Animal Assisted Therapy
Our connection to the animals around us has been part of our evolution for thousands of years
For very many people the connection with animals is an integral part of what supports their good mental health. I am no exception and I love working with Stanley and Peggy, my therapy dogs. They bring a lightness and playful energy, love to be with people and never forget a face.
Dogs love us, protect us, play with us, live with us and are loyal to us in good times and bad. They also remind us to stop, sniff, look and notice the world around us, be in the present and take an interest in what's happening right now. That in itself can be therapeutic but combined with an experienced therapist and animal specifically trained to work in this way the canine connection adds a new special dimension.
I offer Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) in combination with Animal Assisted Therapy. It is an extensively researched, effective psychotherapy that helps people recover from past trauma and other distressing life experiences that can feel stuck and difficult to move on from.
It does not always involve lengthy discussions about the particular experience or memory but allows the brain to support its own natural healing capacity by processing things in a particular way.
This film by the EMDR Association explains how it can help.
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The specifics will vary depending how we are working together but generally, in the first session we will answer any questions you may still have and establish:
– Whether counselling is right for you
– What you would like to work on, and why now
– Some history of the development of the issue and how it affects you now
– Some goals for how you would like things to change during counselling and how we will know if we are meeting them
– Whether we are a good fit to work together and how we will work if we are to continue
– Agree fees and payment details
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Stanley and Peggy like to be active and particularly love water, so that is something to consider when thinking about what you need in counselling. You may feel you'd like to be more still and just focus on your feelings, and if that's the case you may be better suited to working without Stanley and Peggy. They love all people and are happy with most other dogs but like all of us, are free to choose their own friends, likes and dislikes. If the weather is too hot or they are poorly I may also make the decision for them to remain at home. I will always be mindful of their welfare and their participation is always voluntary. I ensure Stanley and Peggy are vaccinated and their flea and worming treatments are kept up to date. Please also see 'What about animal welfare' below.
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Yes, as long as your dog is healthy and comfortable to be with us. We can either have Stanley, Peggy or either of them and your dog(s) or just yours. If we are working with Stanley and/or Peggy and your dog(s) we will always need to ensure compatibility first and participation for any animal is always voluntary. If I feel at any time that either Stanley, Peggy or your dog isn't comfortable or well I will discuss that with you and we can make other arrangements. I keep Stanley and Peggy vaccinated and up to date with flea and worming treatments and respectfully ask you to do the same if the dogs are with us together. Please also see 'What about animal welfare' below.
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You will need appropriate clothing to be outdoors for at least an hour, particularly footwear, a warm coat if it's cold and a waterproof/umbrella if it's raining, or might rain. Suncream and/or hat in the summer. Maybe something to drink to keep hydrated. Dog poo bags and water if you're with your own dog.
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We can still decide to be outdoors if we want to – there isn't much apart from tropical heat, blizzard or monsoon that puts me off. We can also work in my therapy room or switch to a video call if you'd rather not go out at all. We can decide on the day, and this is usually your decision. I am happy to be led by you and whatever you're comfortable with unless the weather is extreme or there are specific reasons I can't work outdoors.
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This depends a bit on what we're doing. The usual length is 50 minutes to an hour. We may decide sessions are more effective longer depending on the time of year, where we are and what works for the animals.
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Our animals rely on us for their welfare and good mental and physical health, and this is something I am very conscious of. Sometimes it's our job as their owners to take decisions about their welfare and advocate for them, even if that is inconvenient, costly or uncomfortable or us. If Stanley and Peggy or any animal working with me seems uncomfortable or unwell at any time I may decide to discuss this with you, remove Stanley and Peggy or stop the work.
Any dog's participation is always voluntary and I work with my dogs' personalities and preferences. I wouldn't force them to do anything they aren't comfortable with. They have both been trained with an IMDT trainer with positive reinforcement methods. I also have some training with IMDT myself and chose to train in Animal Assisted Therapy with IIAAPT specifically because they emphasise animal choice, agency and welfare.
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My fee for an hour session is £65. The first session is sometimes longer because people and dogs walk at different rates and people often have questions they think of at the end. If it is over 1hr 15m I charge £75. If I need to travel for more than 15 minutes I will charge a small amount extra and we can agree this before we start. Likewise, if we decide to do longer sessions we can agree an amount at the outset.
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Whilst the weather doesn’t always stop us from working outside, shortening daylight hours do, so this limits sessions from roughly mid-November to the beginning of April to before dusk. Indoor sessions in my therapy room or online are still available at any time.
