The Effects of Animal-Assisted Therapy on Children and Youth Who Have Experienced Developmental Trauma
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Authors
Nicholson, Sarah
Issue Date
2024-11-10
Type
Capstone
Language
en
Keywords
developmental trauma , animal-assisted therapy , children and youth , alliance , attachment , canine-assisted therapy , equine-facilitated therapy , PTSD , the human-animal bond , trauma , treatment adherence
Alternative Title
Abstract
Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is a relatively new field of study that has gained considerable support over the past decade, with more research dedicated to understanding its impact on humans' psychological and physical well-being. The author of this paper provided insight into the aforesaid modality and its impact on developmental trauma (DT) in children and youth to specifically answer the research question "How does animal-assisted therapy impact children and youth who have experienced developmental trauma?" The theoretical framework that guided this capstone research reflects attachment theory and the premise that the human-animal bond can create a secure attachment (Bowlby, 1969; Parish-Plass, 2021). The paper also includes the findings from a literature review and a methodological analysis. The results of the literature review present three major themes: attachment bonds, treatment adherence, and AAT with canines and equines. The author further derived subthemes that led to additional findings. The
most significant findings in this research are attachment bonds and the human-animal bond; therefore, attachment theory guided the findings across the literature. The author discusses these findings in detail; they guide the recommendations for clinical practice. Furthermore, this paper includes ethical and cultural considerations within the literature reviewed and recommendations for future research.
Description
Citation
Publisher
License
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States
openAccess
openAccess