Updated on October 22, 2024
Did you know animals can be specially trained to provide emotional and psychological support?
Therapy Animals are specially trained animals that play an important role in helping humans cope with stress, anxiety, trauma, and even certain medical conditions.
From a dog greeting you with excitement when you walk in, or a cat curling up to you after a hard day lifts your spirit.
Here, we’ll examine therapy animals, their differences from service animals and emotional support animals, and their benefits.
What is a Therapy Animal?
A therapy animal is an animal trained to provide comfort, affection, and emotional support to individuals or groups.
Therapy animals interact with many people to make them feel better. They behave safely around a diverse range of people.
Therapy animals are not to be confused with service animals trained to carry out specific tasks for people with disabilities. Therapy animals, on the other hand, are trained to be companions that improve mental health and well-being.
Animals such as dogs, cats, rabbits, horses, birds, miniature pigs, horses or other pet choices can be therapy animals.
The most important criteria for choosing a therapy animal are the animal’s temperament and ability to interact with people calmly.
Where Therapy Animals Are Needed
- Therapy Animal-Assisted Therapy sessions
Some counsellors and therapists employ Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) to help patients feel relieved discussing difficult topics in their sessions.
- Therapy Animals On Campuses
Therapy dogs are usually brought to college campuses to help students cope better with the stress they go through.
- Therapy Animals At Hospitals and Nursing Homes
Patient visitation by therapy animals is known to reduce stress, loneliness, and anxiety, helping to lift spirits during recovery.
- Therapy Animals In Disaster Zones
Therapy animals also provide comfort and emotional support to survivors and first responders in the aftermath of natural disasters or traumatic events.
Therapy Animals, Service Animals & Emotional Support Animals
Service Animals
According to the American Disability Act (ADA), “service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities.”
ADA states the disabilities can be “physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disabilities.”
The service dog performs tasks that are beneficial to its disabled owner and is protected by the law to go into nearly every public space.
Examples of service animal tasks:
- A wheelchair user with a dog trained to retrieve objects or open doors for them
- A dog trained to perform a task to remind a depressed person to take their medication.
- Dog trained to lick owner’s hand to alert them to an oncoming panic attack from PTSD.
Therapy Animals
Unlike service animals, therapy animals are not trained to carry out specific tasks for their owners or handlers. Instead, they provide comfort and companionship, usually in group settings or therapeutic environments.
Therapy animals do not have the legal rights service animals have to enter almost every public space because they do not perform direct tasks for a disabled individual.
Hence, they will not be typically admitted into restaurants, stores, or public transportation unless specifically invited.
Emotional Support Animals (ESAs)
Emotional support dogs are usually trained for a specific owner, but not trained for specific tasks or duties to assist a person with a disability like service dogs.
ESAs are considered companion animals that can ease anxiety, depression, some phobias, and loneliness; mental disorders specific to the individual.
To be considered an emotional support dog, a mental health professional must give a letter prescribing an ESA to the patient diagnosed with a psychological or emotional disorder, like, major depression, panic attacks or anxiety disorder.
Summary
| Therapy Animals | Comfort groups or diverse individuals |
| Service Animals | Trained for specific tasks |
| Emotional Support Animals | Comfort specific individual |
Benefits of Therapy Animals
- Reduction of Stress and Anxiety
Reducing stress and anxiety are known benefits of therapy animals. There are studies that have shown an increase in the production of oxytocin and a reduction in cortisol levels from petting a cat or dog. Oxytocin is a hormone that boosts bonding and relaxation. Therapy animals make high-level stress situations more manageable for individuals.
- Therapy Animals Promote Social Interaction
Therapy animals have been known to be conversation and interaction starters in nursing homes, schools, group therapy, and other settings where they are deemed beneficial. They are social lubricants that shy or withdrawn people use to break down social barriers.
- Companionship Against Loneliness and Isolation
Residents of nursing homes or hospitals (long-term patients) are known to feel lonely or isolated, and therapy animals provide much-needed companionship. Animals being non-judgmental, love and accept unconditionally. This comforts people who are feeling disconnected from others. Therapy animals have improved patients’ mood and their overall well-being, and have decreased feelings of depression in some cases with regular visitations.
- To Encourage Physical Activity
Therapy animals also encourage physical activities in patients, which is outside of their primary role, emotional support. Cases of individuals being motivated to complete their physical therapy in the presence of therapy dogs. They are also known to engage patients in activities like gentle walks or fetch.
- To Boost Mental Health in Therapy Sessions
Many therapists use AAT sessions when working with children or individuals dealing with trauma. The presence of therapy animals in the room provides a safe, non-threatening environment for patients to have difficult conversations.
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