Animal & Nature Based Therapy: An Overview

As a counselor, I am most passionate about Nature and Animal Based modalities.  These are modes of treatment that are growing in popularity as the more and more research supports its use both as a stand-alone treatment and as an adjunct to traditional therapy.  Nature exposure has been shown to positively impact an individual's mental and physical health, including reducing stress and anxiety (Bakolis et al, 2018; Berto, 2014; Frumpkin et al, 2017; Repke et al, 2018).

Working with animals in a therapeutic setting has also been shown to have a positive effect on mental and physical health, including a reduction of heart rate and blood pressure, as well as improvement in symptoms associated with anxiety, depression, substance use disorder, and PTSD (Balluerka et al, 2015; Bachi, Terkel, Teichman, 2011; Stefanini et al, 2019;  Wells, 2009; Zilcha-Mano, Mikulincer, & Shaver, 2011).

During my time at Wake Forest, we were required to write a literature review on a topic of our choosing.  I wrote about the use of animal assisted therapy in the treatment of PTSD.  I have posted it here for more information if you are interested.  



References:

Bakolis, I., Hammoud, R., Smythe, M., Gibbons, J., Davidson, N., Tognin, S., & Mechelli, A. (2018). Urban mind: Using smartphone technologies to investigate the impact of nature on mental well-being in real time. BioScience, 68(2), 134. https://doi-org.db02.linccweb.org/10.1093/biosci/bix149

Balluerka, N., Muela, A., Amiano, N., & Caldentey, M. (2015). Promoting psychosocial adaptation of youths in residential care through animal-assisted psychotherapy. Child Abuse & Neglect, 50, 193-205.   http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2015.09.004

Bachi, K., Terkel, J., & Teichman, M. (2011).  Equine-facilitated psychotherapy for at-risk adolescents: The influence on self-image, self-control, and trust.  Clinical Child Psychology & Psychiatry, 17(2), 298-312.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1359104511404177 

Berto, R. (2014). The role of nature in coping with psycho-physiological stress: A literature review on restorativeness. Behavioral Sciences 4(4), 394–409

Frumkin, H., Bratman, G. N., Breslow, S. J., Cochran, B., Kahn Jr, P. H., Lawler, J. J., … Wood, S. A. (2017). Nature contact and human health: A research agenda. Environmental Health Perspectives, 125(7), 1–18. https://doi-org.db02.linccweb.org/10.1289/EHP1663

Myers, J., Sweeney, T., & Witmer, J.M. (2000).  The wheel of wellness counseling for wellness: A holistic model for treatment planning. Journal of Counseling and Development, 78(3), 251-266.  Retrieved from https://libres.uncg.edu/ir/uncg/f/J_Myers_Wheel_2000.pdf) 

Repke, M., Berry, M., Conway, L. III, Metcalf, A., Hensen, R., & Phelan, C. (2018). How does nature exposure make people healthier?: Evidence for the role of impulsivity and expanded space perception. PLoS ONE 13(8):e0202246.  https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0202246

Stefanini, M., Marino, A., Bacci, B., & Tani, F. (2016).  The effect of animal-assisted therapy on emotional and behavioral symptoms in children and adolescents hospitalized for acute mental disorders. European Journal of Integrative Medicine, 8(2), 81-88. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.eujim.2016.03.001 

Wells, D. (2009).  The effects of animals on human health and well-being.  Journal of Social Sciences, 65(3), 523-543.

Zilcha-Mano, S., Mikulincer, M., & Shaver, P.  (2011) Pet in the therapy room: An attachment perspective on animal-assisted therapy.  Attachment & Human Development, 13(6), 541-561, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14616734.2011.608987  ​​