The History & Benefits of Animal Therapy
The 30th of April marks National Therapy Animal Day, and it’s a day that means a lot to us. As a company with an affiliated charity that does animal-assisted therapy sessions on the regular, we’ve been promoting the advantages of the practice for years now – and we’re glad to see it become normalised.
The history of animals being used for human therapy purposes is fascinating if we do say so ourselves. The ancient Greeks first used horses as a way to treat people with low spirits. In the late 1800s, Florence Nightingale noticed that pets had a positive effect on the mental health of those in psychiatric institutions. Then in 1919, the US military allowed the use of dogs as a method of therapy. And Sigmund Freud, a renowned founder of psychoanalysis, observed the therapeutic benefits of a canine companion and even brought his dog Jofi into his sessions.
Today, animal therapy has become an immensely popular form of treatment for those with mental health-related issues, with all sorts of animals being effectively coached to aid with the therapeutic process – including but not limited to dogs, cats, rabbits, donkeys, pigs, bearded dragons, snakes, squirrels, chickens and rats.
And the benefits of animal therapy are numerous:
For Mental Health
- Just petting an animal can create an automatic relaxation response, as it promotes the release of serotonin, oxytocin and prolactin, all of which are hormones that play a part in elevating our mood.
- Acts as a catalyst in regular therapy methods (like with Freud and his dog).
- Reduces loneliness.
- Enhances mental stimulation, like recalling past memories in people with head injuries or chronic illnesses.
- Provides a sense of comfort.
- Lowers anxiety and helps you to relax.
- And can generally just help to provide distraction from stressful situations.
For Physical Health
- Encourages participants of therapy sessions to be more active and move around more.
- Lowers blood pressure and can improve cardiovascular health.
- Releases hormones like phenylethylamine (which has a very similar effect to chocolate).
- May actually reduce the amount of medications needed by certain people.
- Slows and regulates breathing.
Of course, it’s not just any animal that qualifies as a therapy animal. They have to be trained specifically to be able to provide affection, comfort and support to people who are in need. This means that they must be calm and sociable around strangers, which is why other more docile animals besides dogs have become such popular choices for therapy animals in recent years.
Therapy animals can be a great way to provide a calming and natural boost to our mental health, so we hope this post raises awareness of its benefits. For any questions, queries, or concerns, contact us on Facebook.
