Mia
Trained through Barking Buds and doggy first-aid qualified. Mia already works as a school's therapy dog.
Therapy dogs, alongside your counselling
Meet Mia and Coco
Coco
Trained through Barking Buds and doggy first-aid qualified too, the same standard as Mia.
Allergies, phobias, and the choice is always yours
If you have a dog allergy, or a phobia of dogs, that's completely fine, and you don't need to explain why. Every session I offer works exactly the same with or without a dog in the room, so you can rule this out now, before you even get in touch.
A dog is never the default. It's something I can offer, for you or for your child, and the choice sits with you, not with me.
What a dog-assisted session actually looks like
A dog joining a session doesn't change what the session covers or how it runs.
This can happen at my practice rooms, or in a school setting where that's been agreed separately, more on where on my about page. It isn't something that happens automatically just because you've booked a session. It's something to raise when you get in touch.
Before you ask
What if my child has a phobia of dogs, or is allergic?
Say so when you get in touch, or don't raise it at all if it's obvious from the start you'd rather not. Nothing about the session changes either way. This isn't something you need to justify or explain.
Consent for schools: does an arrangement automatically include Mia?
No. A school's consent for a dog to be on site is a separate decision from commissioning counselling. If a school wants Mia involved, that's agreed in writing with the school directly, alongside the counselling arrangement, not folded into it automatically. Schools weighing this should start on my schools page.
Is this a separate, bookable service?
No. There's no separate booking and no dedicated appointment type. It's an option within an ordinary session, for an adult client or a child, and it's something to mention when you get in touch through whichever page applies to you.
Curious? Ask when you get in touch
Counselling for yourself
If you'd like to ask about Mia or Coco being part of your own sessions,
- start on the adults page.
Counselling for your child
If you're thinking about it for your child,
- start on the children and young people page.
For a school
If you're weighing whether Mia could be part of an arrangement with your school,
- start on the schools page, where consent is covered as part of the wider agreement.