Finn is my therapy dog. I adopted him from a rescue organization in 2014. He's about 7 years old, and very sweet. He loves working with clients of all ages. With your consent, Finn can be a part of your therapy sessions.
Animal-assisted counseling can be beneficial to the counseling process (Gammonley, et al., 2000). Having a therapy dog present in counseling can help:
- improve socialization and communication
- reduce isolation, boredom and loneliness
- brighten affect and mood, lessen depression, and/ or provide affection
- improve memory and recall
- address grieving and loss issues
- improve self-esteem
- be presented with opportunities to succeed and feel important, and improve feelings of self worth
- improve reality
- improve cooperation and problem-solving ability
- improve concentration and attention, and increase engagement
- decrease manipulative behaviors
- improve expression of feelings
- reduce general anxiety
- reduce abusive behavior
- improve an ability to trust
- learn appropriate touch (Gammonley, et al., 2000; Chandler, 2001).
For these reasons, Finn has received training to be a therapy dog. He's available to come to your session, with your consent.