Adam has been in partnership with horses for the last decade, at first starting with multiple horse rescues (Peaceful Acres Horses and Littlebrook Farm) and initially receiving training in the EAGALA model as an Equine Specialist. Adam found so much impact within the horse-human connection that he went to graduate school specifically for Equine Assisted work. Now, Adam has over five years of experience with private practice, developing and honing skills at Zuma’s Rescue Ranch in Colorado before relocating to Bend, Oregon.
Adam is the founder of Pet Loss Education Project, his consulting practice, whose focus is on reducing the cultural stigma associated with pet loss, supporting pet owners, and educating professionals. Adam educates and supports veterinary professionals within his practice in self-care strategies, time management, communication techniques, clinic growth, and personal/professional balance. Most recently Adam has been actively involved in consulting roles with the American Humane Society, American Veterinary Medical Association, as well as Barkbox. Within his role at Pet Loss Education Project, Adam has launched a growing audience through social media, Pet Loss Education and Support, as well as reaching over one million readers within his online Column for Psychology Today, Animal Attachment since 2016, which is aimed at the human-animal bond and focuses on issues at end of life between pets and their human counterparts.
Adam has the honor of being an Adjunct Professor at the University of Denver Graduate School of Social work since 2016 and has had the privilege of updated and reformatting SOWK 4741: Grief & Loss Across the Lifespan. In addition, Adam has taught SOWK 4001: Clinical Social Work Skills, SOWK 4338: Assessment of Mental Health Across the Lifespan, SOWK 4796: Animal-Assisted Social Work Practice, SOWK 4340: Leadership and Supervision as well as SOWK 4003 Clinical Social Work Theory and Practice. Within his teaching style, Adam is passionate about the well-being of the graduate students he serves and promotes a challenging, positive-feedback structured classroom environment. Since moving to Oregon, Adam continues as an adjunct through MSW@Denver online.
Adam has been involved with the Institute for Human-Animal Connection at the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work (IHAC) upon entering graduate school. Since graduating, Adam has been invited back to participate in guest lectures and consultations as needed for the last five years. Adam has since moved into the role of Affiliate Faculty for IHAC since 2018 and continues to work within a variety of supportive roles and consultation within the Institute, including contribution as an author within Transforming Trauma: Resilience and Healing Through Our Connections With Animals (Purdue University Press, 2019).
In his personal time, Adam has an obsession with good coffee. He enjoys hiking, reading, spending time with the two and four-legged beings within his life and exploring all that Oregon has to offer.