The Benefits Of Animal Assisted Therapy

Animal Assisted Therapy also known as animal-assisted therapy has been formally introduced to the world in the last ten years or so. Although animals have always been a place of comfort for a lot of people, scientists just began to realize the impact animals have on society. The world has begun to experiment with what animals can do to benefit human health. The most common type of animal-assisted therapy is equine-assisted therapy. Equines are horses. Equine-assisted therapy 's impact on minors who have mental health issues have led to a successful new type of therapy that includes multiple benefits. Equine-assisted therapy has worked well in is treating adolescents and children how to communicate and connect with others. Two big issues that animal-assisted therapy has been known to help is Autism and kids with attachment and social problems.

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.

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

Questions arise concerning the treatment of therapy dogs when visiting patients and whether animal-assisted therapy really works at all; however, those who disagree aren’t looking at the big picture. Animal-assisted therapy is both an ethical and effective therapy method due to its success in treating those with chronic diseases, disorders, and managing stress and anxiety. The varieties of cases regarding the success of therapy dog treatments far surmount the amount of cases saying otherwise. Animal-assisted therapy stems from the human-animal connection, one of the most unique and powerful bonds man has ever experienced. It is that connection that allows animal assisted therapy to be a critical part of everyone’s daily

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

With limited empirical research supporting the use and effectiveness of animal-assisted therapy, it is reasonable to suggest that the costs of implementing AAT into occupational therapy are not worth the benefits. Occupational therapy modalities are already effective at treating patients with many different disabilities and/or disorders—integrating a new type of therapy into occupational therapy is less convenient and more expensive than leaving an already effective therapy as is.

Animal assisted therapy includes all psychological theories and incorporates animals, such as dogs or horses, into a therapeutic treatment plan. It is used to enhance and complement traditional therapy methods, but it is not done by itself. Animal assisted therapy has been effectively used in individuals with autism, medical conditions, and trauma survivors. It may also be implemented for people with psychological disorders, such as depression, schizophrenia, and addiction. Depending on the type of therapy and the type of animal involved, you may keep the therapy animal at home and with you throughout the day for emotional support, or you might learn to ride and care for a therapy horse that is kept at an equestrian facility. Afterwards, you

Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT), which can be provided in a group or individual settings, is designed to promote improvement in a human’s physical, social, emotional, or cognitive function. An article by Chitic,

The research proposal suggests that animal-assisted therapy (AAT) can be beneficial to those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Altschuler, 2018). expresses the information from the media is often much more detailed and less filtered than those of medical reports as they use these media stories as their resources for compiling the research proposal. The author expresses their concern for the cost and timeliness of a full-out research study and so they decided to conduct a research proposal to support their ideologies of the importance of AAT with PTSD treatment. Altschuler (2018) suggests that animals can be used to dramatically improve PTSD symptoms, potential benefit from AAT with multiple different animals, and that AAT

Through the current study, O’Haire, McKenzie, McCune, and Slaughter (2013) examined the integration of animals into the classroom to find if this improves the social functioning of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The authors define animal-assisted activity (AAA) as “activities with animals that provide opportunities for motivational, educational, recreational, and/or therapeutic benefits without the presence of specified treatment goals or objectives” (O’Haire, McKenzie, McCune, & Slaughter, 2013, p. 163). Previous research has focused on animal-assisted therapy (AAT), which is a guided intervention led by a trained professional. It is important to study AAA because this does not have to be led by a trained professional and

One area that is receiving a lot of attention is the use of animal-assisted therapy (frequently dogs) for individuals with autism. While research is limited, studies reveal that children with an ASD laugh, talk and display other positive social behaviors when they have a companion animal with them. A recent study explored the viewpoints of youth with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). This innovative study finds that animals help individuals with autism combat feelings of loneliness. Additional research finds that animals can reduce the anxiety, depression and fear that many people with an ASD feel. Furthermore, studies indicate that behavioral problems decrease, positive social interactions and a desire to participate are gained through animal-assisted therapy.

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.

Animal assisted therapy is a highly productive form of cognitive therapy that strives to reduce an individuals stress levels and increase their mental and physical health in the form of companionship. Famous psychologist Sigmund Freud theorized from early on that the presence of his dog during psychoanalysis sessions significantly improved the patient’s mood and comfortability. According to research from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, animal companionship has been seen to lower a person’s heart rate, blood pressure, and cholesterol. Bonding annually with over 80,000 people, the organization visits various places such as; hospitals, nursing homes, youth facilities, convalescent homes, and developmentally disabled centers.

What Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) Is Owning a pet and being around animals of varying species can be comforting, calming, and maybe even therapeutic to many people. According to the Humane Society of the United States, pet ownership has more than tripled in the U.S. since the 1970s. For years, organizations, animal-behavioral groups, and individuals have claimed that the use of AAT provides multiple physical, emotional, and mental benefits to its participants. Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is not commonly used or practiced in many rehabilitation facilities, but current research by multiple organizations and individual researchers discuss the benefits of this therapy. “Statistically, significant reductions in anxiety scores were found after

Over the years, animals have participated with great results in the treatment of the elderly and terminally ill. Now, Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) is benefitting people diagnosed with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) with promising results. Veterans are the most notable with it comes to PTSD. These men and women share a deep sense of fellowship and believe that no one but another fellow soldier can understand what they have experienced. Helping veterans who are suffering as a result of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder has mostly been through counseling, medication, and partnering with other military veterans for support. (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2017) A large number of people have often have been exposed to animals at a young age through having pets, pictures in books, going to the zoo, television, classrooms, blankets, or clothing. Pairing animals with humans to treat any number of ailments is a new route many people are taking as part of their treatment plan. The resent use of Animal Assisted Therapy for people that suffer from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder has been on the rise in recent years to help with dealing with everyday life and recovery. Moreover, the healing process for PTSD has