Select FILTERS to search by keywords or presenter. Please note: there may be a delay as system processes.
Therapy Dogs to assist with developing Equity: Utilizing Animal Assisted Education and Animal Assisted Therapy
Keywords
Therapy Dogs, Equity, Adult Development
Session Abstract
Our purpose will be to discuss ways therapy dogs are being utilized within personal and professional settings. Specifically, we will explain the ways therapy dogs can enhance adults’ mental, physical, and emotional development while assisting professionals’ quest to provide services that are accessible and equitable.
Session Description
Those who are holistically healthy are able to live in harmony with themselves, others, and their environments (Freidmann, Son, & Saleem, 2015), therefore it’s crucial to consider ways to improve and maintain such functioning for all individuals. Our intention is for the audience to develop an awareness of the interconnectedness among mental, physical, and emotional development, and overall health and well-being and note that having an unhealthy concept in one type of development tends to negatively affect the others. Furthermore, we will demonstrate ways that Animal Assisted Interventions (AAI) can be of assistance to educators and clinicians in developing equitable services. The authors will address ways therapy dogs can be utilized in a variety of settings as a form of prevention and action, to develop services that are delivered fairly. The impact of this innovation is already being shown through foundational research of therapy dogs as alternatives to other mental health, physical health, and educational techniques, however, less research is being done on the use of therapy dogs specifically with marginalized populations. Finally, we will delve into what could become of therapy dogs in professional settings in order to provide equitable services, including for those who are marginalized and/or voiceless.