AAII is pleased to present Dr. Joanne Singleton for the Paws & Breathe® Certification Training 2022!

What is Paws & Breathe®

Around the world, humans are experiencing and acknowledging high levels of stress. Unmanaged, stress can have short and long-term physiological and psychological effects. Diaphragmatic breathing and animal assisted interventions (AAI) each reduce stress. Paws & Breathe® combines both for a unique approach to stress identification and management. Participants learn diaphragmatic breathing and then practice what they have learned with Pawfessor Spirit, we’ll teach you to do this with your own canine partner and to use this practice for yourself, your canine partner, and in your own practice. Our research shows a significant reduction in stress following a session.

Dr. Joanne K. Singleton & Pawfessor Spirit (ECAD Alum)

Pace University, College of Health Professions

Founder of Canines Assisting in Health, and of, Paws & Breathe®

* This is an independent certification qualification offered by speaker

Certification Training Objectives

1. Understand the implications of stress in humans
2. Identify ways to assess for stress in humans
3. Demonstrate Paws & Breathe®
4. Model Paws & Breathe®
5. Evaluate Paws & Breathe® stress reduction outcomes for self, canines, and clients

Training Session 1, Thursday, February 10th, 2022 (17:00 – 19:00 CET; 11am-1pm EST)

Session 1 will provide you with the foundation to practice Paws & Breathe®. You will learn about the effects of stress in humans and canines, ways to assess for stress, and ways to mitigate stress. This work begins with you and includes, assessing your own stress, your canine partner’s stress, and learning and practicing Paws & Breathe® to support you in offering this non-pharmacologic stress reduction intervention to those you work with in your practice. Session 1 provides you with what you to need to begin your own practice and to then teach others Paws & Breathe®. 

Independent Work to be Completed prior to Training Session 2

To prepare for Training Session 2 participants will complete and submit all work by 3/1/22:

Week 1, following Session 1 of Paws & Breathe® training

• Begin your own practice of Paws & Breathe® 

• • Complete one personal practice session, assessments, and video 

Week 2 and 3, following Session 1 of Paws & Breathe® training

• Continue your own practice sessions
• Practice teaching Paws & Breathe®, assessments and videos

• • Practice teaching a person, and video record one session
  • Practice teaching a group (more than one person), and video record one session

Session 2 Training, Thursday, March 10th, 2022 (17:00 – 19:00 CET; 11 am – 1 pm EST)

The pre-work for Session 2 submitted by participants will be the framework for Session 2. At the group level we will use exemplars from the pre-work submitted to identify facilitator, barriers and lessons learned. Participants will be asked to reflect on their developing Paws & Breathe® practice, self, canine, and teaching others, and to identify what they are doing well, areas for improvement and ideas for their own improvement plan. Strategies for ongoing improvement and coaching will be identified.

Independent Work following Session 2 to Complete Paws & Breathe® Certification

After completing Session 2 participants will continue developing their Paws & Breathe® practice- self, canines, and teaching others. For on-going quality improvement participants will submit one case write-up and video (deidentified) of a teaching session with an individual or group, with assessments and reflection on the session by 4/10/2022.  The Case write-up will support ongoing coaching in identification and management of stress in self and canine, and delivery and outcomes of Paws & Breathe® for participants.

Certification as a Paws & Paws & Breathe® Practitioner

After attending Sessions 1 and 2, and successful completion of all independent work, participants will be certified in Paws & Breathe® and will have permission to use the name and process.

If you are interested in completing the Paws & Breathe® Certification process, please ensure you will be able to:

1. Attend & participate in live sessions on Thursday, 10 February & Thursday, 10 March
2. Have the canine partner you work with join the live sessions
3. Complete independent work before & after session 2

LIMITED Registration Capacity to 8 more members!

To register for this event, please email coordinator@aai-int.org the answer to the following questions:

• Full Name
• Organization
• What setting(s) do you work in with your facility dog partner?
• Who do you and your facility dog partner work with? Please pick all that apply:

• • Adults, children, both

• How long have you been working with your facility dog partner?
• What is the age and breed(s) of your facility dog partner?
• What type of work do you do with your facility dog partner? Please pick all that apply

• • individual, group, both, one session, ongoing sessions, both

We are excited to invite you join us for this very special event! Please let us know if you have any questions.

Pawprints is the Animal Assisted Intervention program at Boston Children’s Hospital. The evaluation and onboarding process for interested teams (human and dog volunteers) is comprehensive and in-depth including a written application, health clearances, and simulated practice visits. Participants will learn what this process involves and how to translate a similar evaluation process into their own AAI setting; no matter its size, budget, or available resources.