Welcome! (a quick little hello)

Hi All!

I figured I would start this blogpost out by introducing myself! My name is Michelle Speer and I am an occupational therapist at a pediatric (and adult) outpatient clinic. I'm SO passionate about mental health, the impacts of childhood trauma across the lifespan, the neccesity of regulation, and the use of sensory integration! And... of course... I am SO very passionate about the very thing that probably brought you here-- animal-assisted intervention!

This journey of having my dog, Fig Newton, with me at my job as a therapy dog and a partner with me in incoporating animal-assisted intervention has been WILD. It has truly been a gift, and honestly kind of magic filled. I've seen moments between him and myself, and him and my clients that I know could have never happend with just me alone. The human-animal bond is POWERFUL. I could talk about this for days! I'll spare you that... this time ;)

I'm glad you're here. I don't really know what will come from this, but what I do know is that I want to help. I want to be an advocate and support for pushing animal-assisted intervention in clinical settings forward-- as it should be. From my experience, the AAI world feels kind of small, especially depending on your geographic location. There have been countless times thorughout this experience that I have felt so utterly lost or confused, and had no idea what to do. "What are the rules?" "How do I do this?" How can I do this?" "Why doesn't anyone know the answers?" So, through the help of my mentors, and those in the community I was able to find through friends of friends of friends, I got some of the answers for you. I want to give everything I have, so that your experience is quicker, less stressful, and wayyy more empowering than mine was at some points in time.

So that's where Tails & Tools came from! My goal is to be able to provide comprehensive consultative services, lectures, and workshops (whether in-person or online) to support your animal-assisted intervention journey. From program developing, to treatment planing, to implementation and troubleshooting, I'd love to support you however I can! I've also been asked to share some of the resources I've made for my OT clients that include AAI components. So, I'm working on that too!

Here's to whatevers in store! Thanks for being here on this journey with me.