ANIMAL ASSISTED COUNSELLING

Animal assisted counselling

Animal assisted therapy (AAT) uses trained animals in therapy sessions. Animal assisted therapy works by encouraging people to engage. Trained animals can decrease stress, and they can help people to feel supported. AAT is a growing industry, and it's being used more and more in therapy. AAT is a proven, clinical-based approach that helps people recover from, or cope with, a range of serious physical and mental health disorders. AAT has been shown to provide comfort and support for people learning to cope with day-to-day stress, or those in recovery from anxiety, depression, addiction or post-traumatic stress disorder. People with serious heart conditions such as heart disease, people with cancer, and people with autism have also greatly benefited from AAT.

What animals work with animal assisted counselling?

AAT is not new, and animals have been assisting people in therapy for a long time. Purpose-trained animals range from horses, dogs, cats, rabbits, lizards, turtles, and even fish – all have been found to have great therapeutic benefit and offer that extra area of feeling through themselves while being supported close.