Harris L. Friedman PhD

Harris Friedman received the doctorate in clinical psychology with a cognate in sociology from Georgia State University. He is a visiting scholar at Harvard University, as well as a retired research professor of psychology at University of Florida.

Harris is Senior Editor of the International Journal of Transpersonal Studies & Associate Editor of both The Humanistic Psychologist & Journal of Humanistic Psychology. He is interested in many areas of psychological research & scholarship, including humans’ ability to recognise facial emotions in dogs and has published over 200 journal articles, as well as over a dozen books. He also practices clinical psychology and consults in the areas of organisational development and change. 

Melissa Trevathan-Minnis PhD

Melissa who teaches Human-Animal Interaction at the University of Chester leads the programme. Melissa is also the Internship Coordinator. She developed and facilitates the Human-Animal Interaction students at Goddard College, where she formerly served as the Co-ordinator of the Sexual Orientation concentration. 

In addition to teaching, Melissa works as a licensed psychologist in Austin, TX. Her main areas of speciality include human-animal interactions, cancer survivorship, trauma, emerging adulthood and identity development plus empowerment around issues related to gender, sexual orientation and marginalized groups. She has worked clinically in both college and community centres, hospitals, and currently in private practice. 

Melissa has published several articles related to human-animal interactions, many of which revolve around developing ethical practices when working with animals as well as advocacy for sheltered animals. Melissa has also written extensively about cancer diagnosis and survivorship in early and middle adulthood. 

Melissa has served as the Intake Co-ordinator and Foster Coordinator for canine rescue groups in both Maryland and Texas fostering and transporting many dogs to their ‘forever homes’. She currently has three non-human children (two dogs and a sulcata tortoise-all adoptees) in addition to her two children she is working on developing a small farm sanctuary at her home. Melissa also serves on the board and social media team of the Human-Animal Interaction Section 13 of Division 17 of the American Psychological Association and recently contributed as a guest editor for a Human-Animal Interaction special edition journal of the Humanistic Psychologist. 

Ann R. Howie, CCA, CCFT, LICSW, ACSW

Ann has a distinctive combination of personal experience and professional training in both the human and animal fields.  As an only child living on a country ranch, her early-childhood play was observing and playing with animals. Later Ann was trained to observe human behavior as a psychotherapist.  She quickly saw similarities in the behavior of human and non-human animals, and she integrated animal-assisted therapy into her professional practice.  She has incorporated animals into her work in private practice, in-patient psychiatry; acute-care hospital pediatrics, medical-surgical, intensive care, and medical rehabilitation units; home health; hospice; and skilled nursing facilities.  

Ann was part of the initial task force that identified standards for the emerging field of animal-assisted therapy in the early 1990s.  Later, she combined her professional training and observation experience to help Pet Partners® design training for humans and assessment of the animal-handler team.  Recently, she designed and directed the University of Denver’s competency-based Canine-Assisted Intervention Specialist programme, which focuses on helping clinicians observe canine behavior, identify appropriate therapy dogs, and work effectively with them.  Ann’s book, Teaming with Your Therapy Dog, is a text for many animal-assisted programmes, and her Therapy Animal’s Bill of Rights has been adopted by many visiting-animal programmes internationally.  Her most-recent book, Assessing Handlers for Competency in Animal-Assisted Interventions, is currently in press.

Ann is a Certified Canine Fitness Trainer. Her extensive training to obtain her Certified CARAT™ Assessor credential added powerful experience that changed not only what she sees when she looks at dogs, but also how she helps animals thrive in their lives and work with humans.

Dr. Amy Johnson, MA, MAT, LPC, CPDT-KA, UW-AAB

Amy developed and directs Oakland University’s online Animal Assisted Intervention Certificate Programme as well as being the director of its Center for Human Animal Interventions. Additionally, she founded and directs the non-profit, Teacher’s Pet: Dogs and Kids Learning Together, which pairs adjudicated youth with hard-to-adopt shelter dogs for the benefit of both. Additionally, she piloted an apprenticeship programme in Detroit bringing homeless youth into a city animal shelter. 

She is the Competencies and Ethics chair of the American Psychological Association Human Animal Interactions Division 17 and a Topics Editor for the journal Veterinary Sciences. She has published several journal articles and book chapters as well as presented internationally on the topic of Human Animal Interactions and Animal Assisted Interventions. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Michigan plus a certified dog trainer through the Council of Professional Dog Trainers with a certificate in Applied Animal Behavior from the University of Washington.

Professor David A Lane

Director and co-founder of the Professional Development Foundation, which has for forty years pioneered work-based professional development. As well as contributing to research and the professional development of psychology, therapy and coaching Professor Lane has worked in a wide range of organisations including major consultancies, multinationals, and public sector and government bodies. He also pioneered the international development of work-based masters and doctorate degrees for experienced practitioners. His interest in the field of Human Animal Interaction arises from a twenty-year involvement with the Veterinary profession where he has pioneered work based learning and educational developments in primary care.

He was Chair of the British Psychological Society Register of Psychologists Specialising in Psychotherapy and convened the European Federation of Psychologists Associations group on Psychotherapy. He has served on committees of the BPS, CIPD, WABC and EMCC, as well as being a founder member of the Global Coaching Community. His contributions to counselling psychology led to the senior award of the BPS for “Outstanding Scientific Contribution”. In 2009 the British Psychological Society honoured him for his Distinguished Contribution to Professional Psychology. In 2016 he was made an Honorary Associate of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons for contributions to developing the field of general practice and the professional development of its members and also was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences.

His role in the HAI programme includes teaching theory and practice of work based learning, research methods for practitioners and supervision of projects.