Hi,
I’m Sherrie.
I love dogs, especially my own, and I have a passion for helping others to improve their mental health. So, you can imagine how excited I was to find that it was possible to combine the two in Animal Assisted Therapy.
Along my journey, I decided to pursue a Masters Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Phillips Graduate Institute, which I completed in May 2022. In 2021, I decided to take training my dog to the next level by becoming a Pro Dog Trainer through Absolute Dogs.
My goal is to be able to work in Animal Assisted Therapy while helping others on their path to Therapy Dog. I am pursuing this goal as a member of the Animal-Assisted Counseling Academy cohort for 2022.
P.S. If you’re an aspiring Therapy Dog team, I can’t wait for you to check out my free guide on How to get started as a Therapy Dog team. I know you will love it!
My Experience
I build relationships to help others develop success.
Therapy Dog Talk
Founder + Producer
A podcast of weekly interviews with Therapy Dog teams.
2021-Present
California Family Counseling
Marriage & Family Therapy Trainee
Under the supervision of Jan Wilson, MA, LMFT (30200).
2021-Present
Adobe
Developer Relations, Experience Cloud
Created and operate an international virtual event series tied to departmental strategic initiatives.
2020-Present
eBay
Magento
Adobe
COMMUNITY MANAGER, MAGENTO
Connected the Magento community with the people and resources they need to be successful through strategic initiatives and international public speaking engagements.
2015-2020
Therapy Dog Talk
Thinking about training your pup to be a Therapy Dog? Each week I interview a different team to talk about their journey:
Education
Texas State University
Animal-Assisted Counseling Academy
Dr. Elizabeth Hartwig,
LMFT-S, LPC-S, RPT-S
2022 (in progress)
Phillips Graduate Institute at Campbellsville University
Marriage and Family Therapy Masters Degree
2020-2022
Tellington TTouch® Training Canada
Tellington TTouch® for Dogs – Level 1
Lindy Dekker
2022
PESI, Inc.
Animal-Assisted Therapy: A Practical Model to Incorporate Animals in Your Current Treatment
Jonathan Jordan,
MSW, LCSW, ACSW
2022
Stone Counseling & Consulting Services
From “Oh No!” to “Yes, I Can!”: Responding to and Evaluating Emotional Support Animal Requests
Rebecca Stone, LMFT
2022
PESI, Inc.
Animal-Assisted Play Therapy®: Meeting Clients’ Therapeutic Goals One Paw at a Time!
Tara Moser,
LCSW, RPT-S, CAAPT-S
2022
Absolute Dogs
Pro Dog Trainer
Lauren Langman
Dr. Tom Mitchell,
BSc BVSc MRCVS
2021
PESI, Inc.
Evidence-Based Strategies for Helping Clients Make Meaning After Loss
Joy R. Samuels,
D.MIN., LPC-MHSP, NCC
2021
PESI, Inc.
Pet Loss Grief Counseling Trained Professional
Diana Sebzda, LPC, FT
2021
PESI, Inc.
Emotional Support Animals: Ethical, Legal and Practical Issues to Consider Before Providing an ESA Letter
Diana Sebzda, LPC
2021
The Gottman Institute
Clinical Foundations in Gottman Method Couples Therapy – Level 2
John Gottman, PhD
Julie Schwartz Gottman, PhD
2021
IE-CAMFT
Working with Dogs in Practice: Clinical, Ethical, and Personal Considerations
Hannah Herkert, M.A.
2021
In the Press
From Website Developer to Relationship Development
August 6, 2021
“It’s really been a journey for me about following my heart. I enjoyed my work in the digital arena, but felt like I could make a different impact on others and the world with my work in mental health.”
Ready to Chat?
Please note that use of this website does not infer a therapeutic relationship, or replace therapy, and I will not be able to provide therapy through this contact form.
If you are in crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741.