Aviva Vincent

Dr. Aviva Vincent, LMSW earned her doctoral degree from Case Western Reserve University, Veterinary Social Work Certificate from the University of Tennessee, a fellowship with Animals in Society, and trained at The Institute For Interdisciplinary Salivary Bioscience Research, “spit camp”. She is an instructor in the Veterinary Social Work and Veterinary Human Support Certificate Program at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Her research interest includes exploring the physiological impact of the human-animal bond; specifically the potential animal support to reduce fear and anxiety in stressful situations. Additionally, her research includes integration of salivary analytes in social science research (e.g. oxytocin, alpha-amylase, and cortisol). Her background in veterinary social work informs her practice as the Director of Program Quality at Fieldstone Farm Therapeutic Riding Center in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. In this capacity, she is responsible for ensuring high-quality programs in adaptive riding, hippotherapy, carriage driving, and ground lessons for community participants. She is co-founder and owner of Healing Paws LLC, the only VSW practice in Northeast Ohio.

Dr. Vincent is on the advisory board of the Center for Human Animal Education Research and Education at Ohio State University, board of directors for the International Association of Veterinary Social Workers, and is founder of the human-animal interactions workgroup with the National Association of Social Workers-Ohio chapter. Dr. Vincent is a contributor to  the forthcoming volume The Comprehensive Guide to Interdisciplinary Veterinary Social Work, and Career Paths in Human-Animal Interaction for Social and Behavioral Scientists.