Animal Assisted Therapy Essay

Animal Assisted Therapy is a form of therapy that has been around for many years, yet in recent times it has become a highly recognizable and appreciated form of psychological treatment. As society progresses to a point of acceptance for mental illness and its need to be treated appropriately, different methods of therapeutic treatment are able to be tested in practical settings and evaluated under a modern lens in order to see their effectiveness and the role they should play in the treatment of patients suffering from symptoms of mental illness. The power of the usage of animals in therapeutic healing is a well-documented phenomenon that has in many ways been extended into new practices and applications of psychological treatment with the goal of improving the emotional, cognitive and social functioning of patients suffering from mental illness
This essay will explore the different avenues of Animal Assisted Therapy that are now widely approved and commonly implemented by mental health professionals, such as canine-assisted therapy, companion pet-ownership, barnyard animal intervention and dolphin-assisted therapy, as well as specific practical implications such as cat ownership to counteract feelings of loneliness amongst older women and the benefits of therapy dogs for children with autism.
Animal Assisted Therapy, or AAT, is a form of therapeutic practice that emphasizes the role of animals as a device in the treatment of mental illnesses and as a catalyst for social rehabilitation. In both practice and theory, there is a wide plethora of treatment uses and practical applications of Animal Assisted Therapy -- many of which are