New Year, New You: What’s Holding You Back? Could Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) Move You Forward?
Do you want to make 2025 your best year yet? Animal-assisted therapy, or AAT, could be one of the keys to helping you put your stamp on the next 12 months.
Even if traditional talk therapy hasn’t worked as well as you might have hoped in the past, you shouldn’t let this stop you from considering AAT sessions. Just ensure you know what AAT is and how it works before starting.
Learn more about how AAT could help you move forward as you dive headfirst into the new year below.
What Is Animal-Assisted Therapy?
Animal-assisted therapy has only been officially recognized since the 1960s. Dr. Boris Levinson coined the term and introduced the medical world to AAT after witnessing his dog Jingles’s profound impact on one of his young patients.
Today, AAT is a therapeutic treatment process involving licensed therapists working with therapy animals and the special human-animal bond to deliver physical and mental health improvements to patients.
What Should You Expect From AAT?
Therapy animals, including dogs, cats, horses, and rabbits form strong bonds with the licensed therapists who work closely with them and their patients. During animal-assisted therapy, you should expect to interact closely with these animals as you speak with a therapist, just like you would during traditional talk therapy sessions.
These animals offer a calming and therapeutic presence during AAT sessions. They provide emotional support as you converse with a therapist, in addition to companionship and comfort as you discuss difficult topics.
Additionally, these animals are incredibly intuitive and sense when you need assistance, such as when you’re feeling emotional, crying, or struggling to open up.
How Might AAT Help You in 2025?
Animal-assisted therapy has the potential to provide truly unique experiences in 2025 and beyond. Studies such as this one from 2021 show that AAT will extend much-needed stress and anxiety relief to patients.
Studies have also shown that AAT might enable you to enjoy other benefits. AAT sessions may:
Regulate emotions
Enhance social interactions
Improve self-esteem
AAT might even eliminate any resistance you have to therapy sessions. This could result in you transforming into an even better version of yourself before 2025 ends.
Schedule Your First AAT Session Below
Each new year allows you to work on yourself and improve your physical and mental health. You have an opportunity to unlock your full potential by taking advantage of animal-assisted therapy.
Unleashed Counseling is here to help you make the most of AAT and the benefits it offers. We employ licensed therapists with therapy animals who will allow you to experience the strong animal-human bond during AAT sessions.
Call us at (484) 933-4370 today to see how our therapy animals will unlock emotions, reduce anxiety, and create a calming, supportive environment as you aim to move forward in 2025.