Animal assisted therapy: How does it help and why opt for it?

Animals and human beings often form a natural bond with each other. We’ve seen it in movies like Marley and Me (2008), Dolphin Tale (2011), Hachi: A Dog’s Tale (2009) and Free Willy (1993). Researchers have been studying this relationship for decades and have found that it goes beyond what is shown in popular culture. Human-animal interaction has a number of positive effects on the individual ’s overall wellbeing. Among many things, it helps increase emotional stability while improving one’s self-worth, socialization and communication skills.

The bond between human beings and animals has been used to enhance physical and emotional wellbeing since the 1600s. But it wasn’t until child psychologist Dr Boris Levinson published his study The Dog as a ‘Co-therapist’   in 1962 that it became a part of psychotherapy. The inclusion of animals as aides to psychotherapy has, since then, gained wide recognition.

The duration of each AAT session is usually one hour. In the first few sessions, the therapist gets a full understanding of the client’s history and evaluates their readiness to begin interacting with a therapy animal.

There are a wide range of animals used in AAT – from small animals like guinea pigs and birds to larger ones like dogs, dolphins, and horses. In India, dogs are most common in the therapeutic setting. Some therapists also use cats and hamsters, but other kinds of animals have not been adopted into the therapeutic setting yet.

The reason dogs are commonly used in AAT is because they can emotionally engage, communicate and interact. They understand pointing, verbal and visual communication, and can read human facial expressions.

Irrespective of the breed or the animal species, it is important to ensure the therapy animal is well trained. Animals are chosen based on their temperament and reactions to various stimuli. In the case of dogs, those that are calm, friendly, and confident are found to be more suitable.

It also helps with the overall wellbeing of people with neurological disorders such as dementia and Parkinson’s disease. In such cases, it helps to reduce psychological distress and keeps the individual motivated to adhere better to their main line of treatment.

The animal becomes the reason the client is able to be in a position to talk about their concerns. In some cases, they find it easier to talk to the animal present during the session. Animal assisted therapist, Shilpa Raghavan says, “Therapy animals act as catalysts in the process.” This is especially helpful while addressing distressing topics like assault.

AAT may not be recommended if:

• The client dislikes or is afraid of animals

• They feel no connection towards animals

• They have a history of abusing or being abused by an animal

• Their religious beliefs prohibit their interaction with the kind of therapy animal employed in the setting

• They are allergic to dander or animal fur

The therapist looks at the level of hyperactivity, impulsiveness  and aggression displayed by the client. This is to ensure that no harm is done to the therapy animal during a session.

AAT in India

AAT has only recently started gaining popularity in India. There is a lack of understanding among people that limits newly trained animal-assisted therapists from putting their practice to full use. They end up spending a considerable amount of time in raising awareness. The absence of a governing body poses to be a problem. It is critical to ensure that the animal, the therapist, and the handler have received adequate training and work well as a team.

This article has been written with inputs from Shruti Chakravarty a mental health practitioner, Shilpa Raghavan an animal assisted therapist and Citizen K9, a canine behaviorist and trainer.

References:

• Animal-Assisted Interventions in Mental Health: Definitions and Theoretical Foundations, https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Katherine_Kruger/publication/255576067_Animal-Assisted_Interventions_in_Mental_Health_Definitions_and_Theoretical_Foundations/links/545c5c0e0cf249070a7a9df0/Animal-Assisted-Interventions-in-Mental-Health-Definitions-and-Theoretical-Foundations.pdf

• Dogs and health. A review of documented connections, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9456582

• The Healing Power of the Human-Animal Connection, http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.500.2269&rep=rep1&type=pdf

• Animal Assisted Therapy in Counseling (New York: Routledge), C.K. Chandler (2005)

• Hounds and Homesickness: The Effects of an Animal-assisted Therapeutic Intervention for First- Year University Students, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08927936.2016.1181364#aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudGFuZGZvbmxpbmUuY29tL2RvaS9wZGYvMTAuMTA4MC8wODkyNzkzNi4yMDE2LjExODEzNjQ/bmVlZEFjY2Vzcz10cnVlQEBAMA==

• Going to the dogs: A quasi-experimental assessment of animal assisted therapy for children who have experienced abuse, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10888691.2016.1165098?src=recsys

• Effectiveness of animal-assisted therapy: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials, http://www.f.u-tokyo.ac.jp/~utdpm/2014%20Kamioka%20animal-assisted%20therapy%20CTM.pdf