- Children can identify with animals because, like children, they are small and "helpless". The perception that animals can trust the therapist may lead children to be more inclined to trust the therapist
- The therapist can openly talk about all of the animal's characteristics and show love and acceptance for all of them. For example, an animal who bites would still be shown love. Children can learn that these parts of themselves are acceptable too.

Animal Assisted Therapy can help Children with Developmental Trauma

Recently, an increasing number of children have started to receive treatment for mental health issues. Counselors help children to work through difficult emotions that they are experiencing that they may not properly understand. Furthermore, treatment for children looks different than it does for adults as there is the challenge of making it developmentally appropriate. One form of therapy that has been seen to be beneficial in children is Animal Assisted therapy. 

Animal Assisted Therapy for Children 

It was found that animal-assisted interventions used in prisons positively affected the psychosocial health of the inmates. It also helped the prisoners gain new skills in self-awareness, coping with negative thoughts, self expression, dealing with stress, anger management, self-care skills, and maladaptive prisoner behaviors such as aggression and self-harm.

Animal Assisted Interventions with Inmates

Reference for Animal Assisted Interventions with Inmates

An alternative treatment that is used to support a primary therapy treatment by using human-animal interaction to improve the conditions of individuals impacted by mental disorders or chronic diseases. 

Boston College

University of Texas at San Antonio

Any type of treatment that does not align with the typical or conventional means of medicine.

Alternative Treatment

- Wilderness/ Adventure Therapy
- Forest Bathing
- Park Prescriptions
- Outdoor Meditation and Yoga
- Community Gardening / Farming
- Animal-Assisted Therapy

Types of Ecotherapy

Çakıcı, A., & Kök, M. (2020). Animal Assisted Therapy. Psikiyatride Güncel Yaklaşimlar, 12(1), 117–130. https://doi.org/10.18863/pgy.526378


Reference for Animal-Assisted Therapy

- Brainspotting
- Hypnosis
- Alternative Medicine
- Ecotherapy/ Nature Therapy
- Aromatherapy

Types of Alternative Therapy Practices

In a study conducted to predict AHCU (Alternative Health Care Use), potential hypotheses were tested to gain insight into the reasons patients choose alternative methods:

Why do people rely on Alternative Treatments?

References for Animal-Assisted Therapy

Animal-Assisted Therapy

These animals provide companionship and support for a person with a disability. It can help to alleviate certain aspects of a disability too. 

ESA's are any animal species or breed able to help primarily with mental-related disabiltieis. 

Purpose of emotional support animals + types

Add reference nodes for Alternative Treatment here.

References for Alternative Treatment

Creative Arts Therapy uses many different kinds of creative bodies such as arts, craft, dance, music drama, and writing when treating mental disorders.

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