​

I am practicing Animal Assisted Therapy in Counselling (AAT-C).  AAT-C is the incorporation of pets as therapeutic agents into the counselling process.  The preferred practice is a counselor working with her own pet, although some therapists use dogs who are not their own with the owners present.  A therapist can only practice AAT-C if they are a trained therapist first.  I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor and plan to use my own dog in my sessions with clients.

Incorporating animals into therapy has documented benefits. Pets provide people with love, companionship, entertainmentand support.  Relationships with dogs are much more simple and straightforward than human relationships:  people can hide true feelings, thoughts and intentions; pets' emotions are largely unmasked.  Pets provide practice for being in relationship.  Incorporating AAT-C can enhance counselling by increasing a client's sense of safety and experience of nurturance.  AAT-C can provide additional opportunities for insight, growth, and healing.

Why involve pets in therapy?  

Including pets in therapy provides positive impacts in the counselling process. Clients may:

• Be more motivated to participate in therapy because of the pet.
• Receive healing nurturance and affection through physical contact with the pet.
• Experience soothing comfort from petting or holding the pet.
• Experience genuine acceptance by the pet.
• Experience enjoyment and entertainment from interaction with the pet.
• Be able to form a more trusting relationship with a therapist who demonstrates that they can be trusted by the way they interact with the therapy animal.
• Have enhanced personal awareness from the way the animal interacts with or responds to the client.
• Be able to perform activities and achieve goals that would not otherwise be possible without the assistance of a therapy pet.
• Experience health benefits, as research has shown that holding and petting a dog lowers blood pressure, releases strain and tension, and can draw out a person suffering from loneliness and/or depression.
• Relieve stress, finding comfort and distraction from pain
• Increase social engagement, enabling therapeutic conversation.
  

The website counsellingbc.com states that the bond between client and animal can motivate a client and create positive interactions that can be translated to human interaction.

Therapy dogs draw on their innate capacity and desire to nurture people. The dog's ability to detect and signal emotional distress it perceives occurring in a person can move the therapy along in a helpful manner.

Benefits to Clients:

There are many benefits to including pets in therapy, such as:

• Engaging with a dog can provide entertainment and relaxation.
• Opportunities to interact with a social animal can facilitate personal and social development in a client.
• Petting a dog can create a soothing and calming effect for the client.
• A dog's ability to be attentive to commands and training cues can strengthen a client's self-concept and self-esteem.
• AAT-C is a multisensory experience for the client that may enhance attention to tasks and integration of therapeutic experiences.
• The presence of an animal adds significant kinesthetic, tactile, auditory, visual, and olfactory stimulation to an environment, and a client may integrate information to a deeper, more meaningful level.
  

Benefits to Therapy Animal:

Pets used in therapy practices experience benefits.

• Therapy work provides a stimulating activity for a highly intelligent creature.
• Dogs spend more time with their owner, reinforcing her sense of "pack" and belonging, making her a reliable support companion.
• She can be a healthier and happier animal due to rigorous health and training requirements for a therapy animal.

 Benefits to Human Therapist:

 Counsellors incorporating pets into their therapy practices experience benefits. Benefits to me include:

• Increased quality time with Addie.
• An opportunity to share with others the affection, gifts, and talents of my therapy animal.
• A warmer and friendlier work atmosphere.
• Better client response to therapeutic interventions through the therapy animal.
• More effective client engagement as some basic therapeutic goals and interventions can work better with therapy animal facilitation.
  

Impact in School Environment 

Indie and Gidget are both Therapy Dogs at schools.  Therapy Dogs are considered "comfort animals".  The owners volunteer their time to bring their dog to certain environments where they can provide comfort to people, most often in schools and Senior's Centres.  Addie will be trained to have her Therapy Dog credentials at 1 year of age.  The reading I have done about AAT-C recommends that puppies should be exposed early and often to many different people in many different environments, which is why I have started my work with Addie now.

Addie is insured for AAT-C through my private practice insurance.  The insurance follows me to any site where I work with Addie.  The insurance is not valid if Addie is with another person, so other staff cannot take Addie and work with her as she will not be insured.

Addie is still a puppy and sleeps 16 hours a day.  Most of the day she will be sleeping.  I plan to not take her into crowded hallways or classrooms yet.  She needs to be around many different people in order to learn socialization skills. This will be done primarily in my office with individuals or very small groups who come in for a session.  As Addie's skills improve and as I learn through my work with her, my practice will continue to evolve and change.

Addie is a Kooikerhundje a breed from the Netherlands.  Kooikerhundjes make an affectionate family companion. The breed is described as lively, agile, self-confident, good-natured and alert. The breed is faithful, easy-going and friendly in the home. They like to spend time outdoors, and as a true sporting dog, they enjoy working and do so with a cheerful character.

More information is available here: http://kooikerhulphondje.nl

I am currently working closely with Ann Jackson, a respected local dog trainer, to make sure Addie is well trained and socialized.  I will be Addie's primary care giver and we are training her this way.  She will be attending puppy kindergarten with my entire family.  As well, I am also preparing her for her therapy dog assessment.

Personally, I am undertaking professional development on Animal Assisted Therapy.  I am reading Cythia K. Chandler' book Animal Assisted Therapy in Counselling.  She writes that AAT-C provides interactions that enhance the counseling process and facilitate growth and healing of clients, and that dogs increase the potency of the therapeutic alliance and provide additional opportunities for therapeutic interventions.

Potential Risks

There are general risks associated with AAT-C, most of which can be prevented by the therapist.  One type of risk could be injury to a client. These risks end to be inadvertent: tripping over a leash, or being scratched or bitten in play.  Another risk is a client becoming over attached to the therapy dog and suffering from grief and loss when saying goodbye to her.  Some clients may be allergic or afraid. In these cases, Addie would be secured in her crate and/or I would work with the client in an alternate space.

Risks to the therapy animal include being dropped, squeezed or hit by a client.  Also, Addie could experience stress and overwork and part of my training is to ensure I am watching her and monitoring her well-being.  

Please talk with me about any questions or concerns you may have.

Sincerely,

Desiree Blume, MA, MEd

Registered Clinical Counsellor

School Counsellor