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Animal Assisted Therapy

Domesticated animals have played a role in the lives of humans for thousands of years (Brodie & Biley, 1999). Beginning in the 9th century, animals were used for therapeutic purposes including assisting individuals with disabilities, while in the 18th century animals began to be utilized in mental health treatment settings to improve patients’ socialization skills. In the 1960’s there was an increasing appreciation for the health-inducing benefits of animal-human interactions. The practice of incorporating trained animals in therapeutic settings became more widespread. Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, used dogs in his therapy sessions. He observed that his patients felt more encouraged, relaxed, and able to confide when dogs were present in session.

What is Animal-Assisted Therapy?

Today, healthcare providers employ animal-assisted therapy in a wide range of settings, including hospitals, outpatient clinics and nursing homes. Many doctor’s and dentist’s offices have fish tanks in their waiting rooms to promote a sense of calm. It is now well known that the presence of animals can induce relaxation, increase positive emotions and put patients’ minds at ease. The American Humane Association defines animal-assisted therapy as: “a goal-directed intervention in which an animal is incorporated as an integral part of the clinical health-care treatment process. Animal-assisted therapy is delivered or directed by a professional health or human service provider who demonstrates skill and expertise regarding the clinical applications of human-animal interactions.”

Animal-assisted psychotherapy involves conducting a psychotherapy session with a certified therapy dog present. Animal-assisted psychotherapy incorporates all types of psychotherapy from cognitive-behavioral to psychoanalytic. The therapy animal is utilized as an adjunct to a therapeutic process, and becomes another tool in the tool-kit of therapy practice. The beauty of animal-assisted therapy is that it can be tailored to individual clients. The therapy dog can be instructed to sit next to patients so they can pet the animal throughout their session, or the therapy dog can be instructed to remain on his or her bed during the session, depending on the patient’s individual comfort level. Thus, the therapeutic approach during an animal-assisted psychotherapy session is individualized for each client. It is essentially the same as regular psychotherapy, but with a certified therapy dog present, to help reduce anxiety, depression, pain, and discomfort which adds to the effectiveness of the therapy session. The physical closeness and calm reassurance that trained therapy dogs provide are truly unique to the animal assisted therapy process.

(Allenmore Psychological Associates)

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