What is Animal Assisted Therapy?
Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) is a relatively well-known practice throughout the United States. Volunteers “team up” with their pet(s), typically dogs, to support those in need. Individuals and their pets visit medical and mental health facilities: outpatient clinics, psychiatric inpatient units, medical inpatient units, nursing homes and schools.
These volunteers and their pets are certified by nonprofit agencies, such as The Delta Society and the Good Dog Foundation. These organizations generally accept adult volunteers (ages 18-plus) who would like to devote their time to this therapeutic cause. The volunteers need not be mental health professionals. In fact, many individuals and families who are motivated to engage in AAT work in a variety of industries full-time.
What is Animal Assisted Psychotherapy?
Animal Assisted Psychotherapy (AAP) consists of a mental health professional’s using his or her pet as a therapeutic tool to enhance the work with the client.
How does the animal enhance the therapeutic process?
• The animal is safe to bond with. Clients often feel more comfortable expressing a range of feelings in the therapy room when they are able to pet my dog, Barney, during session.
• The animal is used to help children develop the capacity to empathize with others. For example, if a child scares my therapy dog by chasing him, or withdraws a treat after Barney thinks he will receive it, I will comment, “How might Barney be feeling right now?”
• The animal often enacts what the client has difficulty expressing. For example, if the client is anxious, my therapy dog will start pacing around the room. Noticing how Barney’s enactments mimic their own distress helps clients become more aware and tolerant of their own feelings.
• For children and teenagers, practicing tricks with the therapy dog helps improve their self-esteem and self-efficacy.
Who is ‘Barney the Therapy Dog,’ and how is he incorporated into your work at The Child and Family Institute?
Barney (my Cavalier King Charles Spaniel) has been working with me at the Child and Family Institute since 2012. After becoming certified by the Good Dog Foundation, Barney was enrolled as a volunteer pet therapist. At the Child and Family Institute, Barney co-leads animal assisted psychotherapy groups for children with trauma history, and participates in child and adult individual psychotherapy sessions with me.