Animal Assisted Therapy

Dogs are known to provide unconditional acceptance and support–it is in their DNA to be our partners and guides. In therapy, the integration of animal-assisted work provides benefits of empathy, increased communication, relaxation, increased social skills/awareness, entertainment, and the grounding nature of physical touch. With children and adolescents, the presence of an animal in session can reduce number of sessions needed to reach goals and increase therapeutic gains from sessions.

I would like to introduce you to our 6-year-old shepherd mix, Josie. This year Josie has completed the American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizen certification and has joined me in the office!

In our time with Josie, she has proven to be aware and attentive to emotional states and approaches each person with a joyful wag of her tail. She is especially fond of children. Josie is a sweet-tempered pooch that loves coming to work every day!

If you would like to follow Josie’s adventures as a Play Therapy dog, please check out my Professional Facebook Page, where I post updates, helpful links, and (of course) photos of Josie.