ASD Team
Yariv Ben-Yosef
Head of Program Development, Delivery and Training
• Yariv is an internationally recognized and certified dog trainer holding a TAFE CERT 4 and numerous other international accreditations.
• He has been training dogs to assist people with various conditions for more that 20 years.
• He has worked internationally to develop unique and innovative techniques to improve the quality of life for people affected by physical, psychological or emotional disorders by training service and therapy dogs to help them attain improved quality of life.
• Leading a team of specialists, Yariv developed and successfully implemented the Alzheimer Aid Dog™ program in Israel, USA, Germany and United Kingdom.
• Yariv also educates various groups including special needs groups and their supporters, youth at risk, children and senior citizens about the needs and requirements of animals.
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Contact: yariv.ben.yosef@dogsforlife.com.au Mobile: +61 417 204 537
Kevin Picker
Company General Manager
Kevin is a member of the Institute of Accountants in Australia. He has worked in senior financial and general management roles in large international companies. He recently agreed to undertake the management of the Center for Service and Therapy Dogs Australia as a “for benefit company” due to the very material benefit a Dog, trained by Yariv Ben Yosef, gave to his son who has Autism.
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Contact: kevin.picker@dogsforlife.com.au Mobile: +61 458 458 541
Dr Pree Benton
Psychologist
BPsych (Honours), DPsych (Health), MAPS
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Pree is a registered health psychologist who is passionate about assisting people to become empowered in their lives. She is the principal psychologist at CSTDA and is responsible for assessment and supervision of each participant’s therapy program, the continued development of CSTDA’s Animal-Assisted Empowerment Program, and research. She holds a Bachelor of Psychology (with Honours) and a Doctorate of Psychology (Health). She is registered with AHPRA and a member of the Australian Psychological Society (MAPS).
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Contact: pree.benton@dogsforlife.com.au
Daphna Golan-Shemesh
Professional aged care advisor
Studied Social Work and specialised in Geriatrics at Tel Aviv University, later mastered in Expressive Art Therapies at Leslie College in Boston. Professional advisor of the Service and Therapy Dog centre and a collaborator in the designing of unique individualized projects. Owns, manages and works extensively with animals and dementia sufferers in the aged care environment.
Sharon Hill
Professional Dog Trainer and Animal Industry Innovator
Worked extensively in the Animal, especially Dog, industry for the past 30 Years. During that time Sharon has worked both locally and internationally as a Breeder and trainer having produced many Champion Dogs. Sharon currently owns and runs a Dog centre in Reservoir where besides grooming and Dog care she also concentrates on using Dogs to assist Youth and Elderly at Risk. She worked extensively on the “Edaspace Project’ the winner of the 2013 Nab award.
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Area: Resevroir, Epping, North Melbourne
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Contact Sharon: sharon.hill@dogsforlife.com.au
Georgia Bennie
Psychologist
BPsychSc, BSc (Psych) (Hons), MProfPsych
Georgia is an AHPRA registered provisional psychologist with a prior military background
handling working dogs. She advises and assists in the operation of Dogs for Life Therapy
Programs and Animal-Assisted Empowerment Programs. Georgia is passionate in
empowering all participants and has a special interest in working with trauma and service
populations. She holds a Bachelor of Psychological Science, Bachelor of Science (Psychology, Honours) and Master of Professional Psychology.
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Contact Georgia: georgia.bennie@dogsforlife.com.au
Monika Hoefer
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Area: Dandenong, Mount Evelyn, North East Melbourne
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Contact Monika: monika.hoefer@dogsforlife.com.au
Steven Cavicciolo
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Area: Wangaratta, North Victoria
Contact Steven: steven.cav@dogsforlife.com.au