The Helping Hand—and Paw—Just Around the Corner
- Linda Craddock
- 22 hours ago
- 7 min read
Animal Assisted Therapy Programs of Colorado: A Unique Approach to Holistic Mental Health Care in Colorado
Written by Oana Harrison, guest blogger

May is Mental Health Awareness month, a time when many of us recognize the importance of taking care of our well-being. Personally, I found solace in volunteering for a remarkable nonprofit organization in Colorado back in 2020. Animal Assisted Therapy Programs of Colorado, known for its motto “Rescued Animals Rescuing People,” is dedicated to providing animal-assisted psychotherapy to all. Learn more about the invaluable work they do, how you can get help, and how you can help!
In 2021 I lost my friend of twenty years, my sweet little shadow, my cat Gypsy. Hand-picked from a tree, she lived all her nine lives to the fullest, making it to the ripe age of 22. My heart broke into a million pieces. She was the last of my three pets to cross over the rainbow bridge; I lost my two sweet dogs, Kylie the Border Collie and Roxie the doxie, in consecutive years, after moving to Colorado during the pandemic.

Luckily, a friendly paw was just around the corner. New to the area, I wanted to get out and volunteer in the community. I wanted to be helpful to my new hometown and in the process, I found an amazing place five minutes from my house: Animal Assisted Therapy Programs of Colorado (AATPC). I have always loved animals and found their company honest and soothing. When my research showed volunteer openings at AATPC, I jumped at the opportunity. I joined the company of many other dedicated volunteers and got my hands dirty: my assignment was tending to the garden which provided nutrition for some of the animals on the farm, fresh produce source for humans, as well as a therapeutic space for clients.
Although nothing can quite erase the painful loss of my fur family, I cherished precious moments in the company of cats, horses, goats, alpacas, guinea pigs, chickens and bunnies living at the AATPC ranch. I’ll never forget the time when I walked into the kitchen and Siggy, the three-legged orange tabby, proceeded to crawl on my shoulder for a sweet hug, complete with good vibing purrs! Or the time I returned from tending to the rose garden in the back of the property only to be sandwiched between the two horses Tonka and Hawk, gently leading me toward their food—hint, hint!
There is hope even when your brain tells you there isn’t.– JOHN GREEN
“Rescued Animals Rescuing People” is the motto of the Animal Assisted Therapy Programs of Colorado. True to it, every animal on the property is a rescue and serves a co-therapist role. The non-profit organization is the brainchild of founders Linda Chassman Craddock, PhD, LMFT and Ellen K. Winston, M.A., LPC, NCC. Inspired by Linda’s kitten Mazey and Ellen’s dog Sasha, Dr. Linda Chassman and Ellen Winston started the center in 2010, based on the belief that animals have powerful healing potential in our lives. The organization has grown over the years and is now serving 170 clients weekly with the help of 17 providers. Both individual and group therapy is available to people of all ages and income levels, as well as training for mental health care professionals.
Animal-assisted psychotherapy provides a great alternative to patients who are not open to talk therapy or who are non-verbal. People can learn from having different experiences with animals as well as from talking about their problems. In interacting with animals, clients build relationships. The animals have their own challenges they had to overcome, so each animal speaks to each client in a different way and has a different lesson to teach.
Dr. Chassman dedicated her long career to learning and teaching about animal-assisted psychotherapy. Recently, she and Ellen. Winston published “Animal-Assisted Counseling and Psychotherapy: A Clinician’s Guide,” a resource for clinical mental health professionals who are considering integrating animals into their work. Reflecting the writers’ compassion and passion for animals and humans, the book offers an in-depth collection of case studies and clinical tools, while also addressing essential legal and ethical issues. “The idea started probably thirteen years ago and finally came to fruition in 2024,” Dr. Chassman says. “Ellen and I had to buckle down and spent about six months just cranking everything out and putting most of everything that we know in the book. It’s a very accessible book for anybody who’s interested in the field, but the other thing that’s unique about it is that in the back section we have a database of types of interventions for specific therapy goals and how different animals can assist with specific interventions. It is meant to provide clinicians with a starting point and spark ideas about potential therapy applications.”
