Originally from England, Dr. Anne Barnfield holds a B.Sc. from the University of London, Great Britain, and a Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from the University of Sussex, Great Britain. Anne currently is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Brescia University College (affiliated with the University of Western Ontario), in London, Ontario, Canada.
A member of several professional organizations relating to human-animal interactions, and working for HETI on the Ethics Taskforce and the Research and Education committee, Anne is interested in the beneficial psychological effects of physical activity and particularly the effects of interactions involving equines.
Although involved in a number of different types of studies, Anne’s current research area is equine-assisted/facilitated activities: the beneficial influences of Therapeutic Riding (TR) for children with special needs, and applications of Equine-Assisted Therapy/Psychotherapy (EAT/P) in treatment of anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for Military Veterans and Emergency Services Personnel.
In her free time Anne volunteers at the local TR centre, practices karate, and rides her own horse “Lilliput”. Anne lives in London, Ontario, with her husband Richard, a Political Sciences Professor.