Animal Assisted Therapy

Therapy Cat From Catster — Therapy Cat
From Catster

The Human-Animal bond is as old as civilization itself. Through art, literature, and history, we have been taught that humans and animals have shared a close relationship. Domestic animals (or pets) are considered to be a part of the family by many people, and the phrase “man’s best friend” has been used for decades.

Recently, this close relationship we have with animals has been used as a tool to help other people by incorporating them in the therapeutic process. Animal Assisted Therapy is a therapy model in which mental health professionals (like psychologists and counselors), use animals to facilitate the therapeutic process. The human-animal bond is usually conceptualized under the attachment theory. This therapy model can be used with individuals with emotional, social or behavioral disturbances. It is mostly used with patients with depression, anxiety, chronic illness, addiction, and autism.

The animals most commonly used for AAT are dogs, cats, horses, bunnies, and birds. Other animals can be used as assistants in the therapeutic process as long as they can be trained. For an animal to be used in a therapeutic environment, it must be certified as a Therapy Animal. For example, dogs must be trained, socialized, and assessed before they are deemed to be safe around patients. Once they go through the certification process (which include supervised visits to participants), they are certified as Therapy Dogs. Therapy Dogs are commonly found visiting children in the hospital or elderly people in a nursing home. They are also used in rehabilitation facilities, schools, and libraries.

Ely The Therapy Dog visiting a patient From The Oregonian — Ely The Therapy Dog visiting a patient
From The Oregonian

Animal Assisted Therapy has been found to help establishing a good relationship between the therapist and the patient. Patients may feel more comfortable with the therapy animal present as it helps lower anxiety. AAT assists the patient in feeling comfortable and safe enough to open up in therapy. Therapy Dogs approach the patient with a non-threatening and non-judgmental disposition and offer unconditional appraisal and acceptance. This model has proven effective when used with traditional psychotherapy to encourage and teach empathy in children and adolescents, especially those that have gone through trauma and loss. It’s important that children are taught to create healthy and positive relationships with animals as this will later serve as a model for social relationships with other people. AAT has also been proven to be successful for emotional regulation, behavior modification, encouraging pro-social behavior, improving self-esteem, companionship, attachment and affection. Other benefits include:

Increased focus and attention
Increased self-esteem and ability to care for oneself
Reduced anxiety, grief, and isolation
Reduced blood pressure, depression, and risk of heart attack or stroke
Increased trust, empathy, and self-control
Improved social skills and teamwork

Even with all these benefits, Animal Assisted Therapy is not for everyone. People that do not like animals, are allergic or are afraid of animals are not good candidates to be part of it. Also, the therapist or the therapy animal handler must have as much control possible over the animal to avoid accidents. Regardless of these risks, this model has been proven to be successful and beneficial for the patients involved. Once you find an animal with the temperament and training necessary, your patients could benefit from the animal’s presence, and their non-judgmental and unconditional companionship.