Questions or comments about AAT?

If you have any questions, concerns, or success stories about the use of therapy pets just click on the comment link below.

Youtube has a great video clip on assistance dogs for people with mobility problems. The bond with the animal is discussed by the owners as being of primary importance. Very touching.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=BMhAguzWZjk



Another impressive video is on the Delta Society website. Remember, Delta Society is the largest therapy pet organization. Its a mulitdisciplinary organization and funds and reports research into the human-animal bond.

http://www.deltasociety.org/VideoMomentbyMoment.htm

Counseling Brochure

I am posting the counseling brochure that I put together to let parents know that I use animals at school. Informing parents is a must, and can protect us as counselors and our campuses and districts from angry parents. I am unable to get the picture of the rabbit to post. My wireless keeps dropping! I hope you "get the picture" of how I set up my brochure to inform parents about the use of animals.

• Winston is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel who has grown up in the school setting, both adoring and being adored by children. As a canine counselor he is an example of friendship and love. He teaches children respect and safety around animals, and sloppily delivers kisses when he deems them necessary. Mostly, he sleeps, reminding us all to let stress and anxiety melt away… but stay awake during class!
  
  
  Lucky Bunny was adopted by Mrs. McDonald in June of 2007. Lucky found not only a home, but also a career in the counseling profession. He is willing to eat large numbers of vegetables from the hands of small children, all of whom leave with a smile. He teaches us that even the smallest among us have a very important place in life.
  
  Please let the counselor know of any allergies your child has to rabbits or dogs.
  
  Mrs. McDonald received her counseling degree from Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches. She has spent 15 of her 20 years in education with the CyFair District. Her advanced trainings include trauma and grief assistance and crisis response.
  Believing that it is important to make connections with children, Mrs. McDonald uses child-friendly approaches such as art, sand tray, play, and animals.
  Classroom guidance lessons provide the opportunity for the counselor to interact with all children. Lesson topics will include conflict resolution, friendship, and tolerance.
• I include my phone number here or staple my business card.
• One the other side I post information such as the following:
• 
  Did you know there are many things to do in the counselor’s office?
  
  …. I can talk about things that are
  important to me.
  
  …. I can play games that help me to
  learn about myself and others.
  
  …. I can use puppets to help me talk.
  
  …. I can be in a discussion group.
  
  …. I can just sit and think.
  
  …. I can read books about different
  concerns.
  
  Did you know that a child may see the counselor for:
  
  …. Inadequate peer relationships?
  
  …. Self expression?
  
  …. Under achievement?
  
  …. A fear?
  
  …. A physical concern?
  
  …. Learning concerns?

AAT study presented at TCA '07

Thanks for attending my workshop on Animal- Assisted Therapy in the Schools. Below is the information from the power point minus the photos.

Please don't hesistate to post responses, questions, and other resources in the comments section on any page or to post your own page in the blog. I hope that together we can foster the use of animals in the schools as a great resource for connecting to kids!

Kathy McDonald lkm004@shsu.edu

Why I am interested in using pets in the school:

Because of my professional experience with pets and children, I have come to suspect that the use of therapy pets results in an immediate client-counselor relationship.
However, I cannot be the judge of the pets’ impact on the clients, nor be certain if the pets impact the clients at all. The clients themselves must share their impressions.
One client’s perception may not be another’s. (Remember, some kids don't like pets and that is OK!)

Problem
Although children may be innately attracted to animals, few counselors use pets as a tool to establish rapport or to develop a therapeutic relationship with the child client.
Only an estimated 3% of studies examine the therapeutic alliance or other treatment processes in children’s therapy (Brickman, et al., 2004).
It is suggested that the relationship between therapist and child clients may be of more importance than with adult clients. Research may need to be directed at finding ways to develop the relationship with children (Green, 2006).

Using animals as an adjunct to therapy may be helpful in forming a bond with the client (Chandler, 2005).
The unconditional acceptance provided by pets may assist in connecting children to the therapeutic alliance (Fine, 2000).
School counselors often find themselves overwhelmed with tasks and with limited time for students (Littrell, Malia, and Vanderwood, 1995). Understatement!

