Benefits Of Animals In Psychotherapy

The proven and multiple benefits that animals provide in psychotherapy has produced an increase in the use of this discipline in recent years. In this way, a large number of patients managed to improve their quality of life.

What is psychotherapy with animals?

Animal Assisted Psychotherapy is an alternative and / or complementary therapeutic method through which the patient, guided by a therapist, interacts with an animal.

It is a direct intervention with pre-designed objectives. The animal used must meet specific criteria, as an essential part for the different treatments.

Depending on the objectives sought, this type of therapy can be carried out in a group or individual way and use different types of animals. For instance:

• Farm animals
• Horses
• Dolphins
• Dogs
• Cats
• Birds
• Turtles

Psychotherapy with animals brings great benefits to improve the quality of life of patients with different types of disorders.

Learn about the benefits of animals in psychotherapy

Animals provide one of the most accessible ways to improve people’s quality of life. Thus, psychotherapy with animals brings excellent results in issues such as:

• Afraid
• Shyness
• Autism
• Psychosis
• Anxiety crisis
• Emotional crisis
• Sociopathies
• Hyperactivity
• Pathological shyness
• Alcoholism
• Drug addiction
• Alzheimer’s

How are animals selected for this type of therapy?

In any case, the selection criteria to determine which animals can be used in psychotherapy has to be very rigorous.

Animals must be:

• Reliable
• Controllable
• Have predictable behavior

In addition, the good health of the animals must be guaranteed and strictly comply with the vaccination and deworming guidelines.

A little history

Throughout history, animals occupied an important space in theories related to the treatment of mental illnesses.

For example, the Egyptians recognized them healing properties for different ailments. The Greeks, for their part, attributed to the horse properties to relax and increase the self-esteem of sick people.

Already during the Enlightenment, the idea that pets could have a socializing function took hold, both for children and for the mentally ill. However, it was not until the beginning of the 19th century that the introduction of animals in places of institutional care became widespread.

But in the first half of the 20th century, scientific medicine seemed to displace this type of practice, alluding to zoonoses issues and certain psychonalitic theories that devalued them.

At the end of the 60s of the last century, psychotherapy with animals returned to the arena, especially by the hand of Boris Levinson, a child psychotherapist.

Use of psychotherapy with animals in different settings

The result of the use of animals in different settings shows favorable results. In people residing in nursing homes, for example, the following positive effects were observed:

• Increased attention and concentration
• Improved psychological well-being
• Greater interpersonal interaction
• Decrease in depressive states

In the case of patients admitted to hospitals, on the other hand, a notable reduction in stress is observed.

Benefits in psychiatric patients

In psychiatric hospitals, animals are used to contribute to the diagnosis of patients. Also, it has been established that they favor self-esteem and help in the social interaction of patients who isolate themselves.

In addition, in the pavilions where there are animals:

• Medication is cut in half
• Fewer situations of violence are recorded
• Suicide attempts decrease

Animals help children

Children with different disabilities find their best allies in animals to overcome their problems. The result has been beneficial in children with:

• Disadvantages to verbalize
• Autism
• Schizophrenia
• Introversion
• Lack of attention
• Down’s Syndrome

In school settings, this type of psychotherapy is being used with success in students who have emotional disorders.

Animals, our great friends and allies

People who have pets know very well the great benefits they bring to their physical and spiritual well-being. But if it was necessary to corroborate it scientifically, many studies have shown that people who live with animals are healthier and happier.

Therefore, it is not surprising that these noble creatures are becoming great allies to help heal our body and mind.