Animal Assisted Therapy

Nightingale and Freud’s contributions to psychotherapy methods using animal-assistance did not end where they began. Dr. Boris Levinson made-- what was just a curiosity by some-- a legitimized

In the field of therapy, there are numerous of therapy available out there for different type of individuals and situations as well. There is one type of therapy that usually contains people and animal, it is animal-assisted therapy is a therapeutic approach that brings animals and individuals with physical and/or emotional needs together to perform the therapy. Animal-assisted therapy tend to be focused on individuals either children or elderly for them to be able to connect with the animal thus feeling comfortable talking with the therapist. Pet therapy works for all ages, whether sick or not (Lanchnit, 2011). Although, this paper, most of the focus is on animal-assisted therapy towards children using dogs.

Medical professionals have recently seen the positive effects animals are able to provide to their patients with mental disabilities. The emotional support dog MA recognizes

Nepps, & Bruckno, (2014) and Souter & Miller,(2007) results were determined by pre/ post questionnaires and scales that viewed each participant mood before and after each session to see the outcome and effectiveness. It showed a dramatic increase in mood. It was also shown that that therapeutic alliance is enhanced with the addition of a therapy dog within a group setting with adult clients in a residential drug abuse treatment setting. Animal assisted therapy has also been shown to reduce feelings of anger and symptoms of PTSD, which can contribute to an overall improvement of mood and reduce depressive

For centuries people have known that animal companionship has brought many benefits to people’s lives. According to Kathryn Heimlich, of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the first known time a companion animal was used to aid in a therapy program was “York Retreat in England, an establishment founded by the Quakers for persons with mental illness” (Heimlich, 2001, p. 48). As stated by Heimlich, the first published reports of the benefits of animal-assisted therapy come from Psychologist Boris Levinson. Levinson “discovered that he could reach a disturbed child during therapy

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, anxiety, or depression, amongst many other disabilities deserve to be acknowledged because of the medical advancements in the past several years which support the effectiveness of service animals. These disabilities affect the everyday lives of thousands of people throughout the United States, which is why I believe that service animals can be a beneficial component that may boost a person’s endurance. In the article, Service Dog Training Program for Treatment of PTSD in Service Members, a study written with the United States Army, results concluded that service animals were deemed effective in their practices. The article reports that veterans and service members had an “increase in patience, impulse control, [and] emotional regulation” (Yount, et al.). As a helpful practice for disabled persons, it is a civil injustice to discriminate against a person with a service dog. To neglect a disabled person’s accessibility to basic public services in modern society is a violation of human rights. I think that the lack of accommodations for service animals and their handlers is an overlooked issue in society, which is why I believe that my research is a relevant issue in modern

In a recent study conducted by Rebecca Johnson, Ph.D., RN, of the University of Missouri-Columbia Center for the Study of Animal Wellness showed that when humans pet a dog, within minutes there is a huge amount of beneficial hormones known to be associated with health and feelings of well-being.(Becker par. 2) These hormones are called beta endorphin, prolactin, dopamine, oxytocin, and beta phenylethylamine (Becker par. 2). The hormones that are released from the interaction between the animal and the human allow the patients to feel more blissful and trusting. Along with being emotionally benefited from working with animals in assisted therapy; people can benefit physically. For example, people who have physical

Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is a fairly old practice, but it has just recently drawn a lot of attention and interest. The Delta Society (as cited by Nebbe, n.d.) defines animal-assisted therapy as the use of an animal in a goal oriented intervention. AAT is provided and documented by professionals. Furthermore, it is designed to promote advancements in social, emotional, physical, and/or cognitive operation (Nebbe, n.d.). It is also important to note that animal-assisted therapy should always be an adjunctive intervention and not in isolation of other services (Fitchett, Granger, Helmer, Kogan, & Young, 1999). Almost any animal can be used in AAT as long as it is a pleasant, sociable animal. However, before animal-assisted therapy

