Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT)
The Benefits of Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT)
Since man has had his first start, animals have been right along beside him, and for good reason. Animals are a way to bring out the emotion in people, they can make us calm, or happy, and even sad when we have to say our goodbyes. Therefore, naturally by adding them to a psychological part in medicine was a very good idea, and it is an idea that has been around for a long time. It is not just affecting people mentally but physically as well. There is also a lot of variety in it all, you have different animals for different patients in different situations, with a lot of different programs and organizations that add to the mix as well. Overall, it is a great idea with great results.
Animal-assisted …show more content…
therapy first started from the idea and the initial belief, that animals held in supernatural powers and spirits. And if you look back on history there is a lot of this, from Egyptians, to Native Americans, the Celtics, even the Roman Empire considered the bull to be a sacred animal. So naturally the idea the behind relationships with animals are a very old but powerful concept. In modern times today animals are seen rather as "agents of socialization" in short, pets. And are providers of "social support and relaxation" (Weintraub). In addition, that is what their mostly seen as, just pets. However, a good amount of actual pet owners or animal lovers would probably say they are more than that.
There really is no official scripture or writing saying "this is the day we started Animal Assisted Therapy." Even before its first official documentation, it was probably used beforehand without someone even knowing it, but seeing how far back the recorded history of it goes, it 's safe to say it’s been a long time.
With that in mind, one of the earliest reported uses of Animal Assisted Therapy was for the mentally ill and took place in the late 18th century at the York Retreat in England, which was led by William Tuke, a businessman/philanthropist who wanted to find a more humane and moral was to take care of patients with mental disorders. In fact, before the idea of moral treatment was introduced by Tuke, the mental hospital was probably one of the last places anyone would want to be. Of course, no one really wants to be there anyway, but would they rather go to the place called a “mental hospital” or the “lunatic asylum,” which was what it was called beforehand? Therefore, patients at this retreat were allowed to walk around the grounds, which often had small domestic animals about, and were allowed to interact with them from time to time; this was found to be an effective tool for socialization between patients and doctors (Weintraub). Later, in the 1860 's, the Bethlehem Hospital in England followed the same idea and added animals to the ward, which also greatly influenced a positive mentality and mood of the patients living there (Weintraub). Over time, this method …show more content…
would continue to grow in popularity.
Over time, as animal use in therapy was used, but not officially documented, it really wasn 't seen as a medicine, but rather as just something that calmed people down. This, however, changed in the early 1960 's with a man named Boris Levinson. The first case (or what is believed to be the first official case) with therapy involving animals was used on accident by Dr. Levinson, an American child psychologist, who was also given credit for the start of Animal Assisted Therapy. The incident starts with Levinson who was having a session with a distressed child. He had to leave at one point, and he left the child with his dog. Upon returning, Levinson found the child had calmed down and was petting, as well as talking to, the dog. Levinson looked more into this and this is probably where he got his start for Animal Assisted Therapy (ASPCA).
Similarly, Sigmund Freud, a neurologist and known as the father of psychoanalysis, also kept many dogs for therapy, and often had his own dog, Jofi, present during his sessions of psychoanalysis. He noted that the presence of the dog was helpful because the patient would find that their speech would not shock or disturb the dog and this encouraged them to relax. It was really a way to have a sort of extra presence there and helped the patient to be less nervous about having a one-on-one psychoanalysis with a doctor. In addition, he often found this to be most relatable to his adolescent patients (Weintraub).
Of course, that doesn’t mean Animal Therapy is just for younger kids. There are different techniques used in AAT, it all really depends on the needs and condition of the patient. For example, elderly patients with dementia might benefit from more hands on interactions with the animal. Animal assisted therapy is more than happy to provide these patients with opportunities to have close physical contact with the animals and is allowed to hold or hug them for comfort. Animal assisted therapy counselors also plan activities for patients that need physical movement. These planned tasks include petting the animal, walking the animal, and grooming the animal, and other tasks and tricks the animal does. These experiences seem so common and simple, but it could mean a lot to a patient, especially the elderly who might not really have anyone to visit them or their loved ones have moved on. Animals in this situation are used to provide a sense of meaning and belonging to these patients and offer something to look forward to during their long days (Barker).
The AAT program also encourages the expression of emotions, stimulation through discussions, and recalling of memories while the patient bonds with the animal. Many of the troubling symptoms in elderly dementia patients include decreased physical functioning, apathy, depression, loneliness, and disturbing behaviors and are all positively affected by AAT interventions. Animal assisted therapy is very useful in helping these negative behaviors decrease by focusing their attention on something positive (the animal) rather than their physical illness, motivating them to be physically active and encouraging communication skills for those with memory loss (Animal-Assisted Therapy). Numerous researchers have even found that communication with animals has a positive effect on older adults by increasing their social behavior and communication with others, while also getting rid of tense behavior and loneliness (Rovner).
