Amy Johnson

I would like to continue with the second Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) tenet used to help individuals create new positive neural pathways; developing new ways of thinking and being.To recap, these tenets are love, touch, relationships and experiential learning. Todays message is on the power of touch in AAT.

Touch is the largest sensory pathway and can be a powerful means of providing support and soothing stress. Human touch connects to the core of the social brain and conveys emotional warmth. Of course, physical contact exposes an individual to vulnerability so touch is only effective once trust is secure. Contact with companion animals can provide the impression of a safe environment as well as a non-invasive opportunity to hug and pet a living, loving being. This contact can create some of the same neurological effects by activating the affiliative centers in the brain (Brendtro, 2009).

Research shows that the act of petting a dog lowers cortisol levels, systolic blood pressure, heart rate, triglyceride and cholesterol levels (Coakley, 2009) as well as reduces anxiety and inhibition levels, allowing clients to share more with the counselor. Cortisol, a stress hormone, hypes up the brain when stressed, oxytocin, in turn, calms the brain.

It is the skin to skin contact (whether human to human or human to companion animal) that releases oxytocin, the hormone associated with attachment; which is such a struggle for so many of our clients. Oxytocin promotes social bonding and allows individuals to let their guards down and ultimately trust the therapist. In other words, if a client is feeling unsure or hesitant about treatment, it will take longer to establish therapeutic rapport, stalling progress. Having a friendly dog in the room to interact with can expedite this process. Dogs are emotionally available and oftentimes place paws on the legs of clients, inviting them to encircle them and cry into their fur.

For many clients, touch is taboo. For example, clients with an abuse history or when working with adolescents or those in detention, touching is not typically acceptable, leaving them starved for needed physical contact. There are youth who will intentionally become aggressors so that they can be physically managed by staff and thus receiving that powerful skin to skin connection. Having a dog can fill that void. Additionally, when working with juvenile sex offenders, we can use the dogs as an opportunity to talk about appropriate touching. The youth with whom we work frequently comment that once they can hug their dog, all of their worries fade.

The power of touch is more than just comfort. For so many, it is recognizing that one is a person and matterseven if it is to a dog.

Brendtro, L., Mitchell, M. & McCall, H. (2009). Deep Brain Learning: Pathways to Potential with Challenging Youth. Albion, MI. Starr Commonwealth.
Coakley, A. B. & Mahoney, E. K. (2009). Creating a therapeutic and healing environment with a pet therapy program. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 15, 141-146. doi:10.1016/j.ctcp.2009.05.004

Amy Johnson is a counselor, lecturer, founder, and program director of the non-profit organization, Teacher’s Pet: Dogs and Kids Learning Together.

Amy Johnson

“Although humans inherit a biological bias that permits them to feel anger, jealousy, selfishness, envy and to be rude, aggressive or violent, they inherit an even stronger biological bias for kindness, compassion, cooperation, love and nurture – especially towards those in need.” – Jerome Kagan

In my last blog, I gave an overview of the Animal Assisted Therapy tenets that are used to help individuals create new positive neural pathways. These tenets lead to new ways of thinking and being and include 1) love 2) touch, 3) relationships and 4) experiential learning. I’d like to address these tenets individually over the next few weeks, beginning today with love.

Regardless of your theoretical framework for practicing therapy, the need to love and be loved is transtheoretical. “Love ” is tantamount to positive emotional health and overall well-being. The need to feel valued by others (and for youth, feeling valued by adults in particular) is an innate trait. In fact, for youth, an attachment to adults is a “prerequisite to learning from them.”1

Love encompasses feelings of closeness and genuine appreciation and concern. Love leads to attachment, which fosters a sense of stability and safety. While as therapists it is not appropriate to “love” or “attach” to our clients (and vice versa), these same constructs apply on some level to establishing therapeutic rapport. Carl Rogers uses the terms unconditional positive regard, empathy and genuineness. A large research study was conducted that evaluated the dozens of theories and techniques utilized by clinicians and found that it was the element of rapport and feeling heard and understood that made the difference in treatment for those wanting change. For many, having a dog in the room expedites that relationship building process.

Many dogs have an uncanny ability to demonstrate unconditional positive regard, genuineness and a perceived empathy. (The debate is still open as to whether dogs actually feel empathy or if they are merely responding to our non-verbals.) Social animals such as horses, dogs and even rats are the most responsive to human affection Interaction with animals is remarkable because they do not have to love us, respond to us or interact with us, but they do. Even the dogs benefit from the interaction. Physiological studies on shelter dogs have found that they respond positively when interacting with humans.

Animals / dogs do not only love the easy-to-love, but they are able to reach through rough exteriors and love the harder to love. This allows those who are receiving the unconditional love to feel special. This might be the first time many clients have experienced unconditional love. Not only do the clients receive the love from the co-therapists, but they are able to practice loving in return. For those who have attachment issues or strong fears of rejection, utilizing a dog, rabbit, rat or cat to perform gestures of love safely and perhaps discover that the experience is not as painful or scary as they may have perceived it would be.

