Including animals in psychotherapy sessions is not a new concept, but the scientific research proving this as an effective therapeutic intervention has lagged. Over the past few decades there has been more research being published which is providing the scientific justification to what many of us knew to be true from firsthand experience. Including animal interactions in psychotherapy can make a big difference in clinical outcomes.
In this article I hope to address some of the frequently asked questions about the inclusion of animals into counseling.
Many species of animals can be incorporated into psychotherapy. The most common species are dogs, horses, cats, and rabbits. I have heard of people also incorporating reptiles, guinea pigs, rats, chickens as well. I personally have also included goats, sheep, and ducks, in addition to cats, dogs, and horses. Different species bring different qualities into the sessions. At Vermont Counseling Intensives, we routinely incorporate horses, cats and dogs into counseling sessions.
Including animals into counseling session is not a counseling modality. A counseling modality refers to a specific method or approach used by a therapist to treat psychological, emotional, or behavioral issues. Each modality is rooted in a particular theory about how people develop problems and how change occurs. Examples of modalities are EMDR, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Psychodrama, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), etc. Rather than being a modality in and of itself, including animals into therapy is something that can be added to most modalities. For example, there are specific EMDR protocols that have been developed to include horses into EMDR work. I routinely include horses into Psychodrama and other role-based experiential methods.
To explain how animal assisted psychotherapy works, I will begin by breaking it into two broad categories, hands off interactions and hands on interactions. Hands off interactions can occur with any type of animal including wild animals. Imagine watching a herd of horses grazing in a field. While standing on the outside of the fence, all sorts of observations can be made regarding their behaviors – and those observations can be easily turned into insights about how we humans engage in relationships. This is especially true of a species like horses that are herd animals, or another way of saying that is they depend on relationships with others of their kind for survival – very similar to humans.
An article in Anthrozoos journal in 1997, The use of feral cats in psychotherapy, highlights how a colony of feral cats was incorporated into counseling work at an outpatient counseling center in rural Michigan. The center is adjacent to an open field and woodlot, where wildlife is abundant. Feral cats have existed there for several decades and were often seen carrying prey back to wherever they resided. After a staff member took an interest in the cats and began feeding them and built them a shelter. Clients were able to observe the cats from the window of the ground level office. One day the window was left open and one of the cats and her two kittens began entering the office, “Thus began the involvement of a family of feral cats in the treatment of mentally ill clients. These cats remain free-ranging, but no longer can be considered “feral” in the strictest sense of the word. Over time, and to varying extent, each cat has demonstrated an inclination to be touched by the humans.”
When clients desire to have the cats present, they simply leave the windows open, which functions as an invitation for the cats to come inside. The cats, being cats, will find spots in the office to sleep and sometimes choose to initiate interactions with the clients such as play or to be petted. At that point, some clients may ignore the cats while “other clients immediately engage with the cats, either directly or in the form of spontaneously
produced stories regarding cats they’ve known themselves; pets they’ve loved and lost. A significant sub-group of clients have focused meticulous attention on the history of the cats, posing numerous questions regarding where the cats originated, how the therapist became involved with them, why they live outside, and how administrative permission to have the animals in the Center was obtained. Subsequently, a variety of potentially relevant therapeutic themes tended to develop in the course of the abbreviated rendition of the cats as survivors of the myriad of dangers which confront them on a regular basis, and the therapist as someone who, in a limited way, fed, cared for, and befriended them.”
“In powerful ways, the cats have elicited emotions, vivid memories and obvious attachment efforts from many adult clients. Those who are seriously vulnerable and impaired, such as persons with schizophrenia, multiple personality disorders, or severe character pathology seem to bond in a very important way with the cats; often speaking to the therapist through the cats, revealing important data about themselves by describing what the
cats are thinking and feeling, and why they think the cats are behaving in certain ways.”
