Canine-Assisted Counselling
Experiences from Danish Psychologists
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7146/pl.v44i2.151588Keywords:
animal-assisted intervention, dog-assisted therapy, psychotherapy, anthrozoologyAbstract
Animal-assisted counselling is not a standalone therapy but rather adds an extra modality to the therapist’s usual approach. The international literature has described the inclusion of animals in classical approaches such as psychodