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Animal-Assisted Therapy

Abbey Ragusa

February 23, 2018

AAST

Animal-Assisted Therapy
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Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) is one of the many types of therapeutic works. AAT can

help with many different illnesses and/or disorders such as PTSD, autism, and abuse. Animals

are used for therapy since they provide a sense of safety, minimize stress, and help people relax

(Understanding the Benefits of Animal-Assisted Therapies, n.d). The relationship between

animals reducing stress and people was recognized first by Florence Nightingale during the

1800s, who saw psychiatric patients and children have reduced anxiety when animals were

present (Understanding the Benefits of Animal-Assisted Therapies, n.d). The first programs that

certified animals for therapy started in the 1980’s (Understanding the Benefits of Animal-

Assisted Therapies, n.d). Now, animal-assisted therapy can be seen all around the world in many

different settings, including hospitals.

Types of AAT

Animal-Assisted Therapy has many different forms. The two main types are pet therapy

and basic Animal-Assisted Therapy (Understanding the Benefits of Animal-Assisted Therapies,

n.d). Pet therapy is used for people going through a temporary difficulty, such as recovering from

surgery or going through a tough treatment plan (Understanding the Benefits of Animal-Assisted

Therapies, n.d). Patients feel joy and relieve stress by just being around and petting the animal.

Basic AAT involves social workers and patients who use animals that directly are involved in the

treatment plan (Understanding the Benefits of Animal-Assisted Therapies, n.d). Dogs and horses

are the most commonly used animals for AAT, and sometimes cats are even used. Canine-

assisted therapy helps with depression, and equine-assisted therapy helps with patients learning

to gain trust. “The therapist can incorporate the animal into whatever professional style of

therapy they wish. AAT therapy can be directive or nondirective in its approach; for example, a

dog can be actively involved with the client or merely present in the room” (Stapleton, 2016, pg
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135). Service animals are also a type of animal-assisted therapy since they help people with

everyday tasks and activities (Stapleton, 2016). Companion animals are able to provide

emotional management to children who are in situations that they have little to no control over,

such as abuse (Maharaj, 2016).

Benefits of AAT

45% of reported child abuse perpetrators are known and trusted by the child, and once

that trust is gone, it is hard to gain back (Kemp & all, 2014). Animals are proven to help children

suffering from any form of abuse. Horses are used for children who are sexually abused. Since

horses are animals of prey, they are naturally aware of the emotions and body language of

humans (Kemp & all, 2014). Horses help children with the ability to read nonverbal cues and

help children gain trust (Understanding the Benefits of Animal-Assisted Therapies). Dogs help

children obtain a positive attitude and motivation (Understanding the Benefits of Animal-

Assisted Therapies, n.d). Animals can also inspire children to take better care of themselves

(Maharaj, 2016). Animals are also known to reduce stress levels dramatically. “Dogs provided

participants with unconditional love, physical warmth and safety, a sense of responsibility, and

improved health and wellbeing” (Maharaj, 2016). Beyond physical well-being, animals also

contribute to psychological health (Maharaj, 2016). When children are suffering from abuse,

their mindset can change dramatically. Animals are able to help children regain trust and change

their outlook on life.

Research

A research study was conducted with dogs and children who were suffering from

traumatic experiences. The overall goal of this program was to help children develop positive life

skills (Kelly and Cozzolino, 2015). This specific AAT program ran for eight weeks, with a one-
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and-a-half-hour session per week (Kelly and Cozzolino, 2015). The youth worked with the same

therapy dog each week so the trust could build stronger and more efficient (Kelly and Cozzolino,

2015). The therapy dog hosts, the therapists, and the children participating must make a

commitment to the program, and this is the first step in showing the children to take

responsibility for their actions (Kelly and Cozzolino, 2015). The average group size was six, so

there would be a 1:1:1 ratio between the therapy dog, therapist, and child (Kelly and Cozzolino,

2015). Each session had a different goal for the children to accomplish. The first week’s goal

was orientation, and the children learned about the program through the volunteers (Kelly and

