Animal-Assisted Therapy
Meet Buster.
Buster is a 3yr old, mid-sized Australian Labradoodle, weighing 30lbs, and standing at 23”.
A trained therapy dog, Buster loves giving kisses, getting pets and scratches on the couch, and showing off his chew toys to all his pals at the office.
If you are interested in finding out if animal assisted therapy is right for you, please contact me to inquire.
“Having [Buster] here helps with my anxiety, so it’s easier to talk about hard things.”
History of Animal-assisted Therapy
Although AAT was first formalized by Boris Levinson in the 1950s (see “The dog as a co-therapist”), animals have been used to benefit human mental health since as far back as 1796.
Interacting with animals has been shown to release dopamine and serotonin in the brain, which can help ease anxiety and depression. Animal-assisted therapy has been used as an intervention strategy for PTSD, anxiety, and mood-disorders, among many others.