Healing Powers of Animal Therapy

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Animals have been human companions for many centuries providing a source of peace and calm to those around them; however the use of animals in a structured therapy environment is a fairly recent phenomenon. Animal therapy involves bringing animals into the healing process, which can has been proven effective in aiding many types of people. Whether it be a dog, cat, bird, rabbit, or even a horse, all types of animals can be trained to help the emotional and physical health of people in simple and extraordinary ways. The use of animal therapy with highly trained animals can benefit the emotional and physical health of a variety of people, including children, the elderly, and individuals with unique circumstances. Healing can take many different forms, such as companionship for a child, throwing a ball for a dog, students petting dogs before a test, or even simply stroking a soft animal. Animal therapy is a newly researched form of healing. Animal therapy was established by the Delta Society in 1977 as an official way of providing therapy. The Delta Society was first organized as a way of helping the public based upon the fact that most people in the world knew that an animal could help them in some way, but, the Delta Society has continued to provide conclusive research and programs to prove the validity of using animals in therapy. For approximately 30 years, the organization has provided the official definitions for the two different animal therapy approaches. The two different programs are Animal Assisted Therapy and Animal Assisted Activities. The official definition of Animal Assisted Activities or (AAA), is by the Delta Society stated in Animal-Assisted Brief Therapy: A Solution-Focused Approach, which defines AAA as an event... ... middle of paper ... ... Mar. 2014. Christensen, Jen. "Therapy Dogs: 'Perfect Medicine' to Help Students Survive Finals." CNN. Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System. 19 Dec. 2013. Web. 24 Mar. 2014. Crawford, Jacqueline J., and Karen A. Pomerinke. Therapy Pets: The Animal-Human Healing Partnership. Amherst, NY: Prometheus, 2003. Print. Healy, Michelle. "Schools Reach Out to Ease Kids' Stress." USA Today. USA Today Information Network, 21 Aug. 2013. D4. Web. 26 Mar. 2014. Hlavacek, Joanna. "Therapy Dogs Remind of Animals' Healing Power." The Sacramento Bee. The Sacramento Bee, 20 Mar. 2014. N. Pag. Web. 30 Mar. 2014. Pichot, Teri, and Marc Coulter. Animal-Assisted Brief Therapy: A Solution-Focused Approach. Binghampton, NY: Hartworth, 2007. Print. Rovner, Julie. "Pet Therapy: How Animals And Humans Heal Each Other." NPR. National Public Radio, 5 Mar. 2012. Web. 24 Mar. 2014.

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