Team Profile

Team Profile

Kate Nicoll
Team Soul Friends
First Name
Kate
Last Name
Nicoll
Email
kate@soulfriends.org
Website
https://soul-friends.org
About Me
Kate brings to Soul Friends more than  30 years of clinical experience working with families coping with grief, trauma and illness. Kate earned her MSW from Smith College and her BSW from Elms College; as well, she completed a graduate certificate in Animal Assisted Therapy and Education from DePaul University. Kate’s extensive mental health experience includes work with inpatient medical and psychiatric hospitals, children’s clinic, private practice, homecare agencies and hospice. She has presented across the country on the power of body-centered psychotherapy and animal assisted interventions for children. She has specialized in working with children with severe trauma and grief – and has partnered with community agencies and the state in adding the comfort of an animal partner to specific treatment plans. Over the past 16 years, Kate has created five group curriculum based programs for children that has consistently demonstrated through outcome measures and research positive benefits for children including : increased eye contact for children with autism and ADHD; increased hopefulness for children living with trauma and improved peer relationships for teens. As the principal investigator of a year long humane education study, Kate and her partners demonstrated the benefits of adding therapy animals in a classroom setting in a published journal article in Society and Animals.  Kate is the author of Soul Friends: Finding Healing with Animals and A Therapy Dog at Work and Play; Teaching Children about Body Clues. Along with her four children, Kate shares her love with seven animal companions at home including three Pet Partner registered therapy dogs. Kate is a member of EAGALA, and a certified Level 2 Practitioner. In the year 2008-2009, she was selected to be a Annie E. Casey Foundation Nonprofit Leadership Foundation to assist in her vision to bring Soul Friends, Inc to all the children in need of Connecticut.
Team Soul Friends
Soul Friends Power - ACTIVATE!
2 months ago no Comment
Animal Yoga Expedition

This August 27th at 6pm, join the Peaceful Pause to Promote Peace and Empower Families During the Pandemic Period.

3 months ago no Comment
Summer Themed Flower Arrangement

Create a summer themed flower arrangement with professional help from Forget Me Not florists of North Haven, CT. Flowers, vase and instructions are included.

2 years ago 1 Comment
Paint Your Pet Party

Join us for a fun night of painting a portrait of your pet. Wednesday, April 24th at 5:30 at Westbrook Lobster House in Wallingford, $50 donation includes a drawn picture of your pet, submitted to kate@soul-friends.org at least one week prior to the event. Food and drink are available for purchase. Special thanks to Paint […]

Animal Assisted Therapy Programs of Connecticut
6 years ago no Comment
Animal Assisted Therapy Programs of Connecticut

Today Connecticut celebrates the win of our state UCONN Huskies!  Celebrate by making a donation to Soul Friends: Animal Assisted Therapy Programs of CT and help support us in the care of our therapy animals, which last year cost almost $8,000. Visit us at www.soul-friends.org to make your donation  

Soul Friends : Animal Assisted Therapy Programs of Connecticut
8 years ago no Comment
Soul Friends : Animal Assisted Therapy Programs of Connecticut

We have worked with 5 local therapy dog organizations to try to pull together a master list to share support and care in Newtown , as well as across CT. This has been an effort to address our state’s own needs in a future crisis, by training crisis response therapy dogs.  We can work together […]

Equine Assisted Psychotherapy Group : Horses Inspire
8 years ago no Comment
Equine Assisted Psychotherapy Group : Horses Inspire

Soul Friends, Inc, Horses Inspire program will begin its Fall semester on September 19th at Hunter’s Glen. Our 6 session group program of groundwork with our equine partners has demonstrated an increased sense of hopefulness in girl’s living with loss, trauma and social emotional challenges. For more information, please email kate@soul-friends.org or call 203-679-0849  

Presentation at Boston Children’s Hospital
8 years ago no Comment
Presentation at Boston Children’s Hospital

Last Saturday about 35 AAI practitioners from New England gathered at Boston Children’s Hospital for a networking meeting.  Presentations from Tufts, Beth Israel, Soul Friends and Wheeler Clinic explored issues like therapy animal screening, policy issues and outcome measures.  Our work at Soul Friends, Inc was well received.

Hero Dog Award
8 years ago no Comment
Hero Dog Award

Help Soul Friends, Inc raise $15,000 by voting for Muffin in the American Humane Association Hero Dog Award. http://www.herodogawards.org/vote/?nominee=25862846      

8 years ago no Comment
Equine Assisted Psychotherapy Program Improves Sense of Hopefulness
8 years ago no Comment
Equine Assisted Psychotherapy Program Improves Sense of Hopefulness

Soul Friends, Inc, Horses Inspire Program has shown a demonstrated improvement in teens’ sense of hopefulness following a 6 week interactive therapy group. Soul Friends staff plans to continue research efforts to demonstrate effectiveness and improve the emotional lives of at-risk youth

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Make a Difference – One Wagging Tail at a Time  Many children throughout the state of Connecticut are in need of animal assisted therapy, Soul Friends staff is dedicated to providing these children access to this care.We believe in the power of the love from an animal friend to help children cope with major life […]

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An FR Production (2019)