In situations where little time can be spent developing rapport, awareness of ways to hasten the rapport is essential to the emotional welfare of the students.

Purpose
The purpose of my study is to explore children’s perceptions of the therapeutic relationship as it is impacted by the use of therapy pets.

My review of literature indicates that few studies explore the possibility of using therapy animals from a perspective of self psychology(Alper,1993; Brown, 2004; Fine, 2000).

Self psychology promotes the use of the therapeutic relationship as critical to the improvement of the client who presents with a shattered self-esteem (Bouson, 1984; Brown, 2004).

Boris Levinson wrote about his experience using his dog Jingles in his book Pet-Oriented Child Psychotherapy, 1969.

The results of a seminal study indicated that having a pet increases the chances of surviving a heart attack (Friedmann, Katcher, Lynch, & Thomas, 1980).

The results of a study suggested that men who have pets have a lower risk for heart disease than those who do not have pets, even when living with certain health risks, such as a diet heavy in fast food (Anderson, Reid, & Jennings, 1992).

•Studies have suggested that animals may have a positive benefit on health (Friedmann, 2000; Friedmann, Thomas, Stein, & Kleiger2003; Wilson, 1991).

•Jack Stevens, founder of Veterinary Pet Insurance, credits his dog Spanky with having an impact on his healing from cancer in 1980. Spanky stayed by Jack’s bedside when he suffered from the effects of chemo and radiation. “Spanky was the catalyst for me focusing on something else besides the cancer,” Jack said (Villalobos, 2006).

•Numerous studies indicate that pets alleviate stress (Baun, Bergstrom, & Langston, 1984; Bernard, 1995; Katcher, Segal, & Beck, 1984; Siegel, 1993).

•During the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962, John F. Kennedy requested that his Welsh terrier be brought to him. He held Charlie on his lap as he watched the frantic staff rushing about. When he handed Charlie back to the White House kennel keeper, he appeared more relaxed. “OK, now we can make some decisions,” he told his advisors (Coren, 1996). (Great article to read! Some fun stories of celebrities and other famous figures in history.)

Animal Studies with children:
•Lowered blood pressure readings while reading aloud to a dog (Friedmann, Katcher, Thomas, Lynch, & Messent, 1983).

•Less behavioral distress during a pediatric exam with a dog present in the examining room when compared to a group without a dog present (Hansen, Messinger, Baun, & Megel, 1999).

•Hospitalized children initiated touch more often and displayed a more positive affect when a pet was used in therapy than compared to the play therapy group (Kaminski, Pellino, & Wish, 2002).

The self-esteem scores of children with ADHD and conduct disorder were significantly increased when students were administered an instrument on self-concept in the presence of animals as compared to the administration of the instrument on children in the classroom with no animals present (Katcher & Wilkins, 2000). (Wow! If pets can raise the self-esteem of kids, isn't that reason enough to keep them exposed to therapy animals?)

•The positive therapeutic use of horses has also been researched (Chandler, 2005; Granger & Kogan, 2000; Kaiser, Spence, Lavergne, & Bosch, 2004; Schultz, Remick-Barlow, & Robbins, 2007).

How I Incorporate Pets into My School Program

• 
  
  Classroom guidance lessons:
  1.Diversity
  2.Friendship
  3.Bullying
  Small groups
  Individual counseling
  Crisis counseling (Having some of my high profile kids come in and care for Lucky Bunny gives me the chance to touch base daily with them and monitor how they are doing.)
  1.Sexual abuse
  2.Trauma
  3.Grief
  Rewards for behavior (Win Winston, bonuses to behavior contracts, etc.)
  Motivation for learning (Reading to the dog, celebrating with Winston)

Study and Results from Fall of '05

Methodology

Participants -20 children were selected from a list of students who had visited the counselor’s office and had exposure to therapy animals. 18 of the 20 returned parent consents and child assents.
•Participants were interviewed by a trained counselor intern in the counselor’s office.
•Participants were shown five photographs of Caucasian females posing as counselors. Each was shown in the photograph with a counselor activity, such as sandtray, puppets, and toys. One was pictured with a dog and one with a rabbit.

