About PTDC
PTDC was founded by Carri King-Bussard and Pat Blocker in 2011. It is our mission to promote the human-animal bond for professionals in the mental health field. We provide education, training, and evaluation for dog/handler teams and are dedicated to enhancing mental health professionals' ability to incorporate and deliver individualized canine assisted interactions.
While there are no official state or federal mandates regarding registration or certification of canine partners in therapy work, we have found that many practitioners and their agencies are looking for more training and support to ensure the safety and well-being of all involved. PTDC believes it is vital that a neutral third party evaluates the skills of dog/handler teams to determine their appropriateness for participation and to promote best practices in the area of canine assisted interactions.
We celebrate the skills that the dog/handler teams bring to their work. As such, we look for complementary strengths in the human handler and the dog and consider the match between the team and their unique work setting. Above all, we expect handlers to ensure the safety of all involved and that PTDC dogs are reliable, predictable, controllable, affiliative, tolerant, confident, and able to work in potentially stressful conditions. PTDC loves working with teams of all shapes and sizes- all breeds are welcome!
We also believe strongly in positive reinforcement-based training, and it is expected that all PTDC teams use this approach in working with their canine partners. In our experience, being a proactive handler is of utmost importance to maintain safety for all involved and to provide ethical canine assisted interactions.
PTDC Objectives
PTCD services are designed for professionals and volunteers who are involved in the mental health field and want to work with their canine companions in providing canine assisted interactions. PTDC aims to:
- Expand and enhance the knowledge of working with therapy dogs in therapeutic sessions
- Emphasize the importance of the relationship between the dog and handler in the therapeutic environment
- Promote the understanding of canine body language, a dog’s communication with humans and other dogs
- Promote positive training techniques that will nurture the human / canine relationship
- Promote the power of the human/animal bond and its applications in the mental health field
- Promote the professional standard of AAT through evaluation and continuing education
- Promote the understanding of safety and ethics in the evolving field of AAT
- Encourage the creation of canine assisted interventions to fit various mental health settings and various populations within the mental health field
Our Team
-- Carri King-Bussard, MA, LPC -- Co-Founder & Instructor
-- Carri King-Bussard, MA, LPC -- Co-Founder & Instructor
-- Carri King-Bussard, MA, LPC -- Co-Founder & Instructor
Carri earned her Master’s degree in Counseling from Webster University in Albuquerque, NM in 1998. She is currently a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in the state of Colorado. She earned a Certificate in Animals and Human Health: Animal Assisted Therapy and Learning from Denver University’s Graduate School of Social Work (GSSW) in
Carri earned her Master’s degree in Counseling from Webster University in Albuquerque, NM in 1998. She is currently a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in the state of Colorado. She earned a Certificate in Animals and Human Health: Animal Assisted Therapy and Learning from Denver University’s Graduate School of Social Work (GSSW) in 2007, and is an adjunct professor in GSSW's Animal-Assisted Social Work certificate. She has almost 25 years of clinical experience working within the systems of child protection/welfare, juvenile justice, mental health and the public-school system. In her work, she has utilized the strength of the human-animal bond while working with a variety of people in a variety of settings. She has extensive experience working in the community with high-risk youth and their families. Carri is trained and utilizes evidenced based practices to include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). Carri is also trained in the Anicare-child treatment model that addresses the assessment and treatment of animal abuse. She currently runs her own counseling private practice, Animal Assisted Counseling of Colorado. She is the proud mother to three canines (Hope, Ranger, and Noah), three guinea pigs (Kiera, Nugget, and Snickers), five rats (Edison, Einstein, Acorn, Forrest, and Waffles), and therapy cat (Smokey Bear).
-- Amanda Malone, MSW, LCSW -- Co-Instructor
-- Carri King-Bussard, MA, LPC -- Co-Founder & Instructor
-- Carri King-Bussard, MA, LPC -- Co-Founder & Instructor
Amanda earned her Bachelor of Science in Human Development from Cornell University in 2009 and Masters of Social Work from University of Maryland, Baltimore in 2015. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of Colorado and is currently taking courses to become a Certified Animal Assisted Psychotherapist with Animal Assisted
Amanda earned her Bachelor of Science in Human Development from Cornell University in 2009 and Masters of Social Work from University of Maryland, Baltimore in 2015. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of Colorado and is currently taking courses to become a Certified Animal Assisted Psychotherapist with Animal Assisted Therapy Programs of Colorado. Amanda has been working as a therapist with Animal Assisted Counseling of Colorado since September 2019. Amanda has been an animal lover her entire life and is currently a proud momma of two cats (Maggie and Remi), three dogs (Loki, Dakota, and Puma), nine chickens (Fluff Nugget, Cocoa Puff, Lemon Drop, Dumpling, Waffles, Big Momma, Spunky, and Skunky), and bunny (Obi Bun Kenobi). Loki and Dakota are working towards certification as furry co-therapists with Professional Therapy Dogs of Colorado. Obi Bun Kenobi spends the week at AACC with his new best friend, Snickers the guinea pig. Amanda has also been a beekeeper for three and a half years and maintains a colony of honey bees in her backyard. She is on the Board of a local non-profit, Daisy Chain Sanctuary, whose mission is to promote the overall well-being of horses, people, and the earth through harmonious land stewardship and education in equine husbandry and regenerative practices.
-- Tessa Burman, KPA CTP -- Canine Trainer
-- Carri King-Bussard, MA, LPC -- Co-Founder & Instructor
-- Tessa Burman, KPA CTP -- Canine Trainer
Tessa is a graduate of Karen Pryor Academy’s Dog Trainer Professional Program and a member of the Pet Professional Guild. She is dedicated to the use of reward-based training when working with her canine clients and believes that positive reinforcement methods can help strengthen the human-canine bond by allowing us to better understa
Tessa is a graduate of Karen Pryor Academy’s Dog Trainer Professional Program and a member of the Pet Professional Guild. She is dedicated to the use of reward-based training when working with her canine clients and believes that positive reinforcement methods can help strengthen the human-canine bond by allowing us to better understand our dogs’ needs and how they communicate, to teach our dogs more effectively and efficiently, and to create a learning environment that is fun and engaging for all involved. Tessa works with PTDC clients through her private dog training business, Canine Connections, to help them prepare their dogs for the PTDC test and for working life as a therapy dog. You can learn more about Tessa and her services on her website. In addition to working with her Canine Connections clients, Tessa is a trainer at the Humane Society of Boulder Valley in their “Puppy Club” program. Tessa shares her home with her lovable rescue dog (and best friend), Bindi.