Tracie Faa-Thompson
BA Social Work, Advanced Award in Social Work, Practice Teacher, MA Crim, PG NDPT, Clin Hypno, Certified EAGALA, Certified IAAPT, Certified, Animal Ethology and Behaviour Consultant, Consultant in Applied Herbal Choices for animals Certified Filial Therapy Instructor, DDP level 1, EMDR level 3.
Tracie until recently was a specialist social worker in adoption working with children exposed to early adversity and their adoptive and foster families.
She is a British Association of Play Therapists-registered play therapist who uses a mix of individual play therapy, filial therapy, outdoor play therapy and group filial methods. Tracie is a practice teacher of social work students and a trainer in Life Story Work and Attachment Theory. trainer in Animal Assisted Play Therapy and one of only 4 UK certified Filial Therapy Instuctors.
Hailing from a Scottish/Romany Traveller family, Tracie has grown up with a multitude of dogs and horses as integral to her native culture, She has never been without multiple horses and dogs. Her first career was working with horses in various settings from the age of 11 to 24. this experience and the experience of being life long in the company of multiple animals allows Tracie to have a good understanding of equine and canines. However she is ever the learner.
As a clinical hypnotherapist, Tracie incorporates Eye Movement Integration with Emotional Freedom Technique as an effective approach to trauma.
Tracie is a member of the Classical Riding Club, Natural Horse People and Animal Welfare and Behavior Forum. She is the Founder of Turn About Pegasus, an Equine Assisted Programme for at risk youth. Tracie is EAGALA (Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association) certified, dual approved as both mental health and horse specialist.
She is the founder and, for 20 years, the Chairman of the North Northumberland Riding for the Disabled Association Centre until its amalgamation with another purpose-built centre.
Tracie has a lifetime of experience of living and working with dogs and horses and over 31 years of working with vulnerable children and families. Tracie believes that patience and a focus on building relationships and partnerships are the key to healing.
She is the author of numerous peer reviewed manuals, articles, book chapters and training programmes on attachment and resilience, life story work, sibling contact in adoption, introductions of adoptive families and children, EAL/EAP, and Animal Assisted Play Therapy.
Tracie and Dr Rise Van Fleet Internationally famous Animal Assisted Play Therapist have been working together since 2005 to enhance Relationship based animal assisted play therapy trainings worldwide. In 2010 they co-founded the International Institute of Animal Assisted Play Therapy(R) (IIAAPT) which delivers high quality training in Animal Assisted Play Therapy to therapists and animal professionals Internationally.
Their first peer reviewed book on the subject of Animal Assisted Play Therapy which came out in September 2017 recieved and is recieving critical acclaim and is on the reading list for numerous universities. .
Tracie lives in North Northumberland in the United Kingdom on a rural estate with husband and best friend Michael, her 4 dogs and 6 horses.
Professional Memberships.
International Institute of Animal Assisted Play Therapy. (IIAAPT)
British Association of Counselling Professionals (BACP)
British Association of Play Therapists (BAPT)
British Association of Social Workers (BASW)
Co-operative of Outdoor Play Therapist (COOPT)
EMDR Europe.
European Society for Traumatic Stress (ESTS)
Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association (EAGALA)
General Hypnotherapy Council (GHR) senior accredited)
Professional Standards Agency (PSA)
Horses in Therapy and Education (HETI)
International Society of Equine Science (ISIS)
Natural Animal Centre (NAC)
National Council for Psychotherapists (MNCP)
Society of Companion Animal Studies (SCAC)
UK Psychological Trauma Society
