Canine-Assisted Psychotherapy is a core clinical service delivered by the Top Tails Institute.
It is a form of structured psychotherapy in which trained therapy dogs are deliberately and ethically integrated into the therapeutic process under professional oversight. Psychotherapy is delivered or overseen by a qualified practitioner operating within recognised professional and ethical frameworks.


This is psychotherapy, not activity sessions, wellbeing visits, or informal animal interaction.

Our Model
Canine-Assisted Psychotherapy combines evidence-informed psychological practice with carefully managed canine involvement to support emotional regulation, relational safety, and therapeutic engagement.

Dogs are not used as distractions, rewards, or entertainment.
They are incorporated as co-regulatory supports within a structured therapeutic framework, where their presence is clinically purposeful and continuously monitored.

Scope of Practice & Boundaries

• Therapy is delivered within clearly defined professional and ethical boundaries

• Dogs are never used to replace clinical judgement or therapeutic responsibility

• Interventions are tailored to assessed needs, capacity, and risk profile

• The Institute does not provide crisis intervention, emergency mental health care, or unsupervised animal contact

Assessment-Led & Referral-Based
All Canine-Assisted Psychotherapy is:

• Assessment-led

• Time-limited and goal-directed

• Accessed through referral (self, professional, or organisational)

Suitability is determined before therapy begins. Not all referrals are accepted.

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Safeguarding & Ethical Practice
The Institute operates within a safeguarding-first, risk-managed framework, governed by professional standards, ethical codes, and clear duty-of-care obligations.