Pet Therapy
There’s a major limit that therapists and trauma healers have: they’re human.
When we have trauma, we know it deeply impacts our ability to trust other people.
People with childhood trauma:
- struggle to be open and vulnerable
- struggle to express their emotions
- feel shame or judgement
- often experience social anxiety
- believe people have ulterior motives
So what happens when you want to talk to someone, but you’re also terrified?
This is where pets play an important role in trauma healing.
Many trauma survivors feel much more comfortable with animals. They don’t worry about being betrayed or judged. And science supports that pets have a profound impact on our healing.
Research shows:
- A review of 69 studies found that interacting with animals is linked to reduced stress (lower cortisol, heart rate, and blood pressure), as well as better social behavior and enhanced psychological well-being.
- Petting animals releases oxytocin and reduces anxiety.
- Petting animals reduces feelings of loneliness.
- A systematic review of “assisted dog therapy” for children with complex trauma found that adding animal assisted therapy can enhance the efficacy of standard interventions.
What does this mean for you? It means your pet can help you regulate and process emotions.
Here are some ways you can bring pets into your healing:
- Bring a pet to your therapy sessions: Ask your therapist if you can bring a (well behaved) pet into the session. Or, if you’re in virtual therapy, have your pet sit on your lap or close to you.
- Volunteer at a shelter: If you don’t have a pet, volunteer at an animal shelter. Shelters are always looking for people to walk dogs or play with cats.
- If you’re having an intense emotional moment, have your pet sit on your chest or pet them slowly (this is a powerful grounding technique)
- Let your family or friends know you’re willing to pet sit: Not everyone can afford a pet or has the time to dedicate to one. Let your friends know you’d be willing to help out with their pets if needed.
- Talk to your pets: Many people tell their pets things they’ve never spoken to another person. This can help you release things you’ve repressed without the fear of judgment.
- Walk your dog: I’m a huge proponent of walking for nervous system health. Get out with your dog. Walk around the neighborhood. The movement of walking shifts our body into a parasympathetic state, and it can be a glimmer to see how happy your dog is during the walk.
Time with pets has a profound impact on our nervous system. If you’ve felt this intuitively, science backs you up. The future of trauma healing will involve the power of animals that give us so much love, comfort, and safety—sometimes that we’ve never received from other people.