The Power of Pets in Therapy

“The bond between humans and pets began roughly 40,000 years ago when dogs became domesticated and has continued ever since. You likely already know the benefits of pet companionship either because you had one as a kid, have one as an adult, or know someone who shares their pet with you.

Those benefits can include: reduced loneliness, mood boost, increased feelings of social support, and improved health

Pets Help With Your Physical Health

There’s an entire branch of therapy devoted to working with animals called animal-assisted therapy. A popular one is an equine-assisted psychotherapy, also called equestrian therapy or horse therapy. The therapy is well-documented in its ability to treat issues such as grief, addiction, and trauma as people relearn how to recognize and re-cover their feelings, regulate emotions, and better communicate through working with horses. Riders also learn how to build trust with the horse and come to trust themselves again.

Pets Provide Mental and Emotional Benefits

Those are the physical benefits. There are also mental and emotional benefits like lowering anxiety and decreasing depression. However, something people don’t often think about is interacting with animals teaches relational skills. For instance, animals provide endless opportunities for boundary setting. Training pets requires saying “no” to things like jumping on certain furniture or eating items they shouldn’t. Pets also teach you about boundaries because you may want to pet the cat but they have no interest in being touched so they saunter away or hiss at you if you try to touch them. With pets, you learn to honor another being’s “no” because otherwise you may get scratched or bitten.

Working with animals can also create a feeling of empathy or attunement skills as you identify with their feelings: a certain meow means hunger whereas another meow means pain. The more you engage with an animal, the potentially deeper the bond you create. The deeper the bond, the more you work to understand what they’re feeling or needing (even though you may not know for sure)

Pets Allow You To Give and Receive

Pets also offer an opportunity to give and receive attention and care. When you’re upset, a dog may nudge your leg or put their head on your lap. Animals show they care about you and that can be incredibly healing if you’re a person who hasn’t or doesn’t experience that on a regular basis.”

Read full article on Goodtherapy

✨Takeaway: Pets bring a lot of benefits into your life. Such as social support, mood boosting, and helping you feel less lonely. Their great companions to have around for one’s wellbeing. They can also help with learning to set boundaries!

✨Reflection: What have you learned from your interactions and bonds with animals in your lifetime?

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