TARA HARVEY-GROS LOTR, BCP, RYT 200

Tara Harvey-Gros, LOTR, BCP, RYT 200, is an occupational therapist with over 20 years of clinical experience providing Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAI) with a variety of populations. She is the co-founder and past president of Pet Partners of Acadiana, a local animal-assisted therapy nonprofit organization, which is a community partner with the national organization Pet Partners, previously known as the Delta Society. Tara established and managed four AAI programs where she developed effective and safe treatment techniques for clients in behavioral health and physical disabilities settings. She has extensive experience with executive function, self-regulation and self-calming, behavioral strategies, social skills training, sensory integration, NDT and anxiety reduction and mindfulness techniques. Tara provides occupational therapy services at a pediatric outpatient clinic. She oversees the animal-assisted therapy program for that clinic as well as the adult inpatient and adult outpatient animal assisted visitation programs.

Tara has presented training workshops to rehab and mental healthcare professionals. She has trained and received therapy animal registration for her personal dogs from Pet Partners, the most prestigious therapy animal organization in the US. She has been a member of this organization since 1997.

Tara is a member of American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), Louisiana Occupational Therapy Association (LOTA), Neurodevelopmental Treatment Association (NDTA) and Yoga Alliance. She is Board Certified in Pediatrics, a registered Pet Partners volunteer, is a 200 hour certified yoga teacher and registered with Next Generation Yoga as a children’s yoga teacher.

Speaker Disclosures:

Financial: Tara Harvey-Gros receives a speaking honorarium from PESI, Inc. 

Non-financial: Tara Harvey-Gros is a member of the American Occupational Therapy Association; the Louisiana Occupational Therapy Association; Pet Partners; and Pet Partners of Acadiana.