EMMA MARSHALL
Counselling Services
Canine Assisted Therapy
Emma Marshall Counselling Services is now able to provide Canine Assisted Therapy. It combines the talking therapy of the Person-Centred Approach with the addition of Bentley, a registered, fully trained and insured, Golden Retriever.
Having Bentley present in a session to interact with when talking, can help to give you a focus (or distraction!) whilst exploring difficult or painful issues. He can bring comfort if you sit beside him and give him a stroke when distressed or you may find talking to him easier than looking at me! Either way, Bentley will make our sessions feel less intense but be prepared to be covered in fur so older clothes are recommended.
Studies have proven that therapy with dogs showed a significant decrease in conditions such as depression, PTSD, trauma symptoms and dissociation.
The benefits of Canine Assisted Therapy
There are many benefits to Canine Assisted Therapy as it enables clients to work therapeutically whilst emotionally co-regulating with the dog using the bond created between human and canine.
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Dogs offer unconditional love and acceptance. They will not judge or criticise, they don’t care what you look like, they just offer affection.
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People feel calmer and less threatened being around a dog resulting in a less anxious, more relaxed state to be able to work therapeutically.
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Particularly for abuse survivors, working with a dog provides the first opportunity to learn a ‘safe touch’ whilst grounding and being in the present moment.
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For people with Autistic Spectrum Disorder or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder working with a Therapy Dog can be a calming, anxiety reducing activity whilst working on difficult topics.
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It also reduces blood pressure!
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Dogs will also make you laugh!
Bentley is Certified by Therapy Dog Training UK
Book a Canine Assisted Therapy Session
If you think Canine Assisted Therapy would be better for you, please contact me as some suitability checks need to be carried out before a session is arranged.
Fees for Canine Assisted Therapy are £60.00 per session. Please contact me to arrange your session.
Please also see the Canine Assisted Therapy Framework for conditions to be adhered to.
Emma has a Diploma in Animal Assisted Therapy
Canine Assisted Therapy
A long and distinguished heritage
The use of animals for health interventions can be traced back hundreds of years. Dogs were kept in the healing temples of the Ancient Greeks, Florence Nightingale recognised the benefits animals had on her sick patients and even Sigmund Freud worked with his Chow Chow, Jofi, who he noted had a calming effect on people. In the 1960’s, research began into Canine Assisted Therapy by Dr Bons Levison when he realised the positive effect his dog had on the mental health of his clients and so the therapy developed.