Animals, varying in breeds, have been shown to be effective in helping a multitude of differing mental health problems, including trauma (Hunt & Chizkov, 2014), autism (Berry, Borgi, Francia, Alleva, & Cirulli, 2013), anxiety (Cortes, 2018), depression (Souter & Miller, 2007), chronic pain (Bradley & Bennett, 2015), and aphasia (Macauley, 2006). While many people may […]
Studies have demonstrated notable benefits of the use of Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) with clients (Hart & Yamamoto, 2015; Nimer & Lundahl, 2007). As AAT gains in popularity and becomes more prominently used by psychologists and psychology trainees in mental health settings (Fine, Tedeschi, & Elvove, 2015), it is crucial that the American Psychological Association […]
Mental health professionals in most jurisdictions are obligated to report incidents of abuse or neglect of children (Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2016) or “at risk” adults (see, e.g., Stiegel & Klem, 2007), but are not required to report disclosures of animal abuse. Based on research supporting the link between pathological behavior and animal abuse, however, some […]