Animalistic Healing

1. What is Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT)?
Animal assisted therapy is the incorporation of a qualified therapy animal, such as a therapy dog, into the therapy process with a human client (patient or student) in a session is facilitated by a qualified human therapist. Research and practice has demonstrated that positive social interaction between a human client and a therapy animal enhances development and recovery.

2. How does it work?
Positive social interaction with a therapy animal includes activities such as gentle petting, holding, playing with or walking the therapy animal. During these activities many wellness hormones, such as oxytocin, endorphins and dopamine are released inside the human body; these hormones brighten mood, enhance pleasure, increase social connection, lower anxiety, calm and comfort. Thus, the client is more motivated to participate in therapy and participate longer thus reaching therapy goals faster, or even attaining therapy goals which might not have been achieved otherwise. The health and welfare of both the human client and the therapy animal are considered and neither is asked to do any activity that they don't find comfortable and pleasing to perform.

3. What health conditions can AAT help to treat?
ATT has been effectively used with a variety of age groups to treat both physical and mental health conditions. Applications include speech and physical therapy, education and training of those with developmental disorders, and psychotherapy. In psychotherapy, animal assisted therapy is utilised for purposes such as social and relational skill development, curbing behavioral problems, and treating depression and anxiety.

4. What qualifications does one need to become an Animal Assisted Therapist?
The most common university degrees and practice credentials for an animal assisted therapist applied in mental health are that of a psychologist, counselor, or social worker. For application in physical or speech therapy, the therapist should have university degrees and practice credentials in those fields.

5. What do you think is the scope for animal assisted therapy in India?
The potential for AAT to grow in popularity in India is immense. Many successes have already been documented by the Animal Angels Foundation therapy staff of Pune and Mumbai under the leadership of founder and director Minal Kavishwar and her brother Akash Lonkar. Animal Angels Foundation staff have partnered with progressive schools and hospitals who have recorded tremendous successes with students and patients who have benefited from working with a therapy dog.

6. What can you tell us about your recent visit to India?
On my recent visit to Pune and Mumbai, I saw a vast number of stray and neglected dogs on the streets. I realise the concept of a therapy dog as a valued social partner in therapy is difficult for the general public of India to embrace. The Indian cultural attitude of devaluing dogs will obviously slow down the acceptance of animal assisted therapy in India. Scientific support for the efficacy of animal assisted therapy is clear and if India desires to stay current with physical and mental health treatment opportunities, then more medical, educational, rehabilitative and psychological facilities will need to open their minds to the idea of integrating animal assisted therapy into their treatment regimes. It would be helpful if private organisations as well as Indian government agencies would support the idea. In the United States, the National Institutes of Health is a strong advocate for animal assisted therapy and incorporates the practice into its research hospitals. Currently, AAT is practiced in hundreds of private and public hospitals and schools, physical and mental health agencies and private practices.

7. Do you have any advice for young AAT aspirants?
Animal assisted therapy is not a stand-alone profession. It is a modality or approach that is integrated into an existing physical or mental health practice. If you want to practice animal assisted therapy, you must first decide which human population you wish to serve and get a university degree in that field. Then you must obtain additional training in the area of animal assisted therapy so that you may integrate that modality into your physical or mental health practice. In India, training and supervision for the practice of animal assisted therapy can be obtained by Animal Angels Foundation of Mumbai and Pune under the supervision of Minal Kavishwar.