What Is Animal Assisted Therapy?

Melissa Winkle, OTR/L, FAOTA, CPDT-KA

President, Dogwood Therapy Services

Melissa Y. Winkle, OTR/L, FAOTA, CPDT-KA, is both an Occupational Therapist & a Certified Professional Dog Trainer. She is co-founder and President of Dogwood Therapy Services, a private practice in Albuquerque, NM, and of Animal Assisted Intervention International, a European-based organization for healthcare and human service providers who include animals in professional practice. She is an adjunct faculty and clinical instructor at several universities and organizations, where she designs and delivers curriculum. Melissa is a practitioner, researcher, and author who speaks internationally about disability, integrated & community-based program development, animal-assisted interventions, and service dogs. She is a proud alumna of the UNM OT Program and a Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association. 

Phoebe Yam, OTD, OTR/L

Phoebe Yam, OTD, OTR/L, is an occupational therapist from Arcadia, California, who graduated from the University of Southern California. She has dedicated the past 3 years to pursuing her goal of specializing in animal-assisted therapy at Dogwood Therapy Services. She enjoys working with people of all abilities and ages. Phoebe has been studying the effects of training and handling styles on the human-animal bond and enjoys learning how to strengthen it. She has presented at state and national conferences on achieving competency and standards of practice to further the field of animal-assisted therapy for healthcare and human service providers.