Here’s a picture of me volunteering at the local hospital with Hannah.
A variety of people can benefit from animal therapy, the elderly, the mentally ill, even physical disabilities; it really seems to have no limit. Another benefit is, because of its hand-on approach, animal therapy is also useful for children and teens that have difficulty focusing. They can even affect the regular people around them who are just having a bad day and need some comfort and can be provided by any kind of animal (THE LEWIS SCHOOL OF PRINCETON).
Even though Canine Therapy is probably, the most well known, Horse Therapy is one relatively unheard of, so let 's start there. Otherwise known as Hippothearpy, can be used as a treatment for people with physical or mental challenges. Hippotherapy has also been approved by the American Speech and Hearing Association to Marty Becher, Hippotherapy programs are active "in twenty-four countries and the horse 's functions have expanded to therapeutic riding for people with physical, psychological, cognitive, social, and behavioral problems."Other animals are used as well to the basic dog, to the downright odd request. However, it 's all with the best intentions and people are continuing to find an interest in it (Fine).
Speaking of which, some people may want to get involved in animal assisted therapy, and they can even do it with their own pet, and there are a few things you can do to have a strong start. In order to become Animal-Assisted Therapy certified, a pet owner must go through Pet Partners, formerly Delta Society, which is a nonprofit organization that uses animal therapy to help people live healthier and happier lifestyles. There is a four step process that Pet Partners offers to become a registered Pet Partners Team, but other programs may have a different set up. The first step is usually online or in classroom course where the pet handler, or owner, is trained to guide the animal in therapy sessions. They are also trained on what signs to look for in the patients to make sure they are comfortable and at ease. Therapy dogs have to know certain commands and in a way "read people" (Swindell). The next step is a "screening" of the overall health of the animal for any diseases or issues that the animal might have and prevent it from being useful in therapy. The animal also needs to be approved by a professional veterinarian before moving on to the next step. The third step includes a test that checks the skills and ability of the animal and handler in certain therapy sessions situations (Delta Therapy).
The last step is the submission of the Registration Application. Once approved, the animal and their owner are certified to assist with therapy in hospitals, retirement homes, and other places. If an owner wants to continue, they should have a re-evaluation and re-registration with Pet Partners every two years. However, there are some restrictions that can stop the process before it can even begin. For instance, with dogs or cats, they must have lived with the owner for at least six months. Dogs must also be at least one year old before they are eligible to be registered by Pet Partners and begin volunteering. It 's important that characteristics of the therapy animal are reliable, predictable, and controllable, in a situation at a hospital things might get out of hand so it 's important for an animal to stay calm (Delta Therapy). Along with that, a therapy animal should be very social and enjoy interactions with people. A therapy animal should also show no aggression towards people or other animals (no growling, hissing, swatting, barking, lunging, etc.) A dog should have basic obedience and be able to sit, down, stay, heel, leave it and come when called before taking the Pet Partners evaluation, although many dogs start training at an early age and can learn more commands if needed (Swindell).
Finally, animals that are fed a raw protein diet are not able to participate in the Pet Partner program. Rules may be different depending on the program one may choose to sign up for, but all of the programs follow the same basic guidelines. With all these restrictions and guidelines to follow, it also gives the opportunity to see how far Animal Therapy has come (Delta Therapy). A person cannot join the program because they have a nice pet. There are rules and regulations to follow with the program and in some cases even set the bar pretty high. The ASPCA and Pet Partners aren 't the only programs out there. There are several other organizations that take part in Pet Therapy as well, such as the (Animal Behavior Institute) or ABI, which was founded in 2004 by Dr. Gary Fortier and Dr. Janis Hammern, who offer behavioral courses and training online. The courses and programs they offer even include personal hand on hand courses, that 's offered through the ABI individual instruction, certification, and even continuing education credits for animal professionals, Along with specializing in the fields of animal behavior, training, nutrition and veterinary care (ASPCA).
Another organization is PAWS (Paws for People), which is also a non-profit organization committed to providing therapeutic visits to any person in the community. PAWS are most active in many parts of the country and include a variety of programs, volunteers, and accolades, and are actually very similar to ABI (PAWS for People). To be honest, many of these programs are a lot alike because they all pretty much have the same goals. They want Animal Therapy to continue to thrive, as well as have volunteer work, have it recognized and remembered, much like any other health organization or funding, some will just have different kinds of animal therapy as their main focus otherwise there isn 't much goal wise that set the programs apart (ASPCA).
