2026 ABLE Launching Author
Dr. Jodi-Maree Cronin
AUTHOR
"I don’t believe regret is a useful emotion. I prefer to appreciate the learning and growth we gain from the challenges in our relationships."
- Dr. Jodi-Maree Cronin
About Dr. Jodi-Maree Cronin
Dr. Jodi-Maree Cronin is an author, Emotional Wealth Consultant, Director of Pack 4 Life Institute, and founder of Canine Integrative Relational Therapy (CIRT).
A retired medical doctor, medical manager, adult educator, counsellor and specialist in assistance-dog training and animal-assisted therapy, Jodi-Maree brings together qualifications and experience spanning medicine, counselling, education and behavioural science.
Her work explores the intersection between human wellbeing, relational safety and the human-animal bond, with a particular focus on trauma, identity, connection and the conditions that allow people to feel safe enough to heal, grow and reconnect with who they are.
At the heart of her work is a deep belief in the healing power and wisdom of the human-animal relationship — a belief profoundly shaped by her own assistance dog, Benni, who became her greatest teacher.
Jodi-Maree is the author of Benni: The Best Medicine Has Paws, a deeply personal account of trauma, recovery, resilience and discovering an entirely new way of understanding healing.
The Book Showcase
Benni: The Best Medicine Has Paws
By Dr. Jodi-Maree Cronin
When trauma shattered Jodi’s carefully constructed identity as a successful medical doctor, wife and mother, she is forced to confront grief, fractured relationships, stigma around mental health and the devastating cost of relentless self-sacrifice. Then Benni arrived.
Benni: The Best Medicine Has Paws is a powerful true story of survival, healing and the extraordinary bond between a woman and her assistance dog. As Jodi navigates PTSD and the quest to rebuild her life, Benni becomes her anchor.
This furry angel offered intuitive support, unconditional love and a pathway back to safety, purpose and peace. Through their journey together, Jodi discovers that healing doesn’t come from fixing what’s broken, but from learning to listen, slow down and reconnect with herself and the world around her.
Benni teaches lessons no textbook ever could: presence over perfection, compassion over judgement and strength through vulnerability.
Honest, hopeful and deeply inspiring, this book challenges how we think about mental health, recovery and resilience. It is for anyone who has faced darkness and wondered how to keep going.
Because sometimes, the most powerful medicine doesn’t come in a prescription — it walks beside you on four paws.
