Table 1Transition record

dance therapisttoanimal assisted therapist

A dance therapist already meets 42% of what the animal assisted therapist role asks for. The move turns on 6 required skills not yet in the profile.

From dance therapist

42%

Overlap1

To animal assisted therapist

12 Skills carried over

6 Required, not held

57.5 Difficulty2

adjacent 0–30

moderate 30–55

substantial 55–75

career change 75–100

this move, 57.5

This move: 57.5 of 100 · substantial

1 Share of the animal assisted therapist role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the dance therapist profile. Required skills count in full, supplementary skills at 0.35. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs. 2 Combines what is missing with how specialised it is, so a gap of general skills scores easier than the same number of narrow ones.

Table 2

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 12 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A animal assisted therapist role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a dance therapist background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held evaluation of psychological performance social sciences, journalism and information
already held assess the patient's therapeutic needs information skills
already held handle patient trauma assisting and caring
already held work with healthcare users' social network communication, collaboration and creativity
already held maintain healthcare user data confidentiality assisting and caring
already held develop a collaborative therapeutic relationship communication, collaboration and creativity

All 12 carried skills, including the 5 the animal assisted therapist role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 18 missing skills fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered below in the order worth working in: the areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the supplementary ones.

Skill to acquire Tier

01 handling and moving 2 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held instruct animals for therapy purposes required
required, not held select therapy animals required

optional, not held control animal movement optional

02 communication, collaboration and creativity 1 required, 2 supplementary

required, not held interact with healthcare users required

optional, not held use foreign languages for health-related research optional
optional, not held use foreign languages in patient care optional

03 agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary 1 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held animal therapy required

optional, not held animal behaviour optional

04 health and welfare 1 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held assistive instruments required

optional, not held palliative care optional

05 management skills 1 required

required, not held recruit animal handlers required

06 social sciences, journalism and information 4 supplementary

optional, not held performance diagnosis optional
optional, not held behavioural therapy optional
optional, not held human psychological development optional
optional, not held sociology optional

1 further area in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a animal assisted therapist role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.

Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.

Appendix

Appendix · The rest of the record

All 12 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held assess the patient's therapeutic needs skill
already held develop a collaborative therapeutic relationship skill
already held listen actively skill
already held maintain healthcare user data confidentiality skill
already held provide health education skill
already held apply organisational techniques skill
already held contribute to continuity of health care skill
already held evaluation of psychological performance knowledge
already held handle patient trauma skill
already held respond to changing situations in health care skill
already held use communication techniques skill
already held work with healthcare users' social network skill

The 1 learning area not shown above

Skill to acquire Tier

07 assisting and caring 3 supplementary

optional, not held promote animal welfare optional
optional, not held refer healthcare users optional
optional, not held deal with emergency care situations optional

12 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held performance diagnosis optional
optional, not held animal behaviour optional
optional, not held behavioural therapy optional
optional, not held control animal movement optional
optional, not held human psychological development optional
optional, not held palliative care optional
optional, not held promote animal welfare optional
optional, not held refer healthcare users optional
optional, not held deal with emergency care situations optional
optional, not held sociology optional
optional, not held use foreign languages for health-related research optional
optional, not held use foreign languages in patient care optional

25 held skills the animal assisted therapist role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role apply risk management in sports skill
not needed by the target role autism knowledge
not needed by the target role be a role model in community arts skill
not needed by the target role comply with legislation related to health care skill
not needed by the target role dance therapy knowledge
not needed by the target role develop codified movements skill
not needed by the target role develop creative ideas skill
not needed by the target role develop methods for choreographic integration skill
not needed by the target role diagnose mental disorders skill
not needed by the target role eating disorders knowledge
not needed by the target role empathise with the healthcare user skill
not needed by the target role ensure safety of healthcare users skill
not needed by the target role harmonise body movements skill
not needed by the target role have emotional intelligence skill
not needed by the target role human physiology knowledge
not needed by the target role inspire enthusiasm for dance skill
not needed by the target role link between dance and music style knowledge
not needed by the target role observe healthcare users skill
not needed by the target role perform dances skill
not needed by the target role perform musical improvisations in therapy skill
not needed by the target role plan choreographic improvisation skill
not needed by the target role psychological theories knowledge
not needed by the target role psychology knowledge
not needed by the target role psychotherapy principles knowledge
not needed by the target role write work-related reports skill

8 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice

Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.

Skill to acquire Tier

required, not held animal therapy required
required, not held assistive instruments required
optional, not held performance diagnosis optional
optional, not held animal behaviour optional
optional, not held behavioural therapy optional
optional, not held human psychological development optional
optional, not held palliative care optional
optional, not held sociology optional

Index

Other moves recorded from dance therapist

Full index of moves from dance therapist

Note

How this record was compiled

Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.