| What is it about the wagging tail of a dog or the | | | | setting as a safety zone, which is not the same |
| purr of a cat that makes us feel so calm, so | | | | as animal-assisted therapy (see below). |
| safe, so present? I've been working with rescue | | | | 3. Animal-assisted activities may be used when |
| dogs in my practice for quite a number of years | | | | trained volunteers and pets visit individuals or |
| and more than a few clients have said, "I came | | | | groups at prisons, nursing homes, psychiatric |
| to see you for psychotherapy because you work | | | | hospitals and children's wards of hospitals. |
| with dogs." I remember one patient who came in | | | | 4. In animal-assisted therapy, therapists and |
| and said, "Y'know I didn't know you from beans, | | | | trained volunteers use the pets in therapy |
| but I figured, how bad could you be if you | | | | sessions to help patients accomplish certain |
| rescued two dogs?" Another young man was so | | | | therapeutic objectives (build self-esteem, stay |
| traumatized by abuse that he held onto one of | | | | focused, access traumatic memories). For |
| the dogs and cried for two months. He could not | | | | instance, having children learn to ride a horse, |
| yet tolerate the vagaries of human relationship, | | | | touch a dolphin and swim, care for a lizard. |
| but he could let the dog love him. And through | | | | Animal-assisted therapy seems to work |
| that a bridge was formed back to life. | | | | particularly well with those who have difficulties |
| Animal-Human Bonding | | | | with communication-autistic children and elderly |
| One of the major sources of disease is the | | | | patients with alzheimer's or other forms of |
| stress of loneliness and isolation. Even in the midst | | | | dementia. Also, it seems to work with those who |
| of a crowd, we can feel alone, anxious, | | | | have been hurt or abused by humans, with the |
| disconnected. As a result, one of the essential | | | | animal gently reconnecting them to the world. |
| elements to healing is connectedness. A physician | | | | 5. Psychiatric service dogs are used to perform |
| without empathy, compassion, and love isn't doing | | | | specific tasks and help to ameliorate certain |
| even half her job. So the question becomes, do | | | | symptoms of the person's disease, e.g., get |
| animals feel? More specifically, do they feel with | | | | medication at a specific time or alert them to an |
| us and like us? The evidence seems to suggest | | | | impending panic attack and lead them to a safe |
| they do. When my patients cry, my dogs go | | | | place. These dogs are also used for general |
| over, nuzzling them with their snouts, licking away | | | | medical conditions, such as cardiac care, physical |
| their tears, looking for ways to soothe them and | | | | handicaps, etc.... |
| make them feel better. Anyone with pets has | | | | Some Science Behind the Magic |
| seen the same thing. They know when we're | | | | How does this work? Those researchers who |
| angry, when we're afraid, when we're sad, when | | | | study emotion and neurology are in agreement |
| we're angry. And the only way they could know | | | | about certain major points, one of them being |
| would be to have similar emotional states | | | | that Emotions Communicate. Even without words, |
| themselves. The data has been mounting that not | | | | the positive or negative emotional expression of |
| only do animals enjoy play for the pure "fun" of it, | | | | one person will tend to produce a positive or |
| but many (particularly primates) grieve in much | | | | negative emotion in another. |
| the same way we do, miss us when we are | | | | Most emotion is centered in the hypothalamus, |
| gone, and have the power of anticipation. | | | | thalamus and limbic system (amygdalar, septal and |
| The Field of Pet Therapy | | | | thalamocingulate). This is the Papez circuit. The |
| Something about animals-not just cats and dogs, | | | | emotions that come from there are most |
| but horses, dolphins, birds, geese, mice and | | | | primal-fear, anger, sexuality, hunger, goal-directed |
| rabbits-helps us to heal. It is not simply a | | | | (avoidance of pain). The higher level emotions |
| sentimental fantasy. It's science. Aaron Katcher | | | | such as love, compassion, etc...need to be |
| MD and Patricia Gonser PhD are currently engaged | | | | mediated by the cerebral cortex. The |
| in research that suggests that animals can have a | | | | hypothalamus is responsible for the release of |
| positive effect on people's mental health. I know | | | | stress hormones, such as adrenalin (epinephrine, |
| one fellow, a 55-year old teacher who was going | | | | norepinephrine, cortisol, ACTH). Pets have been |
| through a terrible spot with his adolescent son, | | | | known to have the following effects: |
| who eventually needed hospitalization. He had also | | | | *ability to command attention and increase its |
| suffered from depression off and on through his | | | | span power of diversion and substitution |
| life. And he said, in no uncertain terms, that if he | | | | *capacity to modify mood |
| had not had his dog, he would have lost his mind | | | | *capacity to stimulate to action |
| or left his home. In the Ohio Reformatory for | | | | *capacity to relieve internal tensions |
| Women, Susan Kestella is the Director of a pet | | | | *capacity to facilitate self-expression |
| therapy and wildlife rehab program. They started | | | | *capacity to stimulate re-socialization. |
| with wildlife rehabilitation as a way of helping the | | | | Animals Rehabilitate Inmates |
| community (because it is such time-consuming | | | | Some time ago there was a wonderful |
| work, few people can or will do it) but it turned | | | | documentary about a Midwestern penitentiary |
| out to be much, much more. The inmates | | | | which started a dog rescue and training program |
| became intensely involved, developing exquisite | | | | in partnership with local humane societies. Dogs |
| rapports with the animals as well as with each | | | | would be saved from death and brought to the |
| other, building self-respect, skills, and resources | | | | inmates for year-long training programs. At first |
| they weren't aware they had. What they found | | | | the warden and the administration was wary. |
| was that the disabled pets that they could never | | | | What would the inmates do to the animals? What |
| release and had to keep in the prison, were able | | | | would the animals do to the inmates? They were |
| to help not only the inmates who worked with | | | | deeply concerned, but proceeded, taking detailed |
| them, but dozens of other low-functioning or | | | | notes along the way. What they found shocked |
| disabled inmates. They found that the simple act | | | | them. It was the most successful rehabilitation |
| of holding the rabbits on their laps calmed the | | | | program ever initiated. Inmates found new |
| women and changed the environment in the | | | | meaning, new self-esteem, learned incredible skills |
| prison itself. | | | | that were marketable, felt loved perhaps for the |
| Pet Therapy Options | | | | first time in their lives, gave of themselves, |
| There are a few ways that this therapy is | | | | learned how to love unconditionally, learned how |
| conducted. | | | | to let go when the dogs had to be given up for |
| 1. A clinician can suggest that a client (if it is | | | | adoption, and found out that they had something |
| appropriate, safe and useful for both patient AND | | | | to live for and that they had a place in the world. |
| animal) get a pet to have at home. We would not | | | | And the dogs, who would have languished in |
| pair a high-maintenance animal with someone who | | | | cages or been put to death, became adoptable, |
| goes in and out of psychotic episodes, primarily | | | | well-trained, loving companions.c. Judith Acosta, |
| because it would not be safe for the animal. | | | | 2009. All rights reserved. |
| 2. A clinician can have an animal in the office | | | | |