Become a certified and registered practitioner in equine-assisted support© practice and join the academy!
Find a practitioner in your area by scrolling down to the register!
NEXT SESSION STARTS IN SEPTEMBER 2023! Registration and schedule details coming soon!
If you a) have a professional background in a health-related field, education, energy work, or another listed occupation from the complete list (see below), b) have your own horse or have a confirmed opportunity to work out of a facility with a consistent horse or herd, c) have excellent non-judgmental professional communication skills with clients, d) an idea of which population or clientele to whom you would like to offer equine-assisted support©, then you qualify!
You do not need to bring your horse on-site!
This course is divided into 3 parts:
- Theoretical modules in the first quarter (in-person or zoom)
- Practical modules in the second quarter (in-person only)
- Completion of case studies in the third quarter
- The final certification exam at the end of the 4th quarter (email, in-person, and choice of being on zoom for the exam)
*Please note that there is a mandatory in-person requirement for the practical part of the course.
The framework for this course is designed for the applicant to work on developing their program idea throughout the learning modules. For this reason, upon registration, you must briefly describe your idea or intention to create a specific service or program for your chosen population, a field of interest, and/or scope of practice. Your application will then be reviewed for approval.
If you meet the requirements, successful completion of the course automatically enrolls you as a registered practitioner with the Canadian Academy of Equine-Assisted Support© for the first year. Fees are included with tuition.
Tuition: $1889, which includes academy registration fees or ($1700 if you choose not to register with the academy). Upon acceptance, a non-refundable 15% deposit of $283.35 is required to hold your spot.
Payment in full will be required before starting the course. Inquire about cancellation and refund policies.
To apply, contact Marianne Disipio directly at info@mariannedisipio.com or 403-828-0242
What sets Marianne’s EAS© program apart from other equine-assisted programs?
*There are many excellent equine-assisted certifications out there! Marianne’s EAS© is now one of them!!
1) Only people with a specific professional background can provide EAS© (see list), as a particular skill set and knowledge base is required. Depending on the applicant’s educational/professional experience, qualifying as an EAS© Life Coach is also possible.
2) To be accepted, you must know the clientele or population you want to work with when you graduate. Marianne offers intensive mentorship to help you develop your own service through her base program. This guidance through your creative process is a unique feature of this program! Marianne firmly believes in living out your purpose (or dharma) and is dedicated to helping participants fulfill this part of their journey! We all have skills, gifts, and passions. This program merges all three!
3) EAS© sessions are always divided into two parts (will vary if you work with kids). Participants are taught to combine life/wellness coaching strategies with the “just right” equine-assisted activity. Through supportive guidance, clients can explore soulful self-care practices for coping with new and ongoing challenges.
4) There is a solid and unique soulful/spiritual component to the EAS© sessions. This offers the client a beautiful balance between traditional strategies and more personally meaningful applications. Studies show that this is essential for making lasting change.
5) To maintain your registration with The Canadian Academy of EAS©, practitioners must meet yearly standards for quality assurance. If you want more information regarding specific requirements, please contact Marianne directly at info@mariannedisipio.com.
EAS© is a private service
EAS©, on its own, is a private service offering emotional support. It is not a mental health treatment.
If you are already practicing as a registered and licensed therapist in another profession (for example, counselling psychologist, occupational therapist, or physiotherapist, etc.), EAS© may then be included in other therapies/services and may possibly qualify for funding. However, you would have to inquire further on your own.
It is important to note that you cannot call your EAS© service “therapy” unless you are an active therapist and your program is directly related to providing the therapy that falls under the respective college associated with the profession, under provincial law.
What you should know before registering
This course is quite specific in its values and may not be compatible with some registrants. Please note that Marianne holds absolutely no judgment on others’ value systems; however, she wishes only to attract compatible people for the program to stay true to the respective teachings in this course.
Marianne’s approach is based on the profound belief and core value that all beings, including animals, have evolving purposes, the gift of choice, and equal rights for a respectful existence. It is reflected in the treatment and approach with the horses. (For this reason, it is ideal for those who are vegetarian or vegan or considering starting some lifestyle changes).
Although equine-assisted support© fits within the category of alternative approaches/interventions, Marianne recognizes and fully respects the role and place of traditional medicine and therapies. It is important that all registrants accept the biopsychosocial approach (which will be covered in more detail in the course) with the future professional intention for its application when appropriate.
Only those with a specific educational/professional background will be considered to include life coaching. This will also depend on whether or not the registrant wishes to be registered and the nature of the future program/service they intend to deliver. This will be done through a review by board members.
Other important considerations to examine before registering include having more of a universal sense of spirituality (versus set beliefs tied to a specific religion), a professional, non-judgmental approach to dealing with clients, and an excellent ability to hold space for others.
Please note that you will also be required to submit 3 character references.
List of approved occupations:
Must have a diploma, certification, or professional degree in one of the following occupations (current registration and license not necessary):
Physician
Nurse
Occupational Therapist
Therapy aide assistant
Early childhood education
Kinesiologist
Speech Language Pathologist
Social worker, social services, or social science related
Psychologist or related
Counsellor
Art Therapist
Recreational Therapist
Massage Therapist
Yoga Therapist
Teacher
Educational Assistant
Life or Wellness Coach
Midwife or doula
Chiropractor
Acupuncturist
Naturopath
Homeopath
Body Talk Practitioner
Reiki practitioner
Aruveyda specialist
Other!
