Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) can come in many forms, as many animals are good for therapy. Some people find they feel more at peace and are happier with animals around. This is not surprising, as humans have interacted with animals as companions for thousands of years. More recently, animal-assisted therapy, and animal-assisted interventions (AAI), have been used to help people who struggle with mental health concerns find healing. Animals allow patients to forget their troubles either by caring for or bonding with an animal.
What Is Animal-Assisted Therapy?
AAT is the introduction of animals as a cohesive part of a larger treatment plan. Animals are not responsible for making a person feel a certain way or making a person heal. Rather, the animal’s purpose as part of a treatment plan is to provide comfort, movement, routine, and basic bonding for the person they are helping. Though animals are fantastic creatures for aiding the healing process, AAT is not a form of therapy to be used in isolation.
How Does Animal-Assisted Therapy Work?
Some animals provide a routine for a person. The animal’s care will be the main focus of the patient’s treatment, allowing for lots of interaction and opportunities to bond. Routine is crucial for the treatment of mental health, and animals need routine care as well. This is a great way to help clients establish a routine, as the needs of the animal combined with the clients’ affection and desire to care for it paves the way for a routine to be built.
Animals can provide mood-balancing stability as well. Studies show that a person who likes animals will feel better being by simply being in the presence of an animal. Many people observe that animals will attempt to bond and approach humans for positive interaction. A significant source of this positive interaction is seen in dogs, horses, hedgehogs, cats, and more.
Some animals’ care provides movement and motor skills for the patient to work on. For example, dogs and horses require movement to care for. Horses need to be walked or ridden. They also require someone to carry heavy feed and scoop manure out of their stall. Dogs require exercise too, through walking or playing games like fetch or tug-of-war.
What Benefits Does Animal-Assisted Therapy Provide?
Animal-assisted therapy helps ease symptoms of several mental health issues, most commonly depression, anxiety, and trauma-induced co-occurring disorders. Animals benefit people through:
- Providing routine
- Distraction from pain, discomfort, or negative feelings
- Mood stabilization, even boosting serotonin and creating a generally happier time
- Increase in social interaction and the desire to get out of the house and see the animal
- Exercise and improved health and mobility
- A feeling of companionship and decreased feelings of loneliness
- Decrease fear or worry
- Motivation to care for the animal, to go out and see the animal, and to give the animal happiness
Common Animals Featured in Animal-Assisted Therapy
There are many animals to choose from for AAT, but as a person works with their recovery team to choose, they may find that certain types of animals are best for certain situations. Animals available for AAT include:
- Hedgehogs: Hedgehogs are cute, small, and cuddly when they’re in a loving environment. They’re great because they’re small and easy to look after. They are best for those who can take their hedgehog out of the cage to feed and socialize at least once a day.
- Dogs: Dogs are fantastic companions who require a lot of love and attention. Dogs are trainable and great for those who like routine, lots of love and attention, and who can take their dog out for plenty of exercise.
- Horses: Horses are great for those who like physical movement, routine, and socializing with animals. They are unique in that they can sense and mirror people’s emotions, so they’re great for learning emotional regulation. Horses are good companions for those who can commit lots of time and care.
Having Your Own Therapy Animal
Animals used for AAP are often not trained as professional therapy animals. For example, a guide dog undergoes specialized training to be used as a guide dog. Most animals that participate in AAP are not trained and it’s important to remember that there are limits for animals as far as where they can go and what they can do.
If you are considering a therapy animal or pet, talk to your doctor about the pros and cons, and work out what kind of animal you and your family can properly care for. If, upon your self-assessment, you find you can’t care for an animal long-term, find a place that allows for visitation with animals, or where you can volunteer to provide care. Some facilities have animals that are great for AAT.
Animal-assisted therapy is a great way for those who suffer from trauma or mental health concerns to find balance and routine. They’ll also find companionship, love, and stability with the animal. At Havenwood Academy, we offer animal-assisted interventions and therapies as part of our cohesive treatment plan. Our Utah facility features several homes, each home a resident hedgehog who provides emotional stability, growth, routine, and companionship for the teen girls we help. We only allow the girls to interact with the hedgehog when they are in a state of calm, allowing them time and space to self-soothe to have that nurturing interaction with the hedgehog. We also offer equine therapy and AAT with dogs to help with emotional regulation. If your teen daughter needs help working through trauma or other mental health concerns, Havenwood Academy is the place to be. Call us today at (435) 586-2500 to talk to our staff about our animal therapy.
Think Havenwood Might Be For You?
We encourage any visitors considering placing their daughter in treatment to fill out our online assessment as soon as possible. This two minute form will give our admissions team all the information needed to determine if your daughter is a good fit for our program.
Eric Allred was born and raised in Rigby, Idaho. He grew up on a family farm where he learned the value of work. He graduated from Rigby High School and attended Rick’s College, now known as BYU-Idaho. He received his bachelor’s degree in journalism from Utah State University, received a master’s degree in organizational behavior and human relations from the University of Phoenix and a second master’s degree in marital and family therapy from Phillips Graduate Institute. Eric has been involved in Rotary and was president of a local Rotary Club. He enjoys being with his family and doing outdoor activities such as fly fishing.
Chase was very fortunate to start in this industry as a struggling 17 year old kid looking for a mentor and something to be passionate about. Wilderness therapy was Chase’s first stop in this industry and was truly a transcendental experience for him. Chase has an enormous love for this line of work and the power that it has in creating change in everyone involved. Chase’s biggest belief is the power a mentor, strong, healthy relationships, and accountability can have on anyone, especially youth. Taking a very relational approach to his work, Chase has always been very relatable to the students he works with. Being able to understand and relate to a vast variety of the same struggles as a lot of the students he works with has been able to help him continue to grow, learn, and teach. Chase believes that with great rapport and trust, he can use his experience to continue to coach and train new staff, and has the ability to find those staff with the passion for this industry, and help them grow. His love and passion can be felt the moment you talk with Chase about this industry and he passes that on to others he works with. In his spare time you will find Chase cheering for the Eagles, Yankees, and Mavericks, hanging out with his brother, learning more about Eastern Psychology, and continuing to grow and learn.