Professional Animal-Assisted Wellness Therapy Diploma

Inspiring Healing Through the Power of Human-Animal Connection

This program has been approved by the Private Training Institutions Regulatory Unit (PTIRU) of the British Columbia Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills.

The Professional Animal-Assisted Wellness Therapy Diploma (PAAW) at Rhodes Wellness College is a experiential program that trains individuals to ethically and skillfully integrate animals into therapeutic and coaching practices. As the first program of its kind offered by a private college in British Columbia, it merges the richness of trauma-informed care, coaching psychology, ethology, and mindfulness to create a powerful modality for wellness and healing.

Carla Webb, BA, Pro-EFW M,Ed in progress, Trainer, Coach, Mentor, Facilitator, Rhodes Faculty

The program begins with the Life Skills Coach Certificate program to ensure students have a solid foundation of being an empathic coach and facilitator. This is followed by three semesters focused on animal-assisted wellness and care, beginning with a brief history of animal-human partnerships and the current research on animal-assisted wellness practices. The program continues with experiential instruction that will enable students to partner with animals safely and ethically in both private and group settings. By learning about animal consent and stress signals, coupled with relational practices and trauma-sensitive care, this program provides students with the necessary skills to work with animals to assist in fostering wellness.

Program Overview

This program is for individuals inspired to work together with animals to promote human wellness, or those already in a helping profession who desire to expand their repertoire of modalities of supporting others. Professional Animal-Assisted Wellness (PAAW) graduates are prepared to start their own private practice, partner with organizations, or augment their established helping profession with animal-assisted therapy. This program provides a strong foundation for all students by starting with an entire semester in coaching, after which students are eligible to pursue the designation of Associate Certified Coach (ACC) with the International Coaching Federation (ICF).

Rooted in relationship-centered coaching, the program equips students with essential competencies such as empathic listening, mindful presence, and creative problem-solving. Students will also explore the cultural and historical context of human-animal relationships, including the impact of colonization, to deepen their understanding of how perceptions of animals have evolved. With a strong foundation in somatic awareness, students will assess nervous system responses and behavioral patterns in both clients and animal partners, using this insight to support regulation, adaptability, and healing. The program includes training in ethical animal care, ethological research, and the development of personalized wellness plans for animal partners. Graduates will be prepared to navigate mental health challenges using a biopsychosocial framework and adapt sessions to meet diverse client needs.

Throughout the program, students engage with current research on biophilia and the therapeutic power of the human-animal bond, developing the language and confidence to represent the field with integrity, professionalism, and care. Ultimately, they will be well-positioned to support healing and transformation through respectful, intentional partnerships between humans and animals.

This program includes a two-week, full-time residency in which students participate in fully facilitated, immersive, in-person classes. Prior to the residency, students complete two weeks of introductory online instruction designed to prepare them for the final phase of the course. The residency takes place at a dedicated facility and features on-site learning in a safe, respectful environment alongside the animal partners of animal-assisted wellness therapy facilitators. Click here to view photos of the farm where the two-week residency takes place.

Graduate Outcomes

Graduates of the Professional Animal-Assisted Wellness Therapy Diploma program will be equipped with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to pursue diverse career pathways in the growing field of animal-assisted wellness. With a strong foundation in trauma-informed, client-centered, and animal-centered care, graduates are prepared to ethically and effectively integrate animals into therapeutic, educational, and coaching environments. Career opportunities include working as an Animal-Assisted Wellness Therapist, Coach, Educator, or Activities Facilitator, and in roles involving animal-assisted intervention or therapy. Many graduates go on to establish their own private practice or wellness business, while others choose to collaborate with established organizations in health care, education, or community services.

Ready to Apply?

Are you interested in becoming a student at Rhodes Wellness College? Click on the Apply Online link below to get started! Here you’ll find all the admission requirements and all the important links for starting your application. 

