Handbook on Animal-Assisted Therapy

Handbook on Animal-Assisted Therapy (Fourth Edition)

Foundations and Guidelines for Animal-Assisted Interventions
2015, Pages 305-319
Handbook on Animal-Assisted Therapy

Chapter 22 - Treating Human Trauma with the Help of Animals: Trauma Informed Intervention for Child Maltreatment and Adult Post-Traumatic Stress

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Abstract

When a traumatic life event shakes the foundation of an individual's willingness or ability to have human relationship, the traditional “trusting” relationship that underpins any therapeutic intervention may no longer be functional as an intervention. Acutely traumatic experiences can disrupt the long-term development of an individual, interfering with normal patterns of interpersonal behavior that shape normal social and emotional function. This chapter explores two distinct applications of animal-assisted, trauma-focused intervention that differ with respect to the target population and the models through which therapeutic approaches are delivered. However, these models share a common understanding regarding the significance of animals in providing emotional security, psychophysiological and affect regulation, neurological recalibration, and other behavioral responses of humans to our social environment.

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