The animal assisted therapy research has determined repeatedly that the loving bonds between humans and animals create attachments which are beneficial for achieving therapeutic gains. This makes many animals good co-therapists. The biological need for love and attunement is passed from human to human or human to animal by smiling, holding, moving toward and touching one another. In our dog program, our troubled youth have the opportunity to help rescue dogs in need. This is another opportunity to express (and practice) love and affection safely. In the words of Lao Tzu, “Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.”

1 Brendtro, L., Mitchell, M. & McCall, H. (2009). Deep Brain Learning: Pathways to Potential with Challenging Youth. Albion, MI. Starr Commonwealth.

2 Kruger, K. & Serpell, J. (2006). Animal-assisted interventions in mental health: Definitions and theoretical foundations. Handbook on Animal Assisted Therapy: Theoretical foundations and guidelines for practice. Second Edition. Elsevier. Pp. 29-30

Amy Johnson

“We now assume that when psychotherapy results in symptom reduction or experiential change, the brain has, in some way, been altered” (Cozolino).

In the wake of the 1990s “Decade of the Brain,” much of the resulting counseling research suggests moving away from the sole use of talk therapy towards integrating sensory based interventions…particularly with individuals who have experienced trauma, abuse or neglect. The brain’s neural plasticity means that past behavior doesn’t have to dictate current behavior. Neural plasticity is reached at the sensory (mid-brain) level which indicates that alternative modalities may need to be used as an adjunct to talk therapy.

The mid-brain houses emotionality, connection and other sensory perceptions. When you have a highly emotional client in the midst of a crisis or perceived crisis, expecting him to use logic and reason to make appropriate decisions in that moment is futile. Instead, reaching out to that client at a sensory level (through movement, rhythm, art, music, etc.) helps him to regulate his emotions so that he can engage cognitively and linguistically.

Animal assisted therapy can help create new positive neural pathways through a few of its basic tenets including 1) love and attunement, 2) touch, 3) relationships and 4) experiential learning. In the interest of space, I’ll just give a basic overview of how these tenets can penetrate the mid-brain and will go over them more in depth over the next few weeks. First, love and belonging is a basic need for everyone. Dogs have an uncanny ability to share unconditional love regardless of age, appearance or past. Being in the presence of such love allows the client to feel safe and less inhibited, allowing for deeper exploration and growth potential. The second aspect of touch is vital for human existence. Clients, particularly those in residential placement, prisons, hospitals or who are just alone and are not able to experience physical contact often have higher levels of depression or sadness. The skin-to-skin contact releases oxytocin which is the hormone for social bonding. Whereas cortisol hypes up the brain when stressed, oxytocin calms the brain. When released during positive social interactions, oxytocin permits expressions of vulnerable behaviors. Third, relationships with the dogs (or other animal) allow clients to “practice” their relationships with humans.

We had a young adjudicated female in our animal assisted therapy program who said, after 6 weeks with her dog, “this is the first relationship I’ve ever had and you know, it wasn’t that bad.” Finally, social skills and empathy need to be experienced, not just explained. The clients / participants need to feel the behavior and experience the emotions that go along with helping or connecting to another living being. These elements allow the mid-brain areas which have been adversely affected by trauma to begin to heal, allowing new neuronal pathways to be generated moving up toward the cortex (problem solving, linguistic) areas. This is what allows the person to enhance self regulation abilities as well as decrease fear, anxiety and anger related disorders – the most common disabilities leading anyone to seek counseling.

Cozolino, L. (2002). The neuroscience of psychotherapy: Building and rebuilding the human brain. W.W. Norton Publishing. New York, NY.

Amy Johnson

Temple Grandin has a PhD in animal science, is an associate professor at Colorado State University, is a bestselling author and is autistic. She is an animal behavior expert who has spent most of her life designing humane equipment used in slaughter houses to keep the livestock from experiencing intense fear. Inflicting fear, she says, is the worst thing we can do to animals or people.

Fear is a primal emotion and is the one most prevalent in autism, it is also most prevalent in prey animals such as horses and cattle. In animals, fear is reflected in screams, hypervigilance, running away or freezing. Children with autism respond similarly to fear-instillers such as items that are out of place or make sudden movements, which Grandin adds, are the most frightening. For her, excessive sounds and smells will activate her fear center resulting in anxiety and panic attacks. She says for others, it might be flashing fluorescent lights, the feedback of a microphone, the ringer of a cell phone, etc.

