Animal Assisted Play Therapy

These two lovebugs are Angel (calico) & Link (black).  Link is hard at work in the office and we're hoping to hire Angel very soon!
This is Magnolia (Maggie), sadly Maggie passed away in June 2024.  She is greatly missed and leaves a HUGE hole in many of our hearts.  She worked for the practice as a dedicated employee for two years.
Amanda Dixon has training in Animal Assisted Play Therapy (AAPT), which she has found is actually much more in depth than solely saying "I do animal assisted therapy".  Animal Assisted Play Therapy is inclusive of animal assisted therapy in that the training is more extensive, as far as understanding animal behavior, honoring the animal's needs, and providing support for your needs while also supporting, in your pet's needs.  

Some of the benefits of working with a pet in therapy are:
  • Building rapport in the therapeutic relationship
  • Facilitating insight
  • Enhancing social skills
  • Enhancing relationship skills
  • Enhancing self-confidence
  • Modeling specific behaviors
  • Encouraging sharing of feelings
  • Providing behavioral reward
  • Enhancing trust within therapeutic environment
  • Facilitating feelings of safety in the therapeutic environment

Reference: O'Callaghan's (2008) 10 intentions and 7 techniques used in mental health treatment involving animals.




Some of the goal areas of AAPT include:
  • Self-Efficacy
  • Attachment & relationship
  • Empathy
  • Self-Regulation
  • Specific Problem Resolution

If AAPT sounds like something you might be interested in, please don't hesitate to contact the practice.  If you're a clinician interested in implementing animal assisted play therapy in your work, we may be able to collaborate.