Learn to use a powerful tool in Solution-Focused Brief Therapy—a pet Animal Assisted Activities/Therapy (AAA/T) is an innovative intervention in which an animal becomes a crucial—and highly effective—part of the treatment process. Pet-Assisted Brief Therapy: A Solution-Focused Approach gives therapists the tools they need to begin and maintain an effective treatment program that meaningfully merges dogs and other therapy animals with Solution-Focused Therapy (SFT). This unique book clearly explains how AAA/T integrated with SFT in one substance abuse counseling program. It provides a revealing description of the program’s challenges and successes, and discusses the possibilities for AAA/T implementation in other agencies. The authors review in detail the multitude of scenarios where animals can add a valuable dimension for treatment with clients on specific issues. Animal-Assisted Brief Therapy: A Solution-Focused Approach provides therapists with concrete examples of how to appropriately implement AAA/T to cultivate positive effects in treatment. The book explains how this loving and patient therapy for clients need not be the difficult challenge that it at first appears to be. This resource takes you step by step through the process, showing what practical strategies can be used to offset most obstacles and unknowns. This one-of-a-kind guide clearly explains how to blend and structure the numerous aspects of AAA/T with Solution Focused Therapy to become a more effective treatment program. Appendices provide AAA/T resources, sample policy and procedures, and training resources across the United States. Animal-Assisted Brief Therapy: A Solution-Focused Approach discusses: the history of AAA/T common values between AAA/T and Solution-Focused Therapy the principles and goals of SFT how to understand canine culture the creation of a successful AAA/T program phobias, allergies, liabilities, and insurance therapy dogs’ needs common interventions therapy with children therapy with adolescents therapy with adults therapy with substance abusing clients Animal-Assisted Brief Therapy: A Solution-Focused Approach provides a comprehensive look at AAA/T and is perfect for therapists struggling to find new and effective ways to work with clients; therapists trying to utilize this approach in their practice; administrators and clinical supervisors wanting to implement AAA/T at their agency; educators; and students.

The original edition was the first book to provide a comprehensive overview of the ways in which animals can assist therapists with treatment of specific populations, and/or in specific settings. The second edition continues in this vein, with 7 new chapters plus substantial revisions of continuing chapters as the research in this field has grown. New coverage includes: Animals as social supports, Use of AAT with Special Needs students, the role of animals in the family- insights for clinicians, and measuring the animal-person bond. - Contributions from veterinarians, animal trainers, psychologists, and social workers - Includes guidelines and best practices for using animals as therapeutic companions - Addresses specific types of patients and environmental situations

This book provides an overview of Animal-Assisted Activities (AAA) and Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) and demonstrates how they can be incorporated into solution-focused treatment programs. Pichot, focusing on the use of therapy dogs, starts with a discussion of the basics of AAA/T and solution-focused therapy, as well as what every practitioner should know about dogs before partnering with them. Successfully combining all of this into an effective treatment program is considered next. Pichot draws upon her own experience developing an AAA/T program in the substance abuse counseling program at a county public health agency to illustrate the effective implementation of such a program and the struggles and lessons learned in doing so. Using AAA/T with special populations, cultural considerations, and the impact a therapy dog can have on the handler. New in this edition are client scenarios that demonstrate the therapist’s thought process when making clinical decisions about when and how to use a therapy dog. Sample forms and treatment plans are also provided that professionals can use to modify or structure in their work with clients. The concepts and information provided in this valuable guide will be helpful for any therapist regardless of whether he or she is in private practice or working in an agency setting.

The integration of animals into the therapy setting by psychotherapists has been a growing trend. Psychological problems treated include emotional and behavioral problems, attachment issues, trauma, and developmental disorders. An influential 1970s survey suggests that over 20 percent of therapists in the psychotherapy division of the American Psychological Association incorporated animals into their treatment in some fashion. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the number is much higher today. Since Yeshiva University psychologist Boris Levinson popularized the involvement of animals in psychotherapy in the 1960s, Israel has come to be perhaps the most advanced country in the world in the area of animal-assisted psychotherapy (AAP). This is true especially in the areas of academic training programs, theory-building, and clinical practice. Great effort has been put into understanding the mechanisms behind AAP, as well as into developing ethical guidelines that take into account the therapist's responsibility toward both client and animal. This book exposes the world to the theory and practice of AAP as conceived and used in Israel. It emphasizes evidence-based and clinically sound applications with psychotherapeutic goals, as differentiated from other animal-assisted interventions, such as AAE (animal-assisted education) and AAA (animal-assisted activities), which may have education or skills-oriented goals. Not just anyone with a dog can call him-or herself an animal-assisted therapist. This volume demonstrates not only the promise of animal-assisted psychotherapeutic approaches, but also some of the challenges the field still needs to overcome to gain widespread legitimacy.

Animal Assisted Therapy in Counseling is the most comprehensive book available dedicated to training mental health practitioners in Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT). It explains the history and practice of AAT in counseling, discusses the latest empirical research, and provides an in-depth explanation of the psychodynamics of AAT within various theoretical frameworks. Readers will learn the proper way to select, train, and evaluate an animal for therapy. The use of a number of different therapy animals is considered, including dogs, cats, horses, birds, farm animals, rabbits and other small animals, and dolphins. Guidelines for implementing AAT in settings such as private practices, community agencies, schools, hospices, and prisons are covered, as well as ethical and legal considerations, risk management, diversity issues, and crisis and disaster response applications. Numerous case examples illustrate the use of AAT principles with clients, and forms, client handouts, and other resources provide valuable tools. This unique resource is an indispensable guide for any counselor looking to develop and implement AAT techniques in his or her practice.

This is the first book focusing on the animal’s perspective and best practices to ensure the welfare of both therapy animals and their human counterparts in animal-assisted interventions. Written by leading scientists, it summarizes the scientific evidence available concerning the impacts on animals in these settings, including companion species, horses, marine mammals and other animals used in therapy. There has been a dramatic increase in the range of animal-assisted interventions used in medical and allied health environments in recent years, and the field is now entering an era with a greater interest in defining the underlying mechanisms of the human-animal bond as well as the therapeutic benefits of these interactions. Animal-assisted interventions, as with other uses of animals by humans, impose a unique set of stresses on the animals, which the community has only recently begun to acknowledge. For the field to continue to flourish, more evidence is needed to shed light on the implications for the animals and what guidelines need to be put into practice to ensure welfare. With the ultimate goal of improving the impact that we have on the animals under our care, the book provides a roadmap for researchers and clinicians as they attempt to safely and humanely incorporate various species of animals into therapeutic settings. The authors also offer instructions and suggestions for areas that need to be studied more robustly over the next decade to continue to ensure the safe and proper use of animals in therapy sessions. This is an informative, thought-provoking and instructive resource for practitioners and researchers in the field of medicine and clinical psychology using animal-assisted interventions, as well as for veterinarians and welfare scientists.