Psychologist and author Risë VanFleet, PhD, RPT-S, CDBC, CAEBI, Founder and President of the International Institute for Animal Assisted Play Therapy® and co-creator of AAPT with Tracie Faa-Thompson, is shown here with Kirrie and Murrie.
Dr. Risë VanFleet is the President of the International Institute for Animal Assisted Play Therapy®. She is also the President of the Family Enhancement & Play Therapy Center, Inc., in Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania, an organization specializing in the training and supervision of child, family, and play therapy professionals.She is a Licensed Psychologist (PA), Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor, and Certified Dog Behavior Consultant with 50 years of clinical, supervisory, administrative, and teaching experience. Her specialties include Animal Assisted Play Therapy® (which she co-created with Tracie Faa-Thompson of the UK), Filial Therapy, chronic medical illness in families, disaster mental health, complex trauma and attachment issues. She has trained and supervised thousands of clinicians internationally. She also provides behavior consultation with family dogs, and specializes in highly fearful, traumatized, unsocialized dogs.
Risë is the author of a number of ground-breaking and award-winning books, and she has authored dozens of articles, chapters, and manuals. Books include (but not limited to) Animal Assisted Play Therapy; Filial Therapy: Strengthening Parent-Child Relationships Through Play; Child-Centered Play Therapy; The Human Half of Dog Training: Collaborating with Clients to Get Results; and more. Her books and materials have been translated into multiple languages. She is also featured in several video-based online courses and the American Psychological Association’s DVD, Filial Play Therapy. She is on the editorial board of two major journals and on the research committees of two international human-animal interaction organizations (IAHAIO based in the Netherlands, and Animal Therapies Ltd in Australia). She is a past president and board chair of the Association for Play Therapy.
Dr. VanFleet has been the recipient of 20 national and international awards, including the Pennsylvania Psychological Association’s Distinguished Contributions to the Science and Profession of Psychology Award, several awards for her education and training programs such as APT’s Play Therapy Professional Education and Training Award, 7 awards (Maxwell Awards and Special Awards from the DWAA) for her writing, and 2 awards for her wildlife photography. She is a popular invited keynote speaker at numerous international conferences on animal ethology/behavior/welfare, Animal Assisted Play Therapy®, competence-based team evaluations in Human Animal Interactions, Filial Therapy, and other related play therapy topics.
Download List of Authored works by Dr. VanFleet
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