Cozzolino, 2015). Since connection is vital to this program, the children were asked to pick two

dogs they would like to work with (Kelly and Cozzolino, 2015). Week two focused on

foundation skills, such as eye contact and reinforcing good behavior, and the main goal was lay

the foundation between the child and the dog (Kelly and Cozzolino, 2015). Week three focused

on obedience, and the main goal was to utilize new skills with learned skills to motivate the dog

(Kelly and Cozzolino, 2015). Week four focused on canine massages, and the main goal was to

teach relaxation through massage techniques (Kelly and Cozzolino, 2015). Week five focused on

agility (a fast-moving, off leash sport), and the main purpose was to teach self-awareness and

emotional management (Kelly and Cozzolino, 2015). Week six concentrated on perfecting all

skills and getting the children ready for their course “graduation”, and the main purpose was to

insure that the youth will have a positive sense of transition (Kelly and Cozzolino, 2015). Week

seven’s main focus was rehearsing for the course graduation and allowing the child and their

therapy dog to have unstructured time with each other (Kelly and Cozzolino, 2015). Week eight

allows the children to invite guests to their graduation to share their accomplishments (Kelly and

Cozzolino, 2015). The children would introduce who they were and their therapy dog, and then
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they would show the audience what they taught their dog (Kelly and Cozzolino, 2015). “The

overall goal is for the youths to graduate with feelings of accomplishment, as well as

improvement in the program outcomes” (Kelly and Cozzolino, 2015, pg 431).

Research Conclusion

This specific animal-assisted therapy program was designed to help children develop a

stronger sense of self-control, self-esteem, and social skills (Kelly and Cozzolino, 2015). Every

weekly lesson had a different motive and task for the children to accomplish. These goals help

the children improve their intrapersonal awareness and promote a positive attachment to their

families (Kelly and Cozzolino, 2015). Children involved in this program also experienced a

decrease in their depressive symptoms (Kelly and Cozzolino, 2015). Through all of the lessons,

the children developed a strong, healthy bond with their therapy dog to symbolize how bonds

between people (in this case family members) should be. The children were able to learn from

the therapy dogs and apply what they learned to their everyday life (Kelly and Cozzolino, 2015).

This is one of the many countless models in AAT that can be used for children who are

experiencing abuse to help them recover.

Conclusion

Putting all of this together, the use of animals in therapy programs can in fact help people

recover in many cases. From post traumatic stress disorder, going through a difficult medical

treatment, and child abuse, animals are able to reduce stress levels of patients and provide a

sense of comfort and safety. Dogs, horses, and cats are some of the many animals that are used

for different therapy programs. There should be more programs that involve animals in therapy

sessions so more research about this topic can be done. Many children love animals, so how can

someone go wrong with incorporating animals into their therapy sessions when they are helping
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a child who is a victim of abuse? Animals can help children create a positive attitude towards

life, and it may be able to stop the majority of child abuse cases.

References

Kelly, M. A., & Cozzolino, C. A. (2015, 10). Helping at-risk youth overcome trauma and

substance abuse through animal-assisted therapy. Contemporary Justice Review, From

http://eds.b.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=8276e014-6718-4f6b-9ade-

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sessmgr01&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#db=aqh&AN=111728137
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Kemp, K., Signal, T., Botros, H., Taylor, N., & Prentice, K. (2014). Equine Facilitated Therapy

with Children and Adolescents Who Have Been Sexually Abused: A Program Evaluation

Study. Journal Of Child & Family Studies, from

http://eds.b.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=cc6d53be-0404-40ac-923b-

d331931f71a0%40sessionmgr102&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#AN=94763

077&db=pbh

Maharaj, N. (2016). Companion Animals and Vulnerable Youth: Promoting Engagement

between Youth and Professional Service Providers. Journal Of Loss & Trauma, from

http://eds.b.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=0114519b-c400-4a31-9d0d-

7ea20fa61abd%40sessionmgr103&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#AN=11612

4236&db=tfh

Stapleton, M. (2016). Effectiveness of Animal Assisted Therapy after brain injury: A bridge to

improved outcomes in CRT. Neurorehabilitation, from

http://eds.b.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=6f928ff5-4337-4d48-

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Understanding the Benefits of Animal-Assisted Therapies. (n.d.). Retrieved January 31, 2018,

from https://americanaddictioncenters.org/therapy-treatment/animal-assisted/