Animal Assisted Therapy is proven to be a reliable source in the medical field.
Animals are a way to really get into the emotions of some people and could probably do it better than some people could, and it 's honestly no mystery to that animals have effects on us and on how we feel, you wouldn 't even need to have a person tell you so. Animals have proven over the years of history through research and observation that animals have a positive impact on our state of mind and even new research is coming out that shows physical benefits as well, showing that some patients even have lower blood pressure when socializing with Therapy Animals. All in all Animal Therapy is another branch of the medical field, that’s growing in research, programs, and
popularity.
Works Cited
Animal Assisted Therapy /Wix.com; Animal Assisted Therapy. Web; 02 March 2014.
ASPCA,ASPCA Animal Assisted Therapy Programs. http://www.aspca.org/nyc/aspca-animal-assisted-therapy-programs.org Barker, Sandra. “Animal-Assisted Therapy” Animal Assisted Therapy, Exploring the Therapeutic Link between Animals and Humans. Web 02 March 2014 http://www.americanhumane.org/interaction/programs/animal-assisted-therapy/
< http://sethhillery.wix.com/animal-assisted-therapy#!aat-timeline>
Delta Therapy Dogs, Patients Appreciate Pet Partners. http://www.animalhealthfoundation.net/how-we-help/pet-facilitated-therapy.html?gclid=CPPq3pLnwb0CFUgA7AodyXoANA
Fine, Aubrey H. Handbook on Animal-Assisted Therapy: Theoretical Foundations and Guidelines for Practice. San Diego: Academic, 200. Print.
“PAWS for People Pet_Assisted Visitation Volunteer Services, Inc.” PAWS for People RSS Web. <http://www.pawsforpeople.org/>
Rovner, Julie. Pet Therapy: How Animals And Humans Heal Each Other. 05 March 2012. Print.
Swindell, Kay. Personal Interview. 20 May 2014.
THE LEWIS SCHOOL OF PRINCETON, McCullough/Stevens, 2004.pdf
Weintraub, Michael I., Ravinder Mamtani, and Marc S. Micozzi: Complementary and Integrative Medicine in Pain Management. New York; Springer Pub., 2008.Print
Since man has had his first start, animals have been right along beside him, and for good reason. Animals are a way to bring out the emotion in people, they can make us calm, or happy, and even sad when we have to say our goodbyes. Therefore, naturally by adding them to a psychological part in medicine was a very good idea, and it is an idea that has been around for a long time. It is not just affecting people mentally but physically as well. There is also a lot of variety in it all, you have different animals for different patients in different situations, with a lot of different programs and organizations that add to the mix as well. Overall, it is a great idea with great results.
Animal-assisted …show more content…
therapy first started from the idea and the initial belief, that animals held in supernatural powers and spirits. And if you look back on history there is a lot of this, from Egyptians, to Native Americans, the Celtics, even the Roman Empire considered the bull to be a sacred animal. So naturally the idea the behind relationships with animals are a very old but powerful concept. In modern times today animals are seen rather as "agents of socialization" in short, pets. And are providers of "social support and relaxation" (Weintraub). In addition, that is what their mostly seen as, just pets. However, a good amount of actual pet owners or animal lovers would probably say they are more than that.
There really is no official scripture or writing saying "this is the day we started Animal Assisted Therapy." Even before its first official documentation, it was probably used beforehand without someone even knowing it, but seeing how far back the recorded history of it goes, it 's safe to say it’s been a long time.
With that in mind, one of the earliest reported uses of Animal Assisted Therapy was for the mentally ill and took place in the late 18th century at the York Retreat in England, which was led by William Tuke, a businessman/philanthropist who wanted to find a more humane and moral was to take care of patients with mental disorders. In fact, before the idea of moral treatment was introduced by Tuke, the mental hospital was probably one of the last places anyone would want to be. Of course, no one really wants to be there anyway, but would they rather go to the place called a “mental hospital” or the “lunatic asylum,” which was what it was called beforehand? Therefore, patients at this retreat were allowed to walk around the grounds, which often had small domestic animals about, and were allowed to interact with them from time to time; this was found to be an effective tool for socialization between patients and doctors (Weintraub). Later, in the 1860 's, the Bethlehem Hospital in England followed the same idea and added animals to the ward, which also greatly influenced a positive mentality and mood of the patients living there (Weintraub). Over time, this method …show more content…
would continue to grow in popularity.
