RtoR Family-Endorsed Provider Profile
Go Fetch Wellness
Animal Assisted Therapy
Atlanta, GA
Go Fetch Wellness is an animal assisted therapy practice operated by founder Jeff Fink and his trained therapy dog Earl. His practice was established in 2013 to help people living with serious mental health disorders find relief from the isolation and distress caused by their illnesses.
Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is a goal-oriented intervention that seeks to improve a person’s mental, physical, social, and emotional functioning with the aid of specially trained animals. Go Fetch Wellness offers a unique approach to AAT, providing mobile services based in a person’s preferred environment, including home and treatment centers with excursions into the community. Jeff meets his clients wherever they are in their healing process and customizes each session to the individual. Benefits of AAT include: increased focus and attention; increased self-esteem and ability to care for self; reduced anxiety; increased positive social interactions; aid in overcoming phobias; reduced blood pressure and depression; and the experience of feeling unconditional love from an animal.
Jeff is a certified Animal Assisted Therapist who works closely with a person’s clinical treatment team to identify existing treatment goals that he and his therapy dog can support, such as helping a person with agoraphobia leave home to make regular trips to restaurants, grocery stores and shopping malls or helping people heal through exposure to fresh air, nature, movement, and positive social interactions.
AAT sessions with Earl are available to persons age 12 and up in both group and one-on-one formats. Jeff and Earl are also available for speaking engagements on a variety of AAT subjects, and facility assessments to groups and organizations interested in learning how AAT may fit into their current therapeutic model. For more information on AAT please refer to the Go Fetch Wellness web page What is Animal Assisted Therapy?
Go Fetch Wellness
Atlanta, GA
404-694-0003
Email
Website
Family Member Quotes
“Jeff and Earl did a wonderful job working with my daughter. Jeff is a natural therapist. He and Earl were extremely intuitive, and were able to identify my daughter’s emotional needs. They also helped her on her social interactions. I highly recommend them!”
Other Mental Health Provider Quotes
“Jeff’s easy going and fun loving nature were a great match for our residents, each with their own unique struggles. He made everyone feel at ease and special when it came time for group. The residents said group therapy with Jeff and Earl was their favorite activity! We highly recommend this team, even for the most difficult clients.”
“Jeff and Earl presented at our monthly NAMI Northside Atlanta educational meeting. His presentation was not only entertaining, but very informative. It showed how unconditional love given by dogs can help those battling the extreme difficulties of living with mental illness. Jeff’s insight and openness about his own struggles added much credibility to what he had to say.”
“Jeff Fink specializes in animal assisted mental health interventions. I have seen first-hand the spectacular work he does in that his clients progress much farther and faster versus using traditional therapy alone. Jeff and his dog, Earl, work individually and in groups with those suffering from serious mental health conditions and the world would be a better place if there were more people like him in this world.”
Information and Referrals
Speak with a Resource Specialist about services and referrals to Go Fetch Wellness.
Services
- Animal Assisted Therapy
- Individual sessions
- Group sessions
- Peer counseling
- Facility assessments
- Consultations
- Speaking engagements
Client Focus
- Children and adolescents (12+)
- Adults
- Individuals and groups
Accreditations & Qualifications
Credentials
Jeff Fink is an Animal-Assisted Therapist certified in AAT by the Denver Graduate School of Social Work. He graduated with a B.B.A in Marketing from the University of Georgia.
As the CCO (Chief Canine Officer) of Go Fetch Wellness, Earl has been in training since he was 8 weeks old and continues to train with Jeff daily.
In operation since: 2013
Payment
Cost of sessions varies depending on location and services required.
Go Fetch Wellness in the Media
Beyond Silence Documentary–Demi Lovato’s Be Vocal Campaign
Publications
More about Go Fetch Wellness
“Go Fetch Wellness was formed with the overriding purpose to make a real, lasting difference in the lives of individuals suffering from the unrelenting pain of mental illness. We strive to help those frozen with fear to look forward to something enjoyable, even if only for an hour or two a week. We are committed to helping individuals understand that they have a chance to live without being defined by their illness, and to find pleasure in the presence of an animal.”
“Earl is sensitive, loyal, and non-judgmental. He lives in the present moment, which we as human beings, recognize as very valuable, but difficult to achieve in practice. We feel it is of utmost importance to enable individuals to progress at their own pace and time, no matter where their starting point might have been. We hope to foster subtle, but lasting changes each session. The results we have experienced have been remarkable so far. Earl’s friendly personality, gentle nature, and calm demeanor, are endearing to all who meet him, and he loves meeting new people! Earl, and other canines like him, can be of great comfort to others, even in their darkest hours.”
