Animal therapy is a therapeutic intervention that involves the use of animals, such as dogs, horses, or cats, to help people with physical, mental, emotional, or social needs. Whether it’s an emotional support dog helping a person with anxiety or a horse-assisted therapy session providing relaxation and stress reduction, In this article, we’ll explore the benefits and potential drawbacks of animal therapy, and help you understand how you can incorporate it into your life.
So What Exactly Should You Know About Animal Therapy?
Animal therapy has become an increasingly popular practice in recent years. And with good reason: studies have shown that engaging with animals can have a profound impact on mental and physical health. But before you seek out animal therapy, we want to make sure you know what to expect from it.
Which are The Best Therapy Animals?
There are numerous types of animals you can keep as a pet, and companion. However, there are a select few that are excellent at being therapy animals. The big three when it comes to animal therapy are dogs, cats and horses. All three are intelligent, and compassionate creatures that can read human emotions and are well suited to providing excellent emotional support and comfort.
It’s A Great Way To Reduce Stress and Anxiety
Stress and anxiety are two of the biggest catalysts for mental health problems. These two often come hand in hand to create the issues you’re facing today. Luckily, animal therapy is an excellent way to help reduce it. Spending time with animals is proven to reduce feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression, and can also help to improve overall mood.
Animal Therapy is an Excellent Source of Companionship and Affection
Another big cause of mental instability is the lack of proper social contact. We are social creatures by nature, and being isolated can take a major toll on our mental health. Luckily, having a pet or animal companion be your therapy buddy can be a great way to minimize the impact it has on you. Dogs and cats are common choices, but equine companions like horses can also provide you the affection you need to stay mentally healthy, or help you recover from the trauma you might be experiencing.
Animal Therapy Provides a Safe Space for Healing and Recovery
An essential part of therapy is always going to be the environment you’re going to be recovering in. Regardless of whether you’re overcoming trauma, or coping with the past, your environment plays a key role in your recovery. Animal therapy provides this safe space with loveable animals to help you recover. Equine Therapy in particular is extra special in this regard, as you’re often going to be in the great outdoors with your hooved companions. And as we all know, nature is an excellent place to relax and let go of all your troubles; even more so when you’re recovering from past traumas.
Therapy Animals are Specially Trained to Be Healing Companions
One thing you should know about therapy animals is that they are not your typical, run of the mill pets. Pets are certainly a great boost to one’s mood as we’ve mentioned earlier, but they aren’t specifically trained to be companions on overcoming deep seated traumas and issues. The unique training that these animals undergo makes them especially receptive to your needs and helps them understand what exactly needs to be done to push you forward in your road to recovery.
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for ways to improve your mental and physical well-being, animal therapy is a great option to consider. With its numerous benefits and minimal drawbacks, it can be an invaluable tool for improving quality of life and overall wellness. If you’re interested in learning more about animal and equine therapy give us a call. We’ll make sure you’re in good hands.