Admissions Requirements for the Professional Animal-Assisted Wellness Therapy Diploma program

Rhodes Wellness College is committed to enrolling students who meet program admission criteria and who are capable of achieving their education and career goals. For admission to Rhodes Wellness College’s Professional Animal-Assisted Wellness Therapy Diploma program, an applicant must meet the following criteria:

• Reach the age of majority (19 years old in British Columbia) or provide to the College the written consent from the applicant’s parent/guardian.
• Submit a Personal Statement on why the applicant desires to pursue a PAAW Therapy Diploma at Rhodes Wellness College.
• Successfully complete an Admissions interview.
• Share one’s experience and level of comfort with animals during the interview. The College may require the applicant to provide a letter of reference, confirming the applicant’s comfort and potential to work with animals.
• If an applicant has had an addiction to drugs or alcohol, a minimum of 12 months prior sobriety is required to be verified during the interview. The College may require the applicant to provide a letter from a counsellor, confirming the applicant’s sobriety.
• Meet the program’s Language Proficiency requirement.

Rhodes Wellness College reserves the right to deny any candidate admission into this program if Admissions does not believe the applicant will be a potential fit or adequately benefit from taking the program.

Language Requirements

All students, whether they be Canadian or International students, must prove sufficient English proficiency through one of the following methods:

1. Evidence that 3 years of full-time secondary education (Grades 8-12), or 2 years if the Grades are 10, 11, or 12, have been successfully completed in the program’s language of instruction in a country where the language of instruction is one of the principal languages. This may be demonstrated by providing a high school transcript, completion of a BC Adult Graduation program or providing international education credentials recognized through WES, ICES, or IQAS.
2. Two years of full-time post-secondary education* have been completed in the program’s language of instruction in a country where the language of instruction is one of the principal languages (includes international education credentials recognized through WES, ICES, and IQAS).*Language development courses (i.e., ELL courses) cannot be included in this
3. Successful completion of one of the following English proficiency exams, achieving the minimum required score indicated below:
   a. International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic: Minimum overall score of 5.5
   b. Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) IBT: Minimum overall score of 46
   c. Canadian Academic English Language Assessment (CAEL): Minimum overall score of 40
   d. Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP): Listening 6, Speaking 6, Reading 5, and Writing 5
   e. Duolingo English Test (DET): Minimum overall score of 95
   f. Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic: Minimum overall score of 43
   g. Cambridge English Qualifications: B2 First exam (FCE): Minimum overall score of 160 or “C” (Institutions may include other Cambridge Qualifications at a higher level, e.g., C2 Proficiency (CPE))
   h. Cambridge Linguaskill: Minimum overall B2 level
   i. LANGUAGECERT Academic: Minimum overall B2 level
   j. The Michigan English Test (MET): Minimum overall B2 level
   k. iTEP Academic: Minimum overall score of 5
   l. EIKEN: Minimum placement of Grade Pre-1

4. Where the applicant is 19 years of age or older at the start of the program and is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, and the applicant cannot access their educational records or cannot provide sufficient evidence of secondary or post-secondary education through one of the other stipulated methods in the College’s Language Proficiency Policy, they may satisfy language proficiency requirements through the Accuplacer English Assessment process as follows:
   1. Applicant provides attestation that they have completed at least three years of full-time instruction in English in a country where the English is one of the principal languages*, and
   2. Applicant completes an Accuplacer English Assessment (Next Generation: Reading, Writing and WritePlacer) and achieves the following minimum scores:
      i. Reading: 230, and
      ii. Writing: 230, and
      iii. WritePlacer: 4

*Language development courses (i.e., ELL courses) cannot be included in this calculation. Accuplacer may not be used to demonstrate that a student meets an admission requirement other than Language Proficiency.

*English-speaking countries include the following:

Australia American Samoa Anguilla Antigua and Barbuda Bahamas Barbados Belize Bermuda Botswana British Virgin Islands Brunei Canada Cayman Islands Cook Island Dominica Falkland Islands Fiji Gambia

Ghana Gibraltar Grenada Guam Guyana Hong Kong Ireland Isle of Man Jamaica Jersey Kenya Liberia Mauritius Micronesia New Zealand Nigeria Norfolk Island Pitcairn Islands

Philippines Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Sierra Leone Singapore Sint Maarten Solomon Islands South Africa South Sudan Trinidad and Tobago Turks and Caicos Islands U.S. Virgin Islands Uganda United Kingdom United Arab Emirates United States Zambia

Apply Online

For a comprehensive and detailed explanation of our policies, please visit the following pages:

• Refund Policy
• General Admissions Policy
• Language Proficiency Assessment Policy
• Attendance Policy
• Student Statement of Rights
• Dismissal and Student Code of Conduct Policy
• Dispute Resolution Policy
• Sexual Misconduct Policy
• Work Experience Policy (“Practicum”)
• Other Policies