- Title
- Therapists’ perception of the healing variables of animal assisted intervention
- Creator
- Torghi, Parnaz Salmani
- Subject
- Animals -- Therapeutic use
- Subject
- Pets -- Therapeutic use Human-animal relationships Psychotherapy -- Alternative treatment
- Date Issued
- 2018
- Date
- 2018
- Type
- Thesis
- Type
- Masters
- Type
- MA
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10948/36705
- Identifier
- vital:34045
- Description
- The significance of the bond that is formed through animal companionship can be found in narratives throughout history. In fact, often a pet is viewed as an integral part of the family and valued as deeply as a member if not more. This has resulted in numerous studies regarding the incorporation of animals within the therapeutic environment and the unique positive impact of their presence on the client. This study aimed to highlight the healing variables of Animal Assisted Intervention (AAI) as perceived by therapists that actively and purposefully incorporated animals into the therapeutic milieu. A qualitative research approach was utilised for the purpose of this study and semistructured interviews were conducted with a sample of five participants selected through a nonprobability purposive and snowball sampling strategy. Participants included registered Psychologists and Counsellors that had incorporated an animal into the therapeutic environment on at least three separate occasions in order to facilitate the therapeutic process. The participants revealed that the presence of the animal within the therapeutic environment acted as a social lubricant for therapy. This allowed for increased interaction between the therapist and the client, thereby facilitating the process of rapport building and the formation of a therapeutic relationship between the therapist and the client. The presence of the animal was observed as influential in increasing clients’ self-esteem. Likewise, the animal’s presence acted as an instrument in teaching social skills, namely, empathy and responsibility. Clients were additionally observed as more present within the here and now, further enabling the therapist to gain more in-depth information regarding the client’s relational interaction outside of the therapeutic setting. The therapy animal also provided the client with therapeutic touch and affection, a source of distraction, a form of a transitional object or object of projection, as well as a buffer that enabled clients to access and express emotions more freely. This study adds to the body of knowledge available on AAI within the South African context.
- Format
- x, 148 leaves
- Format
- Publisher
- Nelson Mandela University
- Publisher
- Faculty of Health Sciences
- Language
- English
- Rights
- Nelson Mandela University
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NMU School of Behavioural Sciences
| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details Download | SOURCE1 | PARNAZ SALMANI TORGHI.pdf | 747 KB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download |