Jake the Therapy Dog

WOULD YOU LIKE JAKE TO JOIN YOU IN SESSION?

In Animal-Assisted Therapy, a dog or other pet joins you in session to support your therapeutic process.

So if you happen to be an animal-lover, Jake is the therapy dog for you. Jake has more than eight years of therapy sessions under his... uh... collar, and the first time someone meets him often turns to mutual love at first sight. He is a calm and loving nine-year-old sweetheart who, upon your request, will join you in therapy to provide a quiet, peaceful presence.

         Jake is not nearly this ferocious during therapy.

Research shows that having a pet into session tends to help clients feel more connected to the therapist and to the therapeutic process. There are a number of lines of thought about why animals are so helpful in therapy. One interesting theory, called the biophilia hypothesis, suggests that our connection to animals stems from our primitive roots, perhaps as early as 15,000 years ago, when early humans relied on domesticated gray wolves' exceptional sense of smell, hearing, and instincts to know whether a situation was safe or posed a threat. Thus, being in the company of a sleeping or peaceful dog may signal us to have feelings of security and well-being. In a therapeutic setting, this serves to support an environment so healing and personal growth can more easily occur.