The average person tends to be less detail-oriented than those with autism and animals, causing them to miss out on subtleties of those fear-inducers. She takes this to the slaughterhouses and views the surroundings from, say, the cows perspective. She noticed that when giving vaccinations, some cows willingly walked into the chute and others didnt. She investigated by approaching the chute from the cows angle and noticed that some feared their shadows or a light reflecting off a metallic piece somewhere in the distance. She had those items removed and the fear disappeared, leaving the cows to enter the chute willingly.

Animals and those who are autistic also share similarities in sensory based thinking rather than processing linguistically. Memories would be created through smells, touches, sight, etc. and put into categories. An example of this would be birds who use their senses for migratory purposes, squirrels who utilize sensory stimulation to identify where every acorn is buried or individuals with autism who can memorize an entire map of streets of a major city. Because this type of sensory based thinking does not necessarily allow for linguistic processing, animals would have no other option that to think in pictures. Words do not come into play for her; rather all of her thoughts are pictorials or movies that play in her head. Finally, she notes that humans seem to need, and thrive on, the proximity of animals. In the process of becoming human we gave up something primal and being around animals helps us get a measure of that back.

For more information on this subject, read Temple Grandins Thinking in Pictures or Animals in Translation.

Amy Johnson

Dogs have such an uncanny ability to live in the now; appreciate the good times and forgive the bad. I want to share this essay that seems to sum up my sentiments so succinctly. I am not sure whom to credit as it’s been cross-posted a dozen times. I hope that it inspires you, as it has me, to remember “If you can’t be a dog, live like one.”

“Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a 10-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog’s owners, Ron, his wife Lisa and their little boy Shane were all very attached to Belker so they were hoping for a miracle. I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn’t do anything for Belker and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience. The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker’s family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on.

Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.

The little boy seemed to accept Belker’s transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for awhile after Belker’s death wondering aloud about the sad fact that animals’ lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, ‘I know why’. Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I’d never heard a more comforting explanation.

He said, ‘people are born so that they can learn how to live a good life. Life — like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?’ The six-year-old continued, ‘well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don’t have to stay as long.’

Maybe we should learn a lesson from our best friends — the most loving creatures on earth.

Live simply. Love generously, Care deeply, Speak kindly.

Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like: when loved ones come home run to greet them; never pass up the opportunity to go for a joy ride; allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure.

Know ecstasy. Take naps. Stretch before rising. Run, romp and play daily. Thrive on attention and let people touch you. Avoid biting when a simple growl will do. On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass. On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree. When you’re happy dance around and wag your entire body. Delight in the simple joy of a long walk. Eat with gusto and enthusiasm. Stop when you have had enough. BE LOYAL. Never pretend to be something you’re not. If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it. When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently. Be always grateful for each new day and for the blessing of you.”

A dog’s life. If you can’t be one, live like one.

Amy Johnson

One of the adolescents in our dog program said the other day that he now loves dogs. Just like that. That might not seem like much of a stretch for a court adjudicated youth in a 12 week dog program, but to him a youth whose life revolved around getting high– it was. He has a Maltese and a pitbull puppy at home and liked how they looked and liked the reactions that he got from others, but that’s as far as it went. After learning about dogs and working with the shelter dogs we have in the program, he said he now truly loves his dogs at home and treats them better. I asked him if that changed how his dogs responded to him and he emphatically said yes! They never approached him before, but now, when he’s home on pass, they sleep with him. From a therapeutic perspective, we might ask, so what? What can this do to help him integrate positively back into society?

I believe that this demonstrates a growth in pro social skills and in particular, an increased level of empathy. Youth who are able to experience empathy, theorists argue and research supports, inhibit antisocial behavior towards others (Feshbach & Feshback, 1982; Miller & Eisenberg, 1988; Zhou et al, 2002). Margaret Mead (1934) described empathy as the ability to take on the role of another to understand the appropriate social response. Because many delinquent behaviors stem from a lack of empathy (which highly correlates with poor affect regulation, low social competence and greater likelihood for externalizing problems), a boost in empathy levels not only takes the child out of his small, self-centered world, but allows him better understanding of his own feelings and feelings of others.

Following this logic, what the adolescent above was really saying was that he is growing and expanding his world to include others and their feelings. Learning to truly love dogs has made it possible for him to respect humans and thats pretty exciting.

Amy Johnson is a counselor, lecturer, founder, and program director of the non-profit organization, Teacher’s Pet: Dogs and Kids Learning Together.

Amy Johnson

“One of the most dangerous things that can happen to a child is to kill or torture an animal and get away with it.” ~ Margaret Mead. We know that homes with family members who have domestic violence charges often have an animal abuser in the home. Sometimes those animal abusers are children. Statistics show that 6 ½ is the median age for the onset of harming animals…which is earlier than bullying others, acts of cruelty to people, vandalism or fire setting. For professionals, animal abuse by a child should be considered a warning that a child may be experiencing some form of psychological or physical distress.

