How Animal-Assisted Therapy Can Provide Security
There’s nothing quite like the peace you feel with a beloved pet on your lap or curled up next to you. Why not bring that feeling of comfort into your next therapy session?
Animal-assisted therapy can provide security, reduce stress and anxiety, and aid the therapeutic process. Learn more about how it may improve your emotional well-being below.
What Is Animal-Assisted Therapy?
Animal-assisted therapy is a type of counseling that blends human-animal interactions with traditional talk therapy. Think of it as a counseling session with an added bonus: a furry friend for you to pet and interact with.
More and more mental health practices have begun offering this service due to the many benefits of animal interactions.
How Does Animal-Assisted Therapy Work?
Mental health providers offering animal-assisted therapy work exclusively with pets who are trained in emotional support and therapeutic practices. The provider and animal develop a working relationship that they can bring to the counseling session, facilitating both physical and cognitive improvements in clients.
The presence of a trained therapy animal can provide immense comfort and peace for counseling clients. This therapeutic process may be especially effective for those who have not seen the desired benefits from traditional counseling.
How Animals Can Facilitate Emotional Breakthroughs
Animal-assisted therapy can provide security to clients during counseling sessions, which may make them more comfortable exploring thoughts and emotions and bring them closer to emotional breakthroughs. This form of counseling also boasts a range of other benefits:
Reduction of stress and anxiety: Clients feel more relaxed with a trained pet beside them. Their blood pressure may decrease, and they may feel capable of talking about challenging topics. Petting animals lowers cortisol levels and increases serotonin production, physically reducing feelings of stress.
Improved socialization: Animal-assisted counseling also aids social interaction and communication. Clients may prefer to speak directly to the pet while the therapist listens. One-on-one conversation with the therapist may not feel as intimidating with another party, a furry friend, present.
Comfort during discussions of grief and loss: Clients working through grief can feel comforted by a therapy-trained animal next to them. The presence of a pet may give them the strength to think and talk about their loss and start to move forward.
Emotional regulation: Pets inherently make people feel good. Clients can begin the counseling session in a state of emotional regulation rather than being inhibited by the day’s stressors or other challenging feelings.
Non-judgmental support: Non-judgmental companionship in mental health therapy goes a long way in supporting clients’ growth and healing. Animals never judge, providing ongoing comfort no matter what the client is discussing or how they are feeling.
Seek Animal-Assisted Therapy From Unleashed Counseling
At Unleashed Counseling, we understand how animal-assisted therapy can provide security and comfort to clients. We offer several therapeutic interventions with therapy animals like our beagle mix Benji and our bunnies Beck and Adler. These trained animals are ready to support you during your next counseling session.
Do you think you might benefit from animal-assisted therapy? Schedule an appointment online with us today!