Therapy Dogs And Trauma

By Lydia Wood

Echo is a certified therapy dog through Therapy Dogs International. Over the last several months, Echo has made a home at Beacon of Hope Crisis Center. He sits in on appointments for advocacy services and counseling to assist clients that have experienced trauma. While Echo is still new to Beacon of Hope, therapy dogs have been utilized for years.
 
New research shows just how beneficial a therapy dog can be. Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) has recently been used to lessen the effects of serious pain, both mental and physical. Having an animal present can lower cortisol levels and raise dopamine and serotonin levels. This greatly lowers stress and raises relaxation. This helps make expressing one’s trauma less difficult. In fact, in recent studies AAT can lower depressive symptoms long term in victims of trauma. Acute anxiety from speaking of one’s trauma is often lowered in the presence of a therapy dog, but those anxious effects are often lowered long-term as well in many of the individuals studied.
 
If someone starts to feel uncomfortable, Echo will snuggle in closer instead of shying away. He will rest his head on your lap if you are sad. He makes perfect eye contact to help reduce anxiety or stress clients may have. It is the most precious thing to watch as he takes it upon himself to improve the mood of others.

His impact is shown in this drawing a client made. For this client, Echo represented a breath of fresh air. He brought the light through their darkness. Though Echo can't comprehend the 2-dimensional tribute to the work he does, he feels it. His comforting presence benefits his clients not only in sessions, but in their daily lives.

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