to provide general therapy services in professional settings without mandatory supervision.
This means therapists who hold a license can start accepting their own clients, hold therapy sessions, evaluate the concerns of their clients, create treatment plans for them, maintain their own clinical records, and make professional decisions within the limits of their license.
And while securing licensure is enough for practicing general therapy and building a stable and fulfilling career in mental health counseling, professionals who want to specialize and prepare for incorporating animals into their sessions have a few more training steps to take to reach their goal.
Complete an Advanced Training Program in Animal-Assisted Therapy
Considering that graduate therapist education is designed to prepare professionals for general mental health practice, enrolling in an advanced AAT training program is the natural first step for therapists who want to incorporate animals into their clinical work.
Animal-assisted therapy programs are offered by different training providers, including universities, professional associations, clinical training organizations, and animal-assisted therapy institutes. Depending on the provider and program focus, these courses may cover specialized practice areas such as animal welfare, client suitability, risk management, and treatment planning.
In these programs, therapists learn how to decide when animal-assisted therapy is appropriate, how to structure sessions around clear clinical goals, and how to manage the added responsibilities that come with including a trained animal in treatment.
Unlike traditional degree programs, most AAT programs tend to be much more intensive and clinically specific, but they are usually shorter in duration. This means that therapists can often complete the training alongside their ongoing clinical work.
Gain More Experience Applying Animal-Assisted Therapy With Clients
In addition to completing advanced AAT training, to become more confident and effective in this specialty, therapists also need repeated experience applying animal-assisted therapy in real clinical sessions.
And given that animal-assisted therapy is a therapeutic approach that can be adapted to different client needs, therapists do not need to limit their practice to one population to develop their skills. Instead, they need to learn how to determine when the animal’s presence can support the client’s treatment goals and when another intervention would be more appropriate.
For example, therapists may use animal-assisted therapy with clients who find traditional talk therapy intimidating, clients who need help staying grounded during sessions, or clients who benefit from practicing trust, patience, emotional awareness, or connection through interaction with a trained animal.
As they continue applying animal-assisted therapy with appropriate clients, therapists can become more skilled at planning their sessions, reading the responses of their clients, and using the animal’s involvement in a way that supports the clinical work.
Consider Obtaining a Certificate to Formalize Your Specialization
One last step that therapists who want to practice animal-assisted therapy can consider taking is obtaining a certification that will clearly demonstrate their specialized expertise in this practice.
To do this, therapists need to research certificate programs, choose the option that best fits their professional goals, enroll in it, and complete it. This type certificate training programs are offered through continuing education providers, professional organizations, animal-assisted intervention programs, or training providers that focus on human-animal interaction.
Depending on the program, earning such a certificate may require completing approved coursework, participating in additional supervised practice, documenting hours of animal-assisted therapy experience, completing animal-handler training, or passing an evaluation of the therapy animal team.
Even though holding a specific credential in addition to a professional therapist license is not always a mandatory requirement for using animal-assisted therapy, getting one can be a valuable addition to a therapist’s professional profile.
Closing Thoughts
By providing structured support and creating space for meaningful clinical work, therapy has the potential to improve the lives of those who need help working through difficult experiences. Animal-assisted therapy is a specialized approach that uses human-animal interaction to support client engagement and treatment progress.
Becoming an animal-assisted therapist is a multi-stage process that requires commitment to both professional therapist training and specialized education. For those who are drawn to this work, it can lead to a rewarding career that combines clinical expertise with the unique therapeutic value of human-animal interaction.
Frequently Asked Questions
What qualifications do you need to become an animal-assisted therapist?
To become an animal-assisted therapist, you first need to meet all the requirements for becoming a licensed mental health professional and then pursue additional specialized training for animal-assisted counseling techniques.
This includes earning a bachelor’s degree, completing a master’s degree in a qualifying mental health discipline, completing the required hours of supervised clinical experience, passing the licensing exams, and securing a professional therapist license.
After securing a professional therapist license, you can start your specialized training in animal-assisted therapy and gain experience working with a properly trained therapy animal.
Can any therapist use animals in therapy?
A therapist should not use animals in therapy without proper preparation. Even licensed therapists need to understand animal-assisted therapy methods, client suitability, informed consent, safety concerns, animal welfare, and documentation. The animal also needs appropriate training and evaluation before being included in clinical sessions.
How long does it take to become an animal-assisted therapist?
Becoming an animal-assisted therapist can take anywhere between 8 and 11 years, depending on the license path and the type of animal-assisted therapy training you pursue.
This timeframe includes about 4 years of undergraduate education, 2 to 3 years of graduate school, and around 2 to 3 years of supervised clinical experience. After that, animal-assisted therapy training and therapy animal preparation may add several months to a few years to the process and bring the total timeline up to 11 years.