If you have a related profession not listed above and would like to know if you qualify, please contact Marianne directly info@mariannedisipio.com or 403-828-0242
Schedule
THE NEXT SESSION BEGINS IN September 2023! Please stay tuned to find out when registration is open!
THE CANADIAN ACADEMY OF EAS©
The profession of equine-assisted support© now has an academy! Both the profession of equine-assisted support© and the academy were developed by Marianne Disipio and are copyrighted. This means that it is registered with the government of Canada, and all rights are reserved. Only those who complete the certification can call themselves certified EAS© practitioners, and only those who register with the academy can use the designation of EASP© Reg. CA. Those who also qualify as a life coach can add EASLC© Reg. CA (certified equine-assisted support© life coach).
The academy is intended to be a helpful resource for its practitioners and to provide quality service to clients. Joining the academy is optional; however, it does allow you to use the designation of EASP© Reg. CA or EASLC© Reg. CA. This offers more professional standing in the work you do. If you choose not to register with the academy, you can still use the designation of EASP© (certified equine-assisted support© practitioner) but will not be able to include Reg. CA.
To become registered with the academy and use the EASP© or EASLC© Reg designation. CA, practitioners who have graduated from Marianne’s certification course are required to follow the guidelines set by the academy.
The academy is composed of a board of consulting members.
Registered practitioners will be asked to have appropriate insurance for equine-assisted activities on the ground and liability insurance covering them under the profession they wish to offer their services. They will also require a license to work on their property (home-based business license) or out of a facility (speak to your facility to see what you would need depending on if you would like to work as an independent contractor or an employee at the facility).
Members will be asked to meet yearly practice hour requirements, show proof of continuing education participation, meet horse training hours, and agree to a simple annual review/audit. Marianne and the board of advisors reserve the right to suggest improving practice guidelines; however, there are no legal disciplinary ramifications of not meeting the guidelines other than being asked to make specific helpful improvements before the registration is reissued. Practitioners are all independent and responsible for their own conduct, and the academy does not involve itself in any legal cases of potential malpractice with clients. It is strictly guiding support.
The details of academy practice guidelines will be presented in more detail at the end of the course; however, if you would like more info before registering or requesting an application, please contact Marianne directly at info@mariannedisipio.com.
The Canadian Academy of EAS© is a private educational body that plays the role of offering practice guidelines. It is not regulated under the Health Act or any laws. Currently, there are no equine-assisted interventions held at this level. The Academy of EAS© is strictly intended as a resource for practitioners. It also adds quality assurance to the practice developed by Marianne Disipio.
Being a registered practitioner gives you the following benefits:
1) using the designation of EASP© Reg. CA or EASLC© Reg. CA, offers more of a professional status, as well as some assurance of a certain standard of service delivery to clients
2) accessing a variety of helpful free resources to improve your practice
3) option to attend continuing education rounds at no cost
4) ongoing support as needed and access to the board of advisors
5) being placed on the EAS© practitioner register for your city and province
Membership fee: $189/ year (This fee is already included in the certification fee; however, if you decide not to join the academy, it will be either deducted from your tuition or reimbursed at the end of the course).
To apply, contact Marianne Disipio directly at info@mariannedisipio.com or 403-828-0242
Canadian Register of equine-assisted support© practitioners (and life coaches)
Alberta
Calgary and surrounding areas
Marianne Disipio, Equine-assisted support© Life Coach, Founder, and Director
NW Calgary (Bearspaw)
Scope of practice: supporting moms of children with special needs, social/emotional skills strengthening© for children and teens, mental health recreational groups, seasonal equine activities
Other formal training; Occupational Therapy, Wellness Coaching, Reiki, Equine-assisted Healing, and Yoga Instructor
403-828-0242
Marsha Johnson, PPSAC CA (AB), Soutien assisté par le cheval© (Practicienne provisoire et supervisée)
Nord Ouest
Programme d’intégration sociale Marsha et son troupeau! Multiples activités privées et en groupe pour femmes, couples, et enfants, incluant la mise à terre equine© (equigrounding©), offrant un milieu de rencontres pour briser l’isolement des nouveaux arrivants à Calgary.
marshaj7487@gmail.com
403-703-6901
Edmonton
Deb Smith, Equine-assisted support© Life Coach
Scope of practice: supporting women experiencing compassion fatigue related to caring for others professionally and/or personally, as well as those who desire to reconnect with themselves after experiencing a critical change/transition, loss, grief, or death.
Other formal training: degree in nursing, certified death Doula, completed shamanic studies, Reiki, Animal Talk practitioner
smithdeb61@gmail.com
780-266-4155
Wainright
Karen Bennett, Equine-assisted support© Life Coach
Scope of practice: supporting children and youth with special needs and adults experiencing coping challenges related to PTSD, as well as providing training/education for human service/resource personnel who work with various populations who might benefit from EAS©.
Other formal training: certified educational assistant, equine-assisted learning facilitator, Roots of Empathy facilitator, Triple P facilitator
kbrespiteservices@gmail.com
780-808-5063
MANITOBA
Pembina Valley and surrounding areas
Taylor Gould, , Equine-assisted support© Life Coach
Scope of practice: supporting women who have experienced the loss of a pregnancy, infant, or child. Emotional and spiritual core strength building for individuals struggling to cope with PTSD or CPTSD.
Other formal training: diploma in social services, certified equine-assisted healing facilitator, certified miscarriage doula, grief coaching
gouldwoodmeadows@gmail.com
431-733-4856
