Starting Strong

Starting Strong: Your First Steps into Animal-Assisted Interventions is a practical, inspiring guide for anyone curious about working alongside animals to support people’s wellbeing. Whether you are a teacher, therapist, youth worker or simply someone drawn to the power of human–animal connection, this book will help you take your first confident steps into the world of Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAI).

Written in a warm, down-to-earth voice by Charlotte Williams, a frontline practitioner and founder of a respected UK-based therapeutic organisation, Starting Strong shares hard-earned insights, case examples and powerful moments of growth, failure and learning. It offers clear guidance on the why, how and what of AAI, from ethical foundations to practical session ideas, without overwhelming jargon or unrealistic promises.

This is not a clinical textbook or a feel-good memoir. It is a toolkit for action. Readers will come away with a deeper understanding of what AAI really involves, how to get started safely and ethically, and how to reflect, grow and stay grounded as they develop their own approach. If you believe animals have something important to offer in support of human healing and connection, this book will help you turn that belief into practice.