As an aid in traditional therapy, Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) provides comfort, support, an outlet for stress relief, and a way to relieve anxiety. In an article by Ernst (2012), one can see many

Marine veteran, Booby Peeker, who was a combat engineer whose job in Afghanistan was to search for roadside bombs. While deployed, Peeker experienced ambushes and deaths of four men from his company. The trauma Peeker faced during his time in the Marine Corps was self-medicated with alcohol until he obtained a service dog, leading him back to full function. The last two case studies are from various news stories found by Altschuler. First, was a Vietnam War combat veteran who had a 40-year history with PTSD and was unsuccessfully treated by counseling. After finding equine-assisted therapy, he was successfully alleviated and felt that equine-assisted therapy “saved his life,” (Altschuler, 2018). The second news case study was another Vietnam combat veteran who also committed to equine-assisted therapy. They too were positively changed by the treatment experienced. Using other research as the basic for this meta-analysis of media stories in a form of a case report, Altschuler (2018) suggests that there needs to be a research study done conducted properly to compare two groups of treatments: the control being treated with a “placebo” as an emotional support dog and the experimental group being treated with a service dog. Altschuler (2018). The proposal of this research does not provide a clear example of the procedure as well as a lack in explanation in validity once the research is

Animal Assisted Therapy dates back to the early 18th century. It was used to help the mentally ill patients at the York Retreat in England. They would allow animals to wander the grounds with the patients and it was believed that is was helpful in increasing the socialization of the patients. The first documented use of an animal therapy was when Dr. Boris Levinson accidentally left his dog and a difficult child alone and when he came back the child was calm and talking with the dog. Today animals are being used in many different environments to help assist patients with their daily activities. Over the years, studies have shown that some animal assisted therapy has been more affective on people than the use of a medication.

There are many positive effects of owning a pet. Animals can increase the health and well-being of individuals and can be a useful tool in the counseling arena. Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) has been in use since the early 18th century. England hospitals used animals as a method of socialization and to boost morale (“History of animal assisted therapy,” 2014). Since it’s early roots, AAT has evolved as a method of therapy that helps individuals and group members overcome obstacles and achieve goals.

Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is a form of therapy which promotes social interaction, as well as improvements in human social, emotional, physical and/or cognitive functioning, creates an environment where the client can disclose and experience empathy, trust, sensitivity, and comfort (Coetzee, Beukes, & Lynch, 2013; Pet Partners, 2012). Pet/animal assisted therapy has been traced back to the 18th century, with records indicating that in 1919 pets accompanied psychiatric patients in a Washington D.C hospital (Chu, Liu, Sun, & Lin, 2009). When therapy sessions are accompanied by the presence of an animal, the client enters a non-threatening, safe and trusting environment where self-disclosure of personal emotions and experiences becomes easier for the client (Reviewed by Coetzee, Beukes, & Lynch, 2013).

Animal assisted therapy is rapidly becoming a new means for therapeutic medicine. Therapy dogs are being implemented to help aid those with diseases, disorders, or those suffering from stress and anxiety; however, many are questioning if this therapy method is a proper program in terms of both effectiveness and ethics. The main scope of this research paper is limited to sources collected within the past ten years. Although my paper is not necessarily scientifically based it is important to use resources that are somewhat recent in order to heighten their credibility on the topic. In addition, the sources I use pertain to therapy dogs helping those facing mental illness, chronic disease, and high stress situations. These categories are taken into consideration because the roles of therapy dogs are commonly used in those areas. Furthermore, my sources are not limited in location. Therapy dogs are being put into practice globally as another tactic for therapeutic sessions.

Earlier this month, Will and I had the pleasure of meeting with Annemarie, a psychologist at Neaves and Menne in Adelaide, to discusss the concept of 'animal assisted therapy'. We know that somehow, animals can be hugely therapeutic. We form bonds with them. Playing with our dog, sleeping with the cat, and from my own personal experience I noticed as a child that my Father would visit the horse if he needed to 'destress' at the end of a long day at work.