Even more than the book, Dr. Chassman considers the students, clinicians, and volunteers to be the organization’s biggest success. “People who work here feel invested and involved, they feel some ownership and protection over the animals. Most of our clinicians have their specific interests and they put extra energy into creating their own special projects. I also feel proud about being able to create a living for many young clinicians. I’m proud about how many clients we’ve seen and how many clients continue to come to us, and it’s especially gratifying seeing clients go off into the world and do amazing things,” she shares.
A Word from AATPC Clinicians
Callie Paul was born and raised on a farm and discovered AATPC when she was looking for an internship. She loved the organization and joined full time after graduating from Regis University. Callie serves primarily neurodiverse and LGBTQIA+ clients. Her work focuses on identity therapy: understanding who they are, what makes them tick, what they need for support and working towards creating a well-adjusted life for themselves.
For Callie, the draw to AATPC is the freedom to provide help to clients without the confines of a formal office environment, which can be intimidating to many seeking help. “Evidence has shown that clients build a connection faster when animals are involved in the therapy session,” says Callie. “Animals bring a sense of safety because if the animal feels safe, then we’re also going to feel safe by extension. The animals have their stories and clients can relate to their circumstances. For example, we had a rabbit and a Guinea pig who were a bonded pair that lived in the same room, so that was useful when working with someone struggling to fit into a blended family. Or when working with a teen from a foster situation, he related to Lily, our misunderstood goat who liked to headbutt. This could have been interpreted as aggressive or scary, but it only took understanding that she needed attention and that was her way of communicating.”
For Terry Bauer, a licensed clinical social worker, the idea of incorporating invertebrates into therapy became a reality at AATPC. Her passion for both bugs and humans combined to create a program which she recently implemented. “You don’t have to be as passionate about them as I am because I’ll carry that for the entire planet,” Terry laughs. “But if you can make someone care for a cockroach or an earwig, make them understand the purpose they serve in our ecosystem, make them have empathy, that’s huge!”
A Word from AATPC Volunteers
Elizabeth Talamantez is an AATPC volunteer veteran. Years ago, her stress induced non-epileptic seizures led her to work with a therapy dog. Her desire to change her career course and work with animals led her to AATPC. “It was a match made in Heaven,” confesses Elizabeth. When she started, there were only five people on staff, so she got to help with all the ranch tasks.
She cherishes all animals but has a soft spot for a couple of shy but feisty alpacas. When the hard-to-leash alpacas got into a fight, Elizabeth used her “mom voice” to break it up. Ever since then, she’s been crowned the “alpaca mom.” Her love and dedication even saved one of the alpaca’s lives, a proud mom moment. One Christmas Eve, Elizabeth was checking on the animals when she noticed that one of the alpacas was choking. She quickly jumped into action, found information on YouTube and administered whatever help she could until the vet arrived. The alpacas quickly became her besties and miss her when she’s gone too long.
As the Executive Director of Angels with Paws, Elizabeth has one more reason to love AATPC. “They really live up to their tag line: Rescued Animals Rescuing People. They not only help clients but also foster cats for us, which helps with the adoption process. I’m grateful for all that they do and I’m proud to be a part of it.”

You Can Help!
Animal-assisted psychotherapy has come a long way. AATPC can break down barriers, helping someone in need when they are not open to talk therapy. Of course, talk therapy is available but the options are so much richer when it comes to animal-assisted therapy.
Even though awareness about the successful application of animal-assisted therapy in mental health care has increased, there is still a lot of room for growth. Support from the community is imperative in ensuring continued holistic mental health care in Colorado.
“I can’t say enough good things about AATPC and animal-assisted therapy!” Callie confesses. “Of course, monetary donations are always needed to support this wonderful organization. Additionally, having grown up on a farm, I understand the many needs of our animal co-therapists. Many of them have chronic health conditions which require special nutrition and medication. So donating funds toward their care or in-kind items listed on our website wish list can make a huge difference.”
Whether you wish to volunteer and be a part of the AATPC hands-on help or sponsor an animal co-therapist, your efforts can make a significant positive impact. Find out more about how you can help on the organization’s website: https://www.animalassistedtherapyprograms.org/how-to-help.
“The strongest people are those who win battles we know nothing about.” – Jonathan Harnisch
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