Professional/Personal Biography
Janelle Nimer, Ph.D., LCSW has over 20 years of professional, academic, and volunteer experience with animal-assisted interventions (AAI). Dr. Nimer is certified in Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and she is certified and a consultant in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). Dr. Nimer’s passion is providing an array of evidence-based therapeutic services, including AAI and play therapy, to children and adolescents who have experienced trauma, emotional distress, or are disabled. The canine-assisted therapy she provides to patients is in collaboration with her Canine Companions for Independence Facility Dog, Flower. The equine-assisted therapy she provides patients collaborates with Sunset Equestrian Center in Kaysville, utilizing EAGALA and Path, Intl with veterans, women, and adolescents who have experienced trauma. As co-founder and co-owner of the Animals 4 Healing and the 4 Healing Center, Dr. Nimer approaches therapy from a family systems perspective and enjoys working with individuals of all ages to achieve their therapeutic goals. In addition, Dr. Nimer teaches AAI to graduate students at the University of Utah, College of Social Work and presents regularly on AAI at local, state, national, and international conferences.
Dr. Nimer earned a Masters in Social Work from the University of Utah and a Doctorate in Social Work from the University of Tennessee. In 2005, Dr. Nimer presented posters of her research at the International Society for Anthrozoology (ISAZ) and published her AAI research in 2007. In 2007, Dr. Nimer presented research on Veterinary Social Work at the International Association of Human-Animal Interaction Organization (IAHAIO) and ISAZ conferences in Tokyo. Dr. Nimer specialized in grief and loss and AAI during her three-year doctoral fellowship with Veterinary Social Work as well as provided therapeutic services to children and adolescents at the East Tennessee Children’s Hospital who had experienced a crisis, traumatic event, or chronic illness.