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 2
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 four canines (Hope, Noah, Yazzie, and Luke), three guinea pigs (Kiera, Nugget, and Snickers), four rats (Waffles, Pancake, Reuben, and Rebel), a mouse (Shirley), and therapy cat (Zion).
-- Corinne Cooke, MSW, AASW -- Instructor
-- Carri King-Bussard, MA, LPC -- Co-Founder & Instructor
-- Carri King-Bussard, MA, LPC -- Co-Founder & Instructor
Corinne earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Animal Science from the University of Vermont in 2015 and a Master of Social Work along with a Human-Animal-Environment Interactions in Social Work Certification from the University of Denver in 2022. Corinne has been working in the field of human services since 2015 and has a backgro
Corinne earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Animal Science from the University of Vermont in 2015 and a Master of Social Work along with a Human-Animal-Environment Interactions in Social Work Certification from the University of Denver in 2022. Corinne has been working in the field of human services since 2015 and has a background working with young children, adolescents, adults, and families. Her focus in graduate school was in the realm of mental health and the human-animal bond. She has also been working in the field of animal science, behavior, and husbandry for over a decade. She has studied canine behavior in depth both in a school setting and through experiential learning as a dog handler at rescues as well as an intern at Wolf Park in Indiana. Corinne also completed Karen Pryor’s Dog Trainer Foundations Course in 2019. She has shared her home with many critters, including guinea pigs, cats, and dogs. Her connection to the natural world and the wild has inspired all aspects of her life, both personally and professionally. She currently shares her life with her canine companion named Wrenna and her cat named Fig Newton. Wrenna has completed her certification through Professional Therapy Dogs of Colorado and will be joining Corinne in her work as a clinician at Animal Assisted Counseling of Colorado. Corinne loves to talk all things canines and is excited to work with you and your potential therapy dog!
-- Amanda Malone, MSW, LCSW -- Instructor
-- Carri King-Bussard, MA, LPC -- Co-Founder & Instructor
-- Amanda Malone, MSW, LCSW -- 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 T
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. She has been working as a therapist with Animal Assisted Counseling of Colorado since September 2019. Amanda has worked with children, teenagers, adults, and families from diverse backgrounds in home, outpatient, school, community-based, and multi-disciplinary settings. She has worked within the child welfare, public school, and non-profit systems. Amanda takes an eclectic approach to therapy and utilizes play and art-based interventions, mindfulness, and evidenced based practices including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). 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), seven chickens (Fluff Nugget, Cocoa Puff, Dumpling, Waffles, Big Momma, Little Momma, and Ivy), and rabbit (Batman). Loki, Dakota, and Batman occasionally work with Amanda at AACC. Amanda is a beekeeper and gardener and enjoys any outdoor activity that connects her to the beauty and peace of nature.