Over time, as animal use in therapy was used, but not officially documented, it really wasn 't seen as a medicine, but rather as just something that calmed people down. This, however, changed in the early 1960 's with a man named Boris Levinson. The first case (or what is believed to be the first official case) with therapy involving animals was used on accident by Dr. Levinson, an American child psychologist, who was also given credit for the start of Animal Assisted Therapy. The incident starts with Levinson who was having a session with a distressed child. He had to leave at one point, and he left the child with his dog. Upon returning, Levinson found the child had calmed down and was petting, as well as talking to, the dog. Levinson looked more into this and this is probably where he got his start for Animal Assisted Therapy (ASPCA).
Similarly, Sigmund Freud, a neurologist and known as the father of psychoanalysis, also kept many dogs for therapy, and often had his own dog, Jofi, present during his sessions of psychoanalysis. He noted that the presence of the dog was helpful because the patient would find that their speech would not shock or disturb the dog and this encouraged them to relax. It was really a way to have a sort of extra presence there and helped the patient to be less nervous about having a one-on-one psychoanalysis with a doctor. In addition, he often found this to be most relatable to his adolescent patients (Weintraub).
Of course, that doesn’t mean Animal Therapy is just for younger kids. There are different techniques used in AAT, it all really depends on the needs and condition of the patient. For example, elderly patients with dementia might benefit from more hands on interactions with the animal. Animal assisted therapy is more than happy to provide these patients with opportunities to have close physical contact with the animals and is allowed to hold or hug them for comfort. Animal assisted therapy counselors also plan activities for patients that need physical movement. These planned tasks include petting the animal, walking the animal, and grooming the animal, and other tasks and tricks the animal does. These experiences seem so common and simple, but it could mean a lot to a patient, especially the elderly who might not really have anyone to visit them or their loved ones have moved on. Animals in this situation are used to provide a sense of meaning and belonging to these patients and offer something to look forward to during their long days (Barker).
The AAT program also encourages the expression of emotions, stimulation through discussions, and recalling of memories while the patient bonds with the animal. Many of the troubling symptoms in elderly dementia patients include decreased physical functioning, apathy, depression, loneliness, and disturbing behaviors and are all positively affected by AAT interventions. Animal assisted therapy is very useful in helping these negative behaviors decrease by focusing their attention on something positive (the animal) rather than their physical illness, motivating them to be physically active and encouraging communication skills for those with memory loss (Animal-Assisted Therapy). Numerous researchers have even found that communication with animals has a positive effect on older adults by increasing their social behavior and communication with others, while also getting rid of tense behavior and loneliness (Rovner).
Here’s a picture of me volunteering at the local hospital with Hannah.
A variety of people can benefit from animal therapy, the elderly, the mentally ill, even physical disabilities; it really seems to have no limit. Another benefit is, because of its hand-on approach, animal therapy is also useful for children and teens that have difficulty focusing. They can even affect the regular people around them who are just having a bad day and need some comfort and can be provided by any kind of animal (THE LEWIS SCHOOL OF PRINCETON).
Even though Canine Therapy is probably, the most well known, Horse Therapy is one relatively unheard of, so let 's start there. Otherwise known as Hippothearpy, can be used as a treatment for people with physical or mental challenges. Hippotherapy has also been approved by the American Speech and Hearing Association to Marty Becher, Hippotherapy programs are active "in twenty-four countries and the horse 's functions have expanded to therapeutic riding for people with physical, psychological, cognitive, social, and behavioral problems."Other animals are used as well to the basic dog, to the downright odd request. However, it 's all with the best intentions and people are continuing to find an interest in it (Fine).
Speaking of which, some people may want to get involved in animal assisted therapy, and they can even do it with their own pet, and there are a few things you can do to have a strong start. In order to become Animal-Assisted Therapy certified, a pet owner must go through Pet Partners, formerly Delta Society, which is a nonprofit organization that uses animal therapy to help people live healthier and happier lifestyles. There is a four step process that Pet Partners offers to become a registered Pet Partners Team, but other programs may have a different set up. The first step is usually online or in classroom course where the pet handler, or owner, is trained to guide the animal in therapy sessions. They are also trained on what signs to look for in the patients to make sure they are comfortable and at ease. Therapy dogs have to know certain commands and in a way "read people" (Swindell). The next step is a "screening" of the overall health of the animal for any diseases or issues that the animal might have and prevent it from being useful in therapy. The animal also needs to be approved by a professional veterinarian before moving on to the next step. The third step includes a test that checks the skills and ability of the animal and handler in certain therapy sessions situations (Delta Therapy).
