Biography

Dr. Ellen Herlache-Pretzer is a Registered Occupational Therapist with experience in a variety of settings including acute-care inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation, low vision rehabilitation, community-based practice, assistance dogs, and animal-assisted interventions. She also works as a Field Representative for Paws With a Cause, an organization that trains assistance dogs and facility dogs that enable people with disabilities to lead more fulfilling, independent lives. Dr. Herlache-Pretzer has lectured and published at local, state, and national levels on topics related to interprofessional education, assistance dogs, and animal-assisted interventions. She received her Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy from Saginaw Valley State University; her Master of Arts in Counselor Education from Central Michigan University, and her Doctor of Education in Counseling Psychology from Argosy University. She is also a Certified Professional Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA). Dr. Herlache-Pretzer is a professor at SVSU, teaching courses on clinical research and advising Graduate Capstone Projects. Dr. Herlache-Pretzer's areas of research and interest include interprofessional educations, approaches to client assessment and evaluation of service dogs, and best practices in Animal-Assisted Interventions.