Animal Assisted Therapy Case Study
Abstract: For many years, studies have showed that human-animal bond can provide good health, psychosocial well-being, and overcome some very serious medical conditions. The purpose of this paper is to create a better understanding of what animal-assisted therapy is and how it helps adults with mental health issues. Many of these studies have shown a decrease in stress levels and depression.
A day before a group therapy session, a volunteer may prep and gather all the materials for the dog such as a dog bowl, treats, toys as well as stress measures for the clients. People tend to show up 15 minutes before the intervention starts in order to have the dog be familiar with everyone. When someone is expected to answer a specific question, it’s important that they engage with the dog while doing this, it creates openness and allows the members to talk more about personal stories and have a more relaxed posture …show more content…
In case 1, there was a decrease in [oxy-Hb] in the right dorsolateral region during AAT but not during the verbal fluency task(VFT)(Aoki, Iwahashi, Numajiri, 2012). In case 2, there was a decrease in [oxy-Hb] near the right frontopolar region. AAT influences the body biologically and physiologically because the NIRS signal reflects oxygen metabolism in cerebral blood and changes the blood volume. AAT also stimulates the senses(touch, sight, hearing). During this study, the PFC was activated in healthy ways.
Animal assisted therapy has helped individuals with mental health in a calm, yet comforting way that allows them to open up. Many look forward to counseling now because of the use of interacting with the animals, this allows individuals to have a deeper conversation with his or her peers as well as relate to one another on a personal level. This method is beneficial and should be open to individuals in all areas of the
A day before a group therapy session, a volunteer may prep and gather all the materials for the dog such as a dog bowl, treats, toys as well as stress measures for the clients. People tend to show up 15 minutes before the intervention starts in order to have the dog be familiar with everyone. When someone is expected to answer a specific question, it’s important that they engage with the dog while doing this, it creates openness and allows the members to talk more about personal stories and have a more relaxed posture …show more content…
In case 1, there was a decrease in [oxy-Hb] in the right dorsolateral region during AAT but not during the verbal fluency task(VFT)(Aoki, Iwahashi, Numajiri, 2012). In case 2, there was a decrease in [oxy-Hb] near the right frontopolar region. AAT influences the body biologically and physiologically because the NIRS signal reflects oxygen metabolism in cerebral blood and changes the blood volume. AAT also stimulates the senses(touch, sight, hearing). During this study, the PFC was activated in healthy ways.
Animal assisted therapy has helped individuals with mental health in a calm, yet comforting way that allows them to open up. Many look forward to counseling now because of the use of interacting with the animals, this allows individuals to have a deeper conversation with his or her peers as well as relate to one another on a personal level. This method is beneficial and should be open to individuals in all areas of the