Participants were asked by the trained counselor intern to select a photograph in response to an interview question that directly connected to the therapeutic relationship.
•Participants were told that they could choose the same picture each time or a different picture as preferred.
•An explanation of each choice was elicited by the trained counselor intern.

1.Mirroring -Which counselor do you think would be your friend?
2.Merging - Which counselor do you think would understand you best?
3.Adversary - Which counselor do you think you can trust?
4.Idealizing - Which counselor would like you just the way you are?
5.Twinship - Which counselor is most like you?
6.Efficacy and Vitalizing - Which counselor could help you if you are feeling sad?

7.Of all these counselors, which one would you pick to be your counselor?

Question - Which counselor would be your friend?
(Mirroring)
•Puppets-1
•Sandtray-4
•Rabbit-8
•Toys-0
•Dog-5
The animal category was selected over the non-animal category by 13 to 5, supporting research that animals cause unfamiliar people to be easily accepted.

Question -Which counselor do you think would understand you best?
(Merging)
•Puppet-1
•Sandtray-8
•Rabbit-4
•Toys-0
•Dog-5
The non-animal category tied the animal category.
Most response explanations made reference to the appearance of the counselor pictured with the sandtray, but not the sandtray or sandtray items.

Question - Which counselor do you think you can trust?
(Adversary)
•Puppet-1
•Sandtray- 3
•Rabbit-4
•Toys- 2
•Dog-8
The animal category outpaced the non-animal category by 12 to 6, supporting the research that the presence of animals with strangers cause the stranger to be perceived as trustworthy.

Question - Which counselor is most like you?
(Alter-ego)
•Puppet-3
•Sandtray-4
•Rabbit-4
•Toys-2
•Dog-5
Again, a tie between the animal and non-animal categories.
A look at the responses indicated that several respondents interpreted the question as, “Which counselor looks like you?” (This question will be modified for my next study)

Question-Which counselor could help you if you were sad?
(help-Efficacy) (sad-Vitalizing)
•Puppet-9
•Sandtray-0
•Rabbit-6
•Toys-2
•Dog-1
The non-animal category was voted over the animal category at 11 votes to 7.

Question -Of all these counselors, which one would you choose to be your counselor?
•Puppet-1
•Sandtray-2
•Rabbit-9
•Toys-0
•Dog-6
The animal category won over the non-animal category by 15 to 3.

A tally of all responses to all questions found the following preferences:
•Puppets-18
•Sandtray-22
•Rabbit-41
•Toys- 13
•Dog- 32
A preference for the animal category over the non-animal category at a margin of 73 to 53

References:

Alper, L. S. (1993). The child-pet bond. In A. Goldberg (Ed.), The widening scope of self psychology (pp. 257-270). Hillsdale, N J: Analytic Press.
Anderson, W. P., Reid, C. M., & Jennings, G. L. (1992). Pet ownership and risk factors for cardiovascular disease. The Medical Journal of Australia. 157, 298-301.
Baun, M., Bergstrom, N., & Langston, N. (1984). Physiological affects of human/companion animal bonding. Nursing Research, 50, 126-129.
Bernard, S. (1995). Animal assisted therapy: A guide for health care professionals and volunteers. Whitehouse, TX: Therapet, L.L.C.
Bouson, J. B. (1989). The empathic reader: A study of the narcissistic character and the drama of the self. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press.
Brown, S. E. (2004). The human-animal bond and self-psychology: Toward a new understanding. Society and Animals, 12, 67-86.
Chandler, C. K. (2005). Animal assisted therapy in counseling. NY: Routledge.
Coren, S. (1996). Dogs and people: The history and psychology of a relationship. Journal of Business Administration and Policy Analysis, 24-26, 54-67.

