Animal Assisted Therapy Paper
Animal Assisted Therapy in Counseling
Tarleton State University
Abstract
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is affecting many combat veterans returning from the current wars or those that have returned from the past wars. PTSD can affect the veteran for the rest of his or her life if not found and treated early. Some may self-medicate to help numb the pain from memories. Research has and still is being conducted to find alternative ways that do not use prescriptions. Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) uses many different types of animals (e.g. cats, dogs, or horses) for therapy. Through research it has been discovered that having an animal helps relieve PTSD triggers in many veterans. Service …show more content…
Inmates in prison first trained the service dogs. The Prison PUP Program was used to help inmates pass time and to help the prisoners find a way to give back. These dogs provided a calming and loving experience for the two inmates that trained the dog. The puppies enter the program between the ages of eight to ten weeks of age and stay at the learning center in Princeton, MA for eight weeks. During these eight weeks, the puppies have specialized curriculum with service dog “prep”, strenuous socialization, and invigorating experiences. “A NEADS trainer visits each prison program once a week to conduct a 2-hour class for the inmates in the program” (NEADS, …show more content…
Prior to starting the Warrior-trained service dog program, Yount worked with at risk teens through his Golden Rule Assistance Dog (GRAD) program. Teens training the service dogs developed social and emotional skills. Two of the GRAD trained dogs were partnered with disabled Veterans. Rick Yount started the first Warrior dog-training program in 2008. The Warrior dog program was designed to treat PTSD and traumatic brain injury (TBI) in Veterans. The program was designed to be a nonpharmaceutical intervention, safe and effective for Veterans that reside at a Veterans Administration facility. The program also would allow SMs’ to engage in critical military support missions while in the program and receiving
Tarleton State University
Abstract
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is affecting many combat veterans returning from the current wars or those that have returned from the past wars. PTSD can affect the veteran for the rest of his or her life if not found and treated early. Some may self-medicate to help numb the pain from memories. Research has and still is being conducted to find alternative ways that do not use prescriptions. Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) uses many different types of animals (e.g. cats, dogs, or horses) for therapy. Through research it has been discovered that having an animal helps relieve PTSD triggers in many veterans. Service …show more content…
Inmates in prison first trained the service dogs. The Prison PUP Program was used to help inmates pass time and to help the prisoners find a way to give back. These dogs provided a calming and loving experience for the two inmates that trained the dog. The puppies enter the program between the ages of eight to ten weeks of age and stay at the learning center in Princeton, MA for eight weeks. During these eight weeks, the puppies have specialized curriculum with service dog “prep”, strenuous socialization, and invigorating experiences. “A NEADS trainer visits each prison program once a week to conduct a 2-hour class for the inmates in the program” (NEADS, …show more content…
Prior to starting the Warrior-trained service dog program, Yount worked with at risk teens through his Golden Rule Assistance Dog (GRAD) program. Teens training the service dogs developed social and emotional skills. Two of the GRAD trained dogs were partnered with disabled Veterans. Rick Yount started the first Warrior dog-training program in 2008. The Warrior dog program was designed to treat PTSD and traumatic brain injury (TBI) in Veterans. The program was designed to be a nonpharmaceutical intervention, safe and effective for Veterans that reside at a Veterans Administration facility. The program also would allow SMs’ to engage in critical military support missions while in the program and receiving