Animal Assisted Interventions and Trauma Therapy
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Authors
Wright, Lauren
Issue Date
2021-06
Type
Capstone
Language
en
Keywords
animal assisted intervention , attachment styles , companion animal , co-regulation , genograms , neuroception , therapeutic alliance , trauma , window of tolerance
Alternative Title
Abstract
Trauma is challenging to treat and current therapeutic practices fall short of meeting client's needs. Trauma impacts nearly 80% of clients presenting at mental health clinics (Jones & Cureton, 2014), often manifesting as anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, reported feelings of stuckness in life, or diagnoses such as PTSD, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, and dissociative disorders (Fisher, 2017). There is a documented need for complementary therapy modalities for the treatment of trauma as current modalities of trauma therapy suffer from high rates of treatment dropout and low rates of reported efficacy. Research has indicated a need for complementary therapy modalities for the treatment of trauma as current modalities of trauma therapy suffer from high rates of treatment dropout and low rates of reported efficacy. The human/animal bond is well documented in the current literature and animal assisted interventions are a promising complementary treatment modality that can fill in many of the deficits in current practices of trauma therapy. The aim of this capstone is to identify how the experience of trauma, especially in an attachment context, can cause chronic experiences of dysregulation. I will propose AAI as a complementary therapy modality to scaffold the individual's ability to self-regulate and form corrective attachment relationship within the context of trauma therapy.