I am doing my thesis on the therapeutic relation between Art Therapist and patient within a pediatric acute medical children's hospital setting comparing two groups one with the assistance of a therapy dog and one without. Due to the Institutional Review Board of the Hospital I had to disclosed the possibility of the therapy dog within the title of the study to all participants, so there was an immediate response from my pediatric participants from the moment I disclosed the title. The verbal and bodily reaction, from the participants, have been noted and accounted for in my data collection, as 18 out of 20 participants were completely non-responsive to my presence in the room until they heard the word dog. What I have come to realize in my data collection and what I found the most intriguing aspect that has presented itself is the apparent inclusion of object relations, object permanence, and the therapy dog acting as a secure base throughout the sessions in both groups. The question I am inquiring about is has anyone done work surrounding these aspects within their own practice and/or research, or have you read any articles/research done in regards to these theories and the inclusion of an animal within the therapeutic relationship?
Oh this is such a wonderful study. Have you seen the new literature coming out of Duke University that is ripping up the old hat ideas about dogs not being intelligent, emotional, verbal (believe it or not). I was watching a special a few days ago and it did an indepth look at the effects of a therapy dog in helping seriously injured and even brain damaged young soldiers. The dog in this case was a golden retriever. I can attest, and I was so excited to find out it wasn't my imagination and wishful thinking, that this particular breed has been pretty much created to "need" people, more so than they even need and bond with their own kind. I've had a lot of different dogs in the past 20 years or so...a basset hound (really not too bright but very sweet as long as they don't get out of the yard. If they do, they just put thieir noses to the ground and take off. Everyone got to know mine and would just email me to come get her. No point in disciplining her because she was only doing what she was bred to do. Then, somewhat similar in nature was our St. Bernard and the dog I got my daughter...a neopolitan mastiff. 196 lbs of quivering, slobebering sweetness. He looks a little sinister just because he is so big and you start training the day they are born so they don't (1) chew (2) jump up on you and (3) sit in your lap. And hey, in these days, if people want to think he is vicious, let em. No one is going to come into my home when I am not there when they hear the rumbling freight train he calls a bark. And all the dogs generally used at therapy dogs can be trained to identify illness, and even call 911. You are right, there is a reaction from the patient as soon as they meet their "dog"...just amazing what they can do to help quadripeligic The show I saw, had this golden doing a practice called "brace" which is absolsutely counter to their breeding. The natural inclination when you put weight on a dogs back will be for the dog to sit or lie down. But not this dog. The patient had two missing legs and a missing arm and elbow. The dog stiffened when the patient said "brace" and allowed him to put his entire weight on his back so that the patient didn't fall and could now navigate up 3 flights of stories and the speed with which these new skills were accomplished was amazing. Another skill was getting the dog to pick up metal. No dog likes the taste of metal, but therapy dogs have to find and r etrieve things like keys, braces, crutches. The dog learned it in less than 1 day. I still can't get my husband to retrieve so we know what that means :) The trainer even talked about attachment theory with regard to this dog.
As you can tell I am more than a little smitten with dogs. Most of us (in our social circle) refers to our dogs as "our babies" I used to be embarrassed about that but, I couldn't love them any more if they were my children. (I now have 3 Goldens and would have more if I had the room
Thanks for the information—I will definitely search Duke's database for their research. I have been using my English Bulldog Tilly for approximately 8 years in the hematology/oncology outpatient unit (Valerie Fund), The Unterberg's Children's Hospital at Monmouth Medical Center, pediatric in and PICU wards, CCIS (Children's Crisis Intervention Services) at Monmouth Medical Behavioral unit, and I also take her to the Hawkswood School to work with children with differing severity of disabilities, physical, development, and cognitive. I also raised a service dog to be used with individuals with special needs—all of which lead me to go back to school to attain my Masters in Creative Art Therapy and also focus my thesis on this phenomenon with rapport building, with a focus on the attachment, object relations, object permanence, and secure base theories when I am in session with my patients. It has been really amazing to witness these children being able to open up to me, who is ultimately a stranger, merely because my dog is in the room or in some cases (due to the study parameters and the way I measured rapport) if she was in my office but the kids new she was nearby. Thanks again for your story and for your information leading me down another amazing rabbit hole of research and information.
Happy New Year and all the best for you and your family (furry and skin) for 2015.
Alison Silver
Hi Alison -
How sad that I am seeing your question just now. In my book, Animal-Assisted Psychotherapy: Theory, Issues and Practice, I cover many of issues you asked about. Sigal Zilcha-Mano, a colleague of mine, published her research in which she found that an animal may serve as a safe haven and a secure base. She has published articles (and a chapter in my book) concerning the human-animal bond and attachment theory. Recently, she published an article concerning therapeutic alliance ruptures and the opportunities afforded for alliance repair by animal-assisted psychotherapy (AAP). In my book, there is a chapter in which AAP is combined with art therapy - especially relevant for you. I also have three chapters on the subject of animals as a medium in therapy, especially in the context of object relations, intersubjectivity and the therapeutic alliance. I also cover, in these chapters, issues, dilemmas and ethical questions in AAP. There are examples from my practice scattered within these chapters.
I also cover some of these issues in an article I published in 2008 (the book came directly out of this article, since I received so many positive reactions to the article!).
I am currently working on a book chapter in the area of AAP through the lens of interpersonal neurobiology of trauma and the neuroscience of psychotherapy. It's amazing how the presence of animals is tied into these areas! I have received much encouragement for this idea from Dan Siegel, Steve Porges, Louis Cozolino and Bruce Perry.
You can find references to all these in my researchgate profile. I can send you some these if you are interested.
And finally, I have some preliminary research in about the project that you read. I have had a lot of difficulty obtaining subjects for my research. However, even with very few subjects, I did find significant results pointing to the conclusion that the therapeutic alliance in AAP in a play therapy setting is formed earlier and stronger than in non-AAP therapy in a play therapy setting.
I hope you find all this helpful.
Nancy
As a grad student, with a service dog for my own seizures, and studying art therapy currently I am so overjoyed to find this article. I am forming my thesis around my experiences as a practicing intern, and how having my companion has altered interactions with clients, their art making and their willingness to open up/come to therapy "for the dog" thus removing the stigma from seeking therapy. My service dog is not a therapy dog, but when he retires and I have to get another dog he could accompany me as a therapy dog so there is one dog my clients would be able to openly pet. Even so, getting to pat my dog on the head when meeting him, and just seeing him brightens up the faces of my clients. I intend my thesis to also support Rhoda Olkin's sentiments on the value of people with disabilities being in graduate school and becoming psychologists of all kinds. I am so glad you wrote this, I was searching for something even remotely close to this an felt like I was alone in a desolate land.
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