What is Animal Assisted Therapy all about?

Your dog wags his tail when you walk in the door….. you smile and feel happy.

You walk into the pasture and your horse trots over to greet you…..you feel appreciated.

Your kitten curls up on your lap…..you feel loved.

Such simple acts, but such powerful moments!

Every day, people are emotionally affected by the animals that surround them. What if you could channel that power into healing your soul, opening your mind, and increasing awareness of your own behavior towards others? This is what Animal Assisted Therapy does.

The concept of Animal Assisted Therapy has gained in popularity over the years. Many people have heard about using animals in therapy and wonder what it’s really all about. It’s about the involvement of animals in the therapy process to provide comfort and to promote personal growth and awareness. Horses, dogs, cats and other animals ASSIST us in increasing our awareness of our own behavior. They look past our words and tune into our body language, which shows our true selves. Animals are very sensitive to our underlying feelings even when we may not personally recognize what we are experiencing. Individuals; families; people with special needs; veterans with PTSD; people struggling with issues such as eating disorders, grief and addictions; can all benefit from interacting with animals to learn to better understand themselves and to recognize the effects of their behaviors on others.

The use of the general term Animal Assisted Therapy actually covers 2 categories which are Animal Assisted Therapy and Animal Assisted Psychotherapy.

Animal Assisted Therapy covers a broad range of animal related interactions, such as: providing emotional support by bringing dogs into nursing homes and schools or even into courtrooms to help an anxious witness to testify; providing crisis support by bringing dogs to comfort people in a situation where there has been trauma; providing hippotherapy which consists of riding a horse and strengthening the body; providing horse activities like petting and grooming for those with autism and physical challenges. Petting a dog in the therapist’s office or after a crisis situation can provide a sense of security and calm. Reading to a dog at school can build a child’s self-confidence. Interacting with a horse can help a person feel empowered. For people with physical disabilities, the horse’s motion can help build up muscles and physical strength. For autistic children, getting on a horse can be quite an accomplishment and may even lead to them speaking out loud… even if just to say “go” to the horse so they can let the horse know they want to go for a ride.

Animal Assisted Psychotherapy focuses on the mental health of the client. It includes Equine Assisted Psychotherapy which involves engaging in activities on the ground with horses (usually not riding), and Pet Assisted Psychotherapy which involves engaging in activities with dogs, cats and other animals. An Animal Assisted Psychotherapy session is run by a licensed Mental Health Professional. In sessions with groups and horses or multiple other animals involved, a second person, who is an Animal Specialist, is usually also involved. While the Therapist focuses on the mental health aspects, the Animal Specialist understands the animal’s behaviors and ensures everyone stays safe. The session structure usually consists of a discussion at the beginning to talk about what’s going on with the clients and what issues they are dealing with, followed by a specific activity interacting with the animals. It ends with an opportunity to process what has gone on and what the clients learned from the experience. Each therapist has their own personality and style but the goal is to enable clients to learn from their personal experience and figure things out on their own. The therapist usually has an activity planned that is based on the client’s needs, however it is important to be flexible.

Sometimes a client presents with a different situation so the activity may need to be changed and tailored accordingly. I had prepared a specific activity for one Equine Assisted Psychotherapy session but when my client arrived at the barn, she asked me about lifting a horse’s leg. She had heard that it was a trust issue and wanted to try it. So I decided to make lifting the horse’s leg the activity instead of what I had planned. She was scared at first, but built up the confidence and relationship with the horse to finally be successful. This was a more meaningful growth experience for her at that moment in time.

In another Equine Assisted Psychotherapy session the client said people always seem to ignore her. When she tried to walk a horse, he kept putting his head down to eat the grass and ignored her efforts to guide him. When it was pointed out that even the horse ignored her, she realized she had to be more assertive and take control of the situation. This was a metaphor for her taking more control of her life in general. Even clients who are engaged in traditional talk therapy sessions may benefit from a few Equine or Pet Assisted Psychotherapy sessions to deal with behaviors like this that respond to a more experiential approach and provide immediate feedback from the animals.

In family therapy situations, a family unfamiliar with horses might be asked to work together to put a saddle on a horse. One family member might take the lead, another may stand back while another may get bossy. Through this activity, the family dynamics become very apparent. This awareness can helpthem begin to understand each other’s feelings and learn to communicate better.

I have a pet snake and also a pet rat that I have brought to group Pet Assisted Psychotherapy sessions, on separate occasions of course! Observing and interacting with both of them has helped some people get over their fears of snakes and rats. They also realize that if they can conquer these fears, they can overcome many other adversities and obstacles. In addition, they may learn about how they judge others too quickly and don’t give themselves a chance to get to know someone.

Corporate environments can also find Animal Assisted Psychotherapy useful to improve leadership skills and encourage cohesiveness in the workplace. For example, bringing a dog to a group session and asking each person to give the dog a treat after teaching the dog a trick can be an eye opener. Some people will just give the treat. Others will try to teach a trick and just give up. Someone else might volunteer to help another group member. Observing and then talking about the different styles may help the group members see each other from a different perspective. It’s an opportunity to discuss such issues as: How do you train someone on the job? How do you help each other learn new tasks? Are your expectations realistic?

Think about a personal experience you have had with an animal. Was it positive or negative? How did it make you feel? What effect did it have on you at that time and how has it affected you in the long term? Has it changed you in any way? This thought process will give you more insight into the world of Animal Assisted Therapies. Working through both the positive and negative experiences enables you to look at them from a new perspective. One client shared a story about being pushed by his grandmother’sdog when he was a little boy. When asked how big the dog was he couldn’t remember. We talked about how small he was at the time and how even a little Chihuahua might have looked big. After laughing at this image, he was able to pet the dog in our session without as much anxiety.

You might find that this type of therapy would be helpful for you or for someone you know who is dealing with personal issues. You might decide this is a field of therapy you want to offer as a mental health professional. There are numerous providers of Animal Assisted Therapy worldwide and there are many schools and programs offering training in Animal Assisted Therapy. It’s a great opportunity to combine achieving personal growth with love and respect for animals.

Written By: Carol Tannen, MSW, LCSWCarol has been a

Psychotherapist for 45 years & has been providing Animal Assisted Psychotherapy for the last 10 years. She founded “Animals Bring Change” in South Florida & wants to help others understand the therapeutic benefits of involving animals in the therapy process. This prompted her to write an informative & easy to read book called “What is Animal Assisted Therapy? An Overview For Everyone Curious About This Type of Therapy”.