Therapists and Animals
Anne L. Strozier, Joyce Carpenter in Introduction to Alternative and Complementary Therapies, 2013
A growing body of literature referenced throughout this chapter emphasizes the importance of the human-animal bond and the benefits of incorporating animals into the treatment of medical and mental health conditions. By understanding both the underlying principles that make animal-assisted therapy an effective treatment and the basics of devising an animal-assisted therapy program, clinicians may incorporate animals into treatment in a way that is enjoyable and beneficial to clients, rewarding for practitioners, and respectful to the animals involved in therapy.
Forget Me Not Farm—A Haven for Children and Animals to Bond and Break the Cycle of Abuse
Lori R. Kogan, Phyllis Erdman in Career Paths in Human-Animal Interaction for Social and Behavioral Scientists, 2021
Animal assisted therapy is not yet recognized as a therapeutic discipline and therefore raises a lot of questions about what it is and who can provide it. When I started this work there were very few education options and online learning was not readily available. Today there are more options. There is a Humane Animal Bond Certification program offered online by the North American Veterinary Community (NAVC) and the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) as well as other online programs.
Horticultural therapy, related people–plant programs, and other therapeutic disciplines
Rebecca L. Haller, Karen L. Kennedy, Christine L. Capra in The Profession and Practice of Horticultural Therapy, 2019
Used in nursing homes, mental health settings, prisons, and hospitals, animal-assisted therapy provides links among the therapist, the client, the animal, and nature in general. Those links assist the client to relax and be more receptive to therapy. Most commonly applied with dogs or horses, animal-assisted therapy is used to address the full range of treatment domains, such as cognitive, psychosocial, and physical.
The education of the occupational therapists in Poland – in the opinion of students who completed the transformed OT programme
Published in World Federation of Occupational Therapists Bulletin, 2018
The basic forms of occupational therapy include: ergotherapy, art therapy, sociotherapy and animal-assisted therapy. Ergotherapy combines such activities as: carpentry, pottery and ceramics, basketry, metal arts, knitting, embroidery, tailoring, leatherworking, gardening, weaving and working on the computer. Sociotherapy includes: play therapy, training in daily living skills and social skills training. Art therapy refers to: visual arts (painting, drawing, sculpture), music therapy, choreotherapy, drama therapy and bibliotherapy. Animal-assisted therapy involves interaction with animals, such as horses, dogs and cats. The acquisition of daily living skills is of great importance for the patients as it enables them to perform their daily routines as independently as possible. However, the above-mentioned forms of therapies hardly take into account the training of daily living skills. The standards of services provided in Poland still differ from global standards, according to which occupational therapy activities are defined as ‘the activities people engage in through their daily lives to fulfill their time and give their life meaning’ (AOTA, 1997, p. 846). Occupational therapists provide services in the facility and no assistance is offered to patients in their home environment.
Occupational Therapy Interventions in Mental Health: A Literature Review in Search of Evidence
Published in Occupational Therapy in Mental Health, 2019
Bonnie Kirsh, Lori Martin, Jenny Hultqvist, Mona Eklund
Among the most successful interventions is supported employment (SE), individual placement and support (IPS) in particular, which enables vocational skills and competitive employment for individuals with mental illness. SEd also shows promising results for promoting educational development. There is also some support to suggest that other OT interventions in clients’ learning and working environments can promote recovery and reintegration to work or education and that psychoeducational approaches may provide more significant benefits than traditional OT. Research on creative occupations and activity-based interventions shows mixed results, but such interventions seem to benefit adults living with psychiatric illness, particularly when combining this type of OT with usual treatment and medication. The few existing time-use interventions for adults with mental illness show promising outcomes, but more studies with larger study groups are still needed. OT interventions that facilitate skills, habits, and motivation can significantly impact the symptoms and outcomes experienced by adults living with mental illness, including better health. Family-oriented OT interventions may be beneficial when working with young adults with mental illness, and interventions incorporated into community living may help facilitate the attainment of goals and enhancement of life circumstances. Regarding animal-assisted therapy, although appreciated by many individuals living with mental health disorders, no statistically significant effects have been demonstrated.
Sensory-Based Interventions for Adults with Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease: A Scoping Review
Published in Occupational Therapy In Health Care, 2020
Bryce Carsone Smith, Mariana D’Amico
Animal assisted therapy was classified as a tactile occupation-based intervention. One Level I study compared live animals, robotic/stuffed animals and a control and found that live animals and robotic/stuffed animals increased interaction as compared to a control of no animals. However, live animals elicited the most physical contact and verbalizations (Thodberg et al., 2016). One Level I, one Level II, and one Level III study supported animal intervention, noting improvements in factors such as nutritional intake, interactions, verbalizations and mood. Live animals were documented as being advantageous in addressing these outcomes (Edwards & Beck, 2002; Menna, Santaniello, Gerardi, Di Maggio, & Milan, 2016; Olsen et al., 2016; Thodberg et al., 2016). No adverse events were noted. Overall, there was moderate evidence for animal assisted therapy intervention.
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