Fine, A. (2000). Animals and therapists: Incorporating animals in outpatient psychotherapy. In A. Fine (Ed.), Handbook on animal-assisted therapy: Theoretical foundations and guidelines for practice (pp. 179-211). San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
Friedman, E., Katcher, A. H., Lynch, J. J., & Thomas, S. A. (1980). Animal companions and one year survival of patients after discharge from a coronary care unit. Public Health Reports, 95, 307-312.
Friedmann, E., Katcher, A. H., Thomas, S. A., Lynch, J. J., & Messent, P.R. (1983). Social interaction and blood pressure: Influence of animal companions. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease. 171, pp. 461-465.
Friedman, E., Thomas, S. A., Stein, P. K., & Kleiger, R. E. (2003). Relation between pet ownership and heart rate variability in patients with healed myocardial infarcts. American Journal of Cardiology, 91,718-722.
Goldberg, A. (1998). Self psychology since Kohut. Psychoanalytic Quarterly, 67(2), 240-255.
Goldmeier, J., & Fandetti, D. V. (1991). Self psychology in child welfare practice. Child Welfare, 70 (5), pp. 559-570.
Green, J. (2006). Annotation: The therapeutic alliance-a significant but neglected variable in child mental health treatment studies. Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 47 (5), 425-435.

Hanson, K. M., Messinger, C. J., Baun, M. M., & Megel, M. (1999). Companion animals alleviating distress in children. Anthrozoos, 12, 142-148.
Johnson, A. (1994). The biophilia hypothesis. Bioscience, 44, 363-365.
Kaiser, L., Spence, L. J., Lavergne, A. G., & Bosch, K. L. (2004). Can a week of therapeutic riding make a difference? Anthrozoos, 17, (1) pp. 63-72.
Kaminski, M., Pellino, T., & Wish, J. (2002). Play and pets: The physical and emotional impact of child-life and pet therapy on hospitalized children. Children’s Health Care, 31, 321-335.
Katcher, A., Segal, H., & Beck, A. (1984). Comparison of contemplation and hypnosis for the reduction of anxiety and discomfort during dental surgery. American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, 27, 14-21.
Katcher, A., & Wilkins, G. G. (1997). Animal-assisted therapy in the treatment of disruptive behavior disorders in children. In A. Lundberg (Ed.), The environment and mental health: A guide for clinicians (pp. 193-204). NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Levinson, B. (1969). Pet-oriented child psychotherapy. Springfield, IL: Thomas.
Littrell, J., Malia, J., & Vanderwood, M. (1995). Single-session brief counseling in a high school. Journal of Counseling and Development, 73, 451-458.
Siegel, J. M. (1993). Comp
Ulrich, R. S. (1993). Biophilia, biophobia, and natural landscapes. In S. R. Kellert and
E. O. Wilson (Eds.) The biophilia hypothesis (pp. 73-137). Washington, D. C.: Island Press.
Villalobos, A. (2006). Jack is back with skeeter. Retrieved on September, 29, 2007 from
http://www.veterinarypracticenews.com/vet-practice-news-columns/bond-
anion animals in sickness and in health. Journal of Social Issues, 49, 157-167.

Websites:

Delta Society http://www.deltasociety.org/
Therapy Dogs International http://www.tdi-dog.org/
R.E.A.D. Program
http://www.therapyanimals.org/read/READ-brochure.pdfbrochure.pdf

Hello, people and pets!

Why a Blog on People and Pets?

I began using pets as an elementary school counselor in 1998. I didn't know how to contact other counselors who also used companion animals. I needed to ask questions and to learn how to best make use of pets in my guidance program. Ten years later I am heavily researching the field and I continue to be excited and amazed by what I have learned.

I look forward to hearing from those of you who are involved in animal-assisted therapy and from those of you who are interested in becoming involved. My plan for this blog is that we will use it to disseminate information about AAT and use it to learn from one another about the effective use of companion animals in mental health and educational settings.

Let's use this blog to do the following:

• publish stories of your successes
• tell us the pets you use, how you use them, and with what populations
• ask questions of the bloggers to further your learning and interests
• let us know about good books, articles, the latest or greatest research
• tell us about other resources for learning how to utilize companion animals

I am interested in your suggestions. Let me hear from you. As "Blog Director" I will remove inappropiate postings that might find their way to our site. We don't want this place to go to the dogs!