Animal Assisted Interventions – a Lecture, University Centre Reaseheath, Nantwich
“Animal Assisted Interventions: How do companion animals help people?”
Wednesday 6th October 2021, 7 – 9pm, free, open to everyone as part of Reaseheath’s Public Lecture Series.
University Centre Reaseheath Lecturer Forrest Taylor will tell us what animal assisted interventions are and how she became interested and involved in the industry. Forrest will present research about the efficacy of animal assisted interventions, and how it can help a variety of populations by including animals in the rehabilitation or social care of humans.
Forrest completed BSc Behavioural Science and MSc Family and Child Psychology. Since then she has continued to work towards improving her professional understanding of the Animal Assisted Intervention industry through voluntary and paid work experience. After working as a foster carer for 6 years, an assistant psychologist for 2 years and working with groups on the autistic spectrum, ex-military, PTSD, sexual abuse victims and perpetrators and other mental and physical difficulties, Forrest became a University lecturer.
Forrest’s experience of growing up in rural Australia as a natural horsewoman and farmer cemented her love of animals and belief that they could support people in a variety of ways, not just as agricultural livestock. Forrest has been working with others to recognise this importance and has been rescuing animals in order to rehabilitate them. Some animals Forrest has worked with include domestic cats and dogs, invertebrates, reptiles, aquatic species, birds, livestock and horses.