“At times, one of the cats will choose to participate in the therapist’s efforts to communicate various messages to the clients, and one of the cats in particular can be depended on to greet and initiate tactile contact with many of the people who visit the office. Such unqualified interest in the client, successfully confirms the message that they
are valued. At other times, one of the cats will visually portray a part of something that the therapist is in the process of trying to explain, as was the case when the oldest of the four cats, M.C., stretched herself trustingly beneath the elevated, tremulous foot of a client who suffers from an obsessive compulsive disorder. This client was extremely distressed by her obsessive conviction that she could quite easily, if unintentionally, be the
cause of harm to others with whom she interacted. She understood her fears to be entirely unfounded, but as is generally the case with this disorder, cognitive awareness only mildly touches the powerful fears associated with such obsessions. At the very moment she was expressing her fears of being lethal to others, her attention was
directed toward M.C.’s obviously trusting position, vis-à-vis, the client above her. The fact was drawn that M.C. is a creature whose survival capabilities far surpass most of ours, and she obviously sensed no danger whatsoever in the client. The client literally laughed through her tears, and began to restructure her faulty thinking.”
Wells, E. S., Rosen, L. W., & Walshaw, S. (1997). Use of feral cats in psychotherapy. Anthrozoös, 10(2/3), 125–130.
In another study found in the Journal of Traumatic Stress, April 2015, “Equine-Assisted Therapy for Anxiety and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms” by Julie L. Earles, Laura L. Vernon, and Jeanne P. Yetz, researchers sought to determine the efficacy of specific equine-assisted therapy techniques for individuals with different psychological disorders. Participants were recruited from through mental health practitioners and screened for having experienced a traumatic event (serious accident; physical or sexual assault; life-threatening illness or injury; and sudden, violent death.) The study involved 16 participants aged 33-62. Baseline questionnaires were administered with a few weeks before the first session and posttreatment questionnaires were administered immediately following the final session. Participants were split into three groups and came to the facility for 6-weeks for 2-hour sessions.
“In Session 1, participants met the horses and worked with them to develop noncritical self-awareness, improved concentration, and improved listening skills. In Session 2, participants learned how to have nonverbal interactions with the horses. They explored the effects of actions and body language and learned about boundaries in relationships. In Session 3, participants learned to halter the horses and worked on dealing with challenges and stressful situations. In Session 4, participants learned how to lead and back up a horse. They dealt with creating safe spaces and setting boundaries in relationships. In Session 5, participants learned how to stay focused when faced with distraction or temptation. In Session 6, participants reviewed previously learned skills and worked on inner stillness and stability. This regimen was considered a full course of treatment.”
The results: “Participants’ PTSD symptoms, emotional distress, anxiety symptoms, depression symptoms, and alcohol use decreased significantly following program participation. Participants’ mindfulness increased following treatment. There were no significant changes in physical health, proactive coping, general perceived self-efficacy, social support, life satisfaction, or optimism.”
“Equine-assisted therapy may be an effective treatment for people suffering from anxiety symptoms because interactions with horses may increase mindfulness. We found significant increases in mindfulness following the program. Instructions and discussions emphasized a nonjudgmental accepting awareness, and the present-focused awareness of the horses may also have encouraged mindfulness. Participants initially varied widely in comfort with horses, but initial comfort was not significantly correlated with changes in depression, anxiety, or
PTSD symptoms, suggesting that mindfulness can occur regardless of initial comfort.”
Earles, J., Vernon, L., & Yetz, J. (2015). Equine‐assisted therapy for anxiety and posttraumatic stress symptoms. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 28(2), 149-152.
We have found similar results with our clients who choose to incorporate animals into their sessions. In my personal experience, and I have heard this to be true with others as well, animals have always been emotionally safe for me, unlike humans. Thus, it’s much easier for me to trust animals than humans. Which means, being around animals provides a safe resource for me that will allow my heart to naturally be more open, thus making the deeper work of therapy more powerful and effective.
Physical safety is always important and adding animal interactions into counseling can increase the possibility of injury. All of our therapy animals are screened every day for their health and readiness to work. The goal of this screening is to look out for the wellbeing of the animals and to reduce the possibility of injury to humans and animals. However, the nature of animals being animals, some risk remains. Cats have claws and can accidently scratch someone. Horses are large and may accidently step on someone’s foot. When working with animals, one must always be a little more mindful about one’s physical safety and of course the counselor will also be paying close attention to this. When working with families or groups and large animals like horses, we highly recommend (and may require) having either two counselors or a counselor and an equine specialist, who’s role is to always being mindful of the horse’s and their needs.