Overcoming Anxiety – Working With Animals and a Therapist

Going through life with anxiety can be immensely challenging. An ongoing state of panic hinders you from completing everyday tasks or connecting with others. 

Mental health therapy could help you overcome anxious thought patterns and live more freely. One of the newer therapeutic practices that has benefited clients is animal-assisted therapy. Learn more about overcoming anxiety with animals and when to seek professional help. 

What Levels of Anxiety Are Normal, and When Should You Seek Help? 

Everyone experiences anxious thoughts from time to time, especially before something particularly important or challenging. But you may have a mental health condition if your anxiety interferes with your life significantly, including:

• Persistent or excessive worry about everyday events

• Trouble falling or staying asleep

• Physical symptoms like heart palpitations, sweating, lightheadedness, or stomach aches

• Difficulty concentrating on tasks

• Restlessness or apprehension

• Feelings of depression, irritability, or low mood

If at least a few of these symptoms ring true for you, it may be time to seek professional help. 

Traditional Methods of Overcoming Anxiety 

A licensed therapist can help you overcome symptoms of anxiety by addressing the cause of this feeling and teaching you coping mechanisms. They might use any of these techniques:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

• Mindfulness

• Deep breathing

• Progressive muscle relaxation 

• Setting boundaries with others

They may also recommend that you consult a psychiatrist or physician to start taking medication. Certain drugs can reduce the physical symptoms associated with feeling anxious, helping you feel more comfortable in new or challenging situations. Always discuss beginning medication and medical treatment with your Doctor.

Overcoming Anxiety With Animals

If you have struggled to work through anxious thought patterns with traditional counseling, you may benefit from an alternative therapeutic approach. Animal-assisted therapy for anxiety relief involves bringing a therapy animal into your counseling session. The pet can provide comfort and companionship as you meet with your therapist, work through triggers, and develop goals. 

Animal-assisted therapy offers a world of benefits for anxiety: 

• Stress and cortisol reduction: Interacting with animals automatically reduces stress levels by lowering your body’s cortisol. It can also reduce your heart rate. As a result, you’ll feel more relaxed in your counseling sessions. 

• Oxytocin release through animal interaction: Petting or talking to a pet can also release oxytocin, a hormone that contributes to emotional regulation. 

• Companionship: Having an animal next to you during a therapy session can provide a sense of support and companionship. You may feel more confident opening up to your therapist with a furry friend nearby, cheering you on. 

You can enjoy some of these same benefits by adopting your own pet. Dogs, cats, and other pets offer unmatched emotional support, routine and companionship benefits, and natural anxiety reduction. 

Schedule Animal-Assisted Therapy Today

At Unleashed Counseling, we offer animal-assisted interventions for emotional well-being. Our therapists understand the connection between emotional support animals and mental health, and we incorporate these principles into our counseling sessions. We have several trained therapy animals as part of our team, like our chihuahua mix, Clover, and our sweet bunnies Beck and Adler.

Schedule an appointment online to learn more about our methods for overcoming anxiety with animals.