The last step is the submission of the Registration Application. Once approved, the animal and their owner are certified to assist with therapy in hospitals, retirement homes, and other places. If an owner wants to continue, they should have a re-evaluation and re-registration with Pet Partners every two years. However, there are some restrictions that can stop the process before it can even begin. For instance, with dogs or cats, they must have lived with the owner for at least six months. Dogs must also be at least one year old before they are eligible to be registered by Pet Partners and begin volunteering. It 's important that characteristics of the therapy animal are reliable, predictable, and controllable, in a situation at a hospital things might get out of hand so it 's important for an animal to stay calm (Delta Therapy). Along with that, a therapy animal should be very social and enjoy interactions with people. A therapy animal should also show no aggression towards people or other animals (no growling, hissing, swatting, barking, lunging, etc.) A dog should have basic obedience and be able to sit, down, stay, heel, leave it and come when called before taking the Pet Partners evaluation, although many dogs start training at an early age and can learn more commands if needed (Swindell).
Finally, animals that are fed a raw protein diet are not able to participate in the Pet Partner program. Rules may be different depending on the program one may choose to sign up for, but all of the programs follow the same basic guidelines. With all these restrictions and guidelines to follow, it also gives the opportunity to see how far Animal Therapy has come (Delta Therapy). A person cannot join the program because they have a nice pet. There are rules and regulations to follow with the program and in some cases even set the bar pretty high. The ASPCA and Pet Partners aren 't the only programs out there. There are several other organizations that take part in Pet Therapy as well, such as the (Animal Behavior Institute) or ABI, which was founded in 2004 by Dr. Gary Fortier and Dr. Janis Hammern, who offer behavioral courses and training online. The courses and programs they offer even include personal hand on hand courses, that 's offered through the ABI individual instruction, certification, and even continuing education credits for animal professionals, Along with specializing in the fields of animal behavior, training, nutrition and veterinary care (ASPCA).
Another organization is PAWS (Paws for People), which is also a non-profit organization committed to providing therapeutic visits to any person in the community. PAWS are most active in many parts of the country and include a variety of programs, volunteers, and accolades, and are actually very similar to ABI (PAWS for People). To be honest, many of these programs are a lot alike because they all pretty much have the same goals. They want Animal Therapy to continue to thrive, as well as have volunteer work, have it recognized and remembered, much like any other health organization or funding, some will just have different kinds of animal therapy as their main focus otherwise there isn 't much goal wise that set the programs apart (ASPCA).
Animal Assisted Therapy is proven to be a reliable source in the medical field.
Animals are a way to really get into the emotions of some people and could probably do it better than some people could, and it 's honestly no mystery to that animals have effects on us and on how we feel, you wouldn 't even need to have a person tell you so. Animals have proven over the years of history through research and observation that animals have a positive impact on our state of mind and even new research is coming out that shows physical benefits as well, showing that some patients even have lower blood pressure when socializing with Therapy Animals. All in all Animal Therapy is another branch of the medical field, that’s growing in research, programs, and
popularity.
Works Cited
Animal Assisted Therapy /Wix.com; Animal Assisted Therapy. Web; 02 March 2014.
ASPCA,ASPCA Animal Assisted Therapy Programs. http://www.aspca.org/nyc/aspca-animal-assisted-therapy-programs.org Barker, Sandra. “Animal-Assisted Therapy” Animal Assisted Therapy, Exploring the Therapeutic Link between Animals and Humans. Web 02 March 2014 http://www.americanhumane.org/interaction/programs/animal-assisted-therapy/
< http://sethhillery.wix.com/animal-assisted-therapy#!aat-timeline>
Delta Therapy Dogs, Patients Appreciate Pet Partners. http://www.animalhealthfoundation.net/how-we-help/pet-facilitated-therapy.html?gclid=CPPq3pLnwb0CFUgA7AodyXoANA
Fine, Aubrey H. Handbook on Animal-Assisted Therapy: Theoretical Foundations and Guidelines for Practice. San Diego: Academic, 200. Print.
“PAWS for People Pet_Assisted Visitation Volunteer Services, Inc.” PAWS for People RSS Web. <http://www.pawsforpeople.org/>
Rovner, Julie. Pet Therapy: How Animals And Humans Heal Each Other. 05 March 2012. Print.
Swindell, Kay. Personal Interview. 20 May 2014.
THE LEWIS SCHOOL OF PRINCETON, McCullough/Stevens, 2004.pdf
Weintraub, Michael I., Ravinder Mamtani, and Marc S. Micozzi: Complementary and Integrative Medicine in Pain Management. New York; Springer Pub., 2008.Print