The media has reported on serial killers’ initial practice with pets. Here is a short list of famous killers and their disturbing and sordid beginning.

• Jeffrey Dahmer is reported to have impaled and killed neighbor’s pets
• Patrick Sherril stole pets, tied them up and allowed his own dogs to mutilate them – later murdered 14 co-workers before killing himself
• David Berkowitz (Son of Sam) shot his neighbor’s Labrador retriever
• Albert DeSalvo (Boston Strangler) shot arrows into boxes of trapped cats and dogs
• Carroll Edmund Cole claimed his first violent act was strangling a puppy. Later he murdered 35 people
• Keith Hunter Jesperson (Happy Face Killer) began his life of violence by throwing a cat against the pavement and then strangling it to death

There are many more examples. While most serial killers have animal abuse or torture in common, the reverse is not necessarily true. Just because a child has abused an animal does not predict a future as a mass murderer. What we need to do is consider why children abuse animals. Frank Ascione is a pioneer in the research of linking animal abuse and domestic violence. He reports that children’s compassion towards animals is related to their empathy towards humans. He also found a strong correlation between those who have committed cruelty acts to animals with an impulsive character. I work with court adjudicated youth and approximately 30% of them have harmed an animal. Because most youth know that this is socially unacceptable, many abusers do it privately and deny their participation in these cruel acts.

Ascione’s work included interviewing youth who have committed acts of violence against their pets or other animals. Here is what they said:

• curiosity of exploration (usually by a young or developmentally delayed child)
• peer pressure (peers encourage as part of initiation)
• mood enhancement (ie relieves boredom)
• sexual gratification
• forced abuse (coerced into animal abuse by someone more powerful)
• attachment to animal (child kills to prevent torture by another)
• animal phobias
• identification with child’s abuser (victimized child trying to regain control)
• posttraumatic play
• imitation (copying parent’s discipline)
• self-injury (using animal inflict pain on his own body)
• rehearsal for interpersonal violence (practicing on pets before engaging in human violence)
• vehicle for emotional abuse (to frighten sibling, etc.)

For more information on this topic, please visit the Society and Animals Forum (formerly Psychologists for the Ethical Treatment of Animals)

Amy Johnson

Suppose you’re counseling a young girl and she mentions that her father kicks her dog when he’s mad. It was not made as an isolated statement, but more as a part of the discussion of life in her house. As a counselor, what comes to mind? Do you address it? Let it go? If we probe just a little, chances are, someone else in the house is being battered as well. Studies indicate that 88% of families who have been reported for child abuse also had an animal abuser in the house.

Questioning allegations of animal abuse in the home is a necessary step in the counseling process; recognizing that animal abuse and child / spousal abuse are closely related. Domestic antagonizers abuse animals as a way to emotionally control or coerce their victims. In a survey of 50 shelters on the subject of women and children escaping from in-home abuse, 85% said that women in their shelter talked about abuse of their pets and 83% of the shelters had observed the coexistence of domestic violence and pet abuse. Further reports indicated that 70% to 75% of women who reported abuse reported that their pets were hurt or killed by their partner.[1]. In most cases, shelters do not allow women to bring their pets with them which results in them delaying refuge out of concern for their pets.

The Association for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals reported on a case recently where the violence committed against the family cat led to his conviction for sexual abuse. A 9 year old girl was being sexually abused by her stepfather. He made her swear not to tell and threatened to harm her or her mother if she told. The case made it to trial and the prosecuting attorney asked if anyone else knew about her abuse. The little girl said that there was someone else, but he couldn’t talk. She was referring to her black and white cat, Oreo. She added that Oreo would lie outside her door at night and when her attacker approached, he hissed. In a protective manner, Oreo sat, attempting to block and intimidate the attacker who would brutally kick Oreo away from the door. This gave the prosecutor an idea. She had Oreo examined by a veterinarian and sure enough, Oreo had multiple injuries resulting from her consistent physical abuse. The prosecutor submitted the veterinarian’s report to the jury as evidence showing a pattern of violence in the home and the little girl’s allegations gained credibility. Because of this evidence, the stepfather was convicted and received a long prison sentence.

Too often, it is the family pet who has to take on the pain of an angry or jealous husband or heartless father or a mother as in the recent case who punished her son for his “bad” report card by forcing him to kill his hamster with a hammer. It is not a far stretch for one who hurts a beloved pet to harm a human.

[1]. The Abuse of Animals and Domestic Violence: A National Survey of Shelters for Women Who Are Battered” By Frank R. Ascione, Ph.D, Claudia V. Weber, M.S., and David S. Wood, Utah State University, Logan, Utah. Society and Animals, 5(3): 205-218. 1997.

Amy Johnson is a counselor, lecturer, founder, and program director of the non-profit organization, Teacher’s Pet: Dogs and Kids Learning Together.