I am passionate about animals and their welfare, having lived with, worked with, observed and written about animals for many years. After starting my career in the health and community sectors as a mental health therapist, crisis counsellor and group facilitator, I moved into education and research while completing my doctorate in Applied Psychology. I have published widely in the human-animal relationship field, as well as the areas of mental health, stigma and discrimination and social cohesion. I currently live with an assortment of animals who all contribute in their unique ways to my writing.