Equine Assisted Therapy is growing rapidly across Australia as more practitioners recognise the powerful impact of working relationally with horses to support human wellbeing. Yet, with growth comes an important question:

how do you become professionally certified in Equine Assisted Therapy in Australia?

Let’s take a look at what “certification” really means, what Equine Assisted Therapy involves, and the steps to becoming a qualified and ethical practitioner in this rewarding field.

What is Certification?

Before exploring certification in Equine Assisted Therapy, it’s helpful to understand what certification itself means.

Certification is the process of earning an official document that proves someone has achieved a certain level of knowledge or skill in a specific area. In professional contexts, certification helps maintain high standards and assures clients and colleagues that the practitioner meets the requirements of their profession.

There are three main types of certification:

• Corporate or internal certifications – used within specific organisations.
• Product-specific certifications – linked to a particular tool or system.
• Profession-wide certifications – recognised across an entire industry and designed to uphold professional standards.

For example, a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) meets industry-wide standards in accounting and can work in diverse financial roles. Similarly, in the allied health and mental health sectors, professionals become qualified, registered and certified within their field to demonstrate competence and ethical practice.

A qualified and registered psychologist, social worker, counsellor or psychotherapist in Australia will have completed accredited study (from diploma to postgraduate level), maintain registration with a professional body such as AASW or PACFA, and engage in ongoing continuing professional development (CPD) to maintain registration and membership.

Further specialist training – such as play therapy, art therapy, or equine assisted psychotherapy – then builds on these foundations, expanding a practitioner’s scope of practice, and professional, ethical and legal right to practice in the specialist area.

What is Equine Assisted Therapy?

“Equine Assisted Therapy” is an umbrella term used to describe the inclusion of horses within psychotherapy, counselling, or allied health disciplines such as occupational therapy, speech therapy and physiotherapy.

As outlined by Johnson et al. (2024), best practice recommends using more specific and accurate terminology depending on the context—such as Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) or Equine Assisted Counselling (EAC), if referring to incorporating horses in psychotherapy or counselling, or using the term equine assisted occupational therapy if referring to occupational therapy practice including horses, and so forth. Using precise terms supports clarity, safety and professionalism across the field, while also improving community understanding and research outcomes.

So How Do I Get Professional Certification in Equine Assisted Psychotherapy in Australia?

To become certified or qualified in Equine Assisted Psychotherapy, you’ll need to follow a few key steps.

1. Meet the Prerequisite Qualifications
Begin with a relevant qualification such as a Diploma, Degree or Master’s in Counselling, Psychology, Social Work, Psychology or another allied health discipline that specialises in providing counselling and psychotherapy in its core practice. It’s also important to hold or be eligible for current registration with a nationally recognised professional body within your discipline, such as PACFA, ACA, or AHPRA (for psychotherapy, counselling or psychological services).

2. Find a Specialist Training Provider
Choose a training organisation that aligns with your values and professional standards and with your accreditation standards. Some training providers are accredited and some are not. Look closely at their theory, practice and ethical foundations. Speak with trainers, graduates and peers before enrolling to ensure the program fits your values and goals.

3. Complete an EAP-Specific Training Program
This is where you develop the unique knowledge and skills required to integrate horses safely and ethically into therapeutic practice. Training typically combines theory, experiential learning, supervision, and assessment.

4. Accredited and non-accredited Training Options

• The Equine & Animal Assisted Psychotherapy Institute pioneered Australia’s first model of Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (circa 2011) that is different to other training approaches and courses in that it has its own unique psychotherapy methodology. Our specialist psychotherapy approach has its own theory of change and methodology that is a blend of client-centred humanistic psychotherapy which incorporates horses and horse-wisdom, alongside trauma-informed, somatically focused, science-based, and relational practice principles. A pioneering specialist, trauma-informed equine assisted psychotherapy methodology—not simply a blend of counselling, equine units and horsemanship.
• The Equine & Animal Assisted Psychotherapy Institute training also offers a PACFA Accredited Advanced Specialist program, for those who wish to achieve the highest accreditation in Australia. This training has been independently assessed to meet PACFA’s professional development (postgraduate level) standards.
• Other training options include various providers offering a combined Diploma of Counselling with integrated equine units, and other providers offer internal certificates in Equine Assisted Learning or wellbeing-based programs, which focus on education, leadership and social-emotional learning.

What to Expect from Equine Assisted Psychotherapy Training

Most EAP training programs combine in-person workshops, live online sessions, and self-paced learning. You’ll also engage in practical, hands-on experience with horses—learning about equine science, horse welfare, horse skills, therapeutic planning, session preparation, and facilitation.

Assessment typically involves a mix of written reflections, filmed demonstrations, and live supervision. For practitioners already working in the health or mental health sectors, some programs also offer CPD points toward professional development.

In Summary

Becoming a certified Equine Assisted Psychotherapist in Australia is a structured yet deeply personal journey. It starts with a solid foundation in mental health or counselling and expands through specialist equine-assisted psychotherapy education, training and supervision.

Choosing a professional, ethical and well recognised training provider ensures you’re not only building knowledge and skills but also contributing to the credibility and growth of this evolving field.

At The Equine & Animal Assisted Psychotherapy Institute, we’re proud to provide accredited training pathways and specialist psychotherapy education that supports practitioners to integrate horses into their therapeutic practice in safe, professional and transformative ways.