• Price: £2500 +VAT
• 140 hours guided learning
• Approximately 4 months to complete
• Mixture of online, asynchronous and in person webinar learning
• One practical in person weekend.

The Level 3 Diploma, Fundamentals in Animal-Assisted Interventions, delivered by the Elysian Academy, gives you a grounded, ethical and practical understanding of AAI. Designed for individuals working within education, care, and therapeutic settings, this modular programme blends solid theory, real-world case studies, and hands-on experiential learning with animals in safe and supportive environments.

With decades of combined expertise, our team guides you through the core principles, practical application, and ethical standards that shape responsible, impactful AAI practice.
Each module builds on the previous learnings, ensuring that by the end of the programme, you are equipped with the knowledge and expertise to expand your work in the field.

Module 1 leads you through the history of human–animal partnerships and to discover the core AAI framework, as well as exploring the benefits of AAI, ethical considerations, animal selection, welfare, safeguarding, and outcome measurement. You also get to engage with case studies and reflective exercises tailored to your own setting.

Module 2 focuses on meeting client needs, where you learn how to shape AAI sessions for diverse groups including children, young people, adults, and neurodivergent individuals. We explore autism, anxiety, and mental health considerations through an added live workshop, reflective activities, and real case studies.

Module 3 homes in on practical application, where you take part in a practical farm-based training day and develop real-world skills, planning simple AAI sessions to meet the needs of service users. You will get to deepen your reflective journaling practice and build practical guidance tools, such as checklists, for your own environment.

Module 4 moves into ethics, safety and professional boundaries, examining the evolution of ethics in AAI and how to uphold these standards in therapeutic settings. As part of this Module, you will work through case studies to apply ethical reasoning, review risk and safety protocols, and strengthen your professional boundaries to protect both clients and animals.

Module 5 focuses on reflective practice and integration where you will learn how reflective practice elevates AAI delivery. There will be an opportunity to review past or current cases from your own work, adapt your approach, and refine your professional judgement to meet the unique needs of each scenario.