Animal-Assisted Therapy
Horses, Dogs, and other animals help with PTSD
I delayed releasing this series last month. During the delay, I crafted an extra post.
Now, it's a 3 part series. Here is the first segment:
Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is a therapeutic intervention that incorporates animals, such as horses, dogs, cats, and birds, into the treatment plan. I have a deep love of animals, and know how loving and healing they areāfor me. It makes sense that a professional therapist working with trained animals can support and help those suffering from PTSD.1
Shortly after Paperdolls was first released, Laurel attended an educational conference at Weber State University. Laurel got her master's in ed psych, and this conference was part of her Master's program. I tagged along and debated about going running near beautiful Pineview Reservoir. When I looked at the workshops, I decided to sit in on one. The workshop was conducted by a therapist specializing in helping children from abusive homes, a therapist specializing in Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT), and to my curiosity, an animal control officer.
I love animals. To attend a workshop about AAT was intriguing.
In this presentation, I learned an astonishing fact: Animal Control Officers are the largest group of people who report child abuse. Not teachers. Not doctors or nurses. Not little league coaches. Not social workers. Not religious leaders.
Animal Control Officers
That was the most jaw dropping insight I learned from that workshop.2
When an animal control officer is called out to investigate the abuse of an animal, they frequently see evidence that the children in the home are being abused. And they report it.
There is also a tie between children/teenagers who abuse animals turning into adults who abuse children. Sadly, there is a strong link between serial killers and animal cruelty.3 I do not want to go down the rabbit hole4 (pun intended) of what makes abusers abuse. There are those who delve into it ā trying to solve the riddle of why evil exists in the world. The philosophy is that if they understand what causes someone to act in monstrous ways, it can be stopped. Maybe. However, I know in the wake of their abuse leaves an untold number of souls in despair--or worse. And to those, I am committed to offering hope that healing is possible and life is worth living.
If there is a tie between abusers and animals, then there must be an opposite. Newton's 3rd law of motion says, "To every action, there is always opposed an equal reaction."5 Hence I believe animals can help us with healing.
Assisted Animal Therapy (AAP) exemplifies the healing power of animals.6
I'm not suggesting that everyone run out and adopt a dog or a cat. However, if you are drawn to animals, it can be helpful.
I love the poem by Mary Oliver:
THE SWEETNESS OF DOGS
What do you say, Percy? I am thinking
of sitting out on the sand to watch
the moon rise. Itās full tonight.
So we goand the moon rises, so beautiful it
makes me shudder, makes me think about
time and space, makes me take
measure of myself: one iota
pondering heaven. Thus we sit, myselfthinking how grateful I am for the moonās
perfect beauty and also, oh! how rich
it is to love the world. Percy, meanwhile,
leans against me and gazes up
into my face. As though I were just as wonderful
as the perfect moon.
Stay Tuned: Part 2 of 3 discusses my understanding of why some are afraid of animals.
PTSD and CPTSD is common with adults who suffered sexual abuse as children. It is also common for anyone, who has suffered sexual assault at any age.
This was before mandatory reporting laws were common. I did a quick search and couldn't find current data about what group typically reports child abuse the most. Please leave a comment if you know this data.
āhttps://www.animallaw.info/article/detailed-discussion-cross-reporting-laws
The meaning of RABBIT HOLE is a complexly bizarre or difficult state or situation conceived of as a hole into which one falls or descends; especially : one in which the pursuit of something (such as an answer or solution) leads to other questions, problems, or pursuits.