From Burnout to Breakthrough: Using Animal Assisted Therapy in Speech Therapy with Sharlet Lee Jensen

What happens when traditional speech therapy approaches stop working and you start paying attention to what actually helps clients feel safe, calm, and willing to engage? For speech-language pathologist Sharlet Lee Jensen, that question led her down an unexpected path into animal assisted therapy and completely changed the way she experienced her work.After years of feeling the weight of burnout, challenging client behaviors, and limited engagement, Sharlet began exploring how the human animal bond could support communication, regulation, and trust inside the therapy room. What started as a single experiment quickly became a passion, and eventually grew into a book, a course, and a growing body of resources for clinicians who want to work differently and more sustainably.In this episode of The ScaleSmart Podcast, I sit down with Sharlet to talk about what animal assisted therapy really looks like in practice, the responsibility that comes with it, and the personal growth required when you step outside familiar systems. Sharlet shares how connection transformed outcomes for anxious clients, why safety and consent are non-negotiable, and how persistence carried her through publishing, visibility, and learning entirely new skills.In this episode, we talk about:What animal assisted therapy actually is and how it supports communication and engagementWhy connection and regulation must come before technique for many clientsThe safety, consent, and animal communication skills therapists must understandHow burnout can be a signal that something needs to change, not a sign of failureThe learning curve of doing something new and why mistakes are part of the processHow following curiosity led to writing a book and creating resources for other cliniciansIf you have ever felt burned out, stuck with disengaged clients, or curious about doing therapy in a way that feels more connected and meaningful, this episode will expand how you think about progress, growth, and what is possible in your work.Connect with our guest, Sharlet Lee JensenWebsite: www.speechdogs.com   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speech_dogs/?hl=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552348942052 Connect with HannahWebsite: www.cuedcreative.comInstagram: https://instagram.com/cuedcreativeFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/CuedCreativeDownload the free guide to Step Into Your CEO Era: https://www.cuedcreative.com/ceoSign up for our next workshop: https://www.cuedcreative.com/join-us For the full show notes and links, visit: https://www.cuedcreative.com/podcastSubscribe and ReviewRate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. I would be thrilled if you could rate and review my podcast! Don’t forget to share what you loved most about the episode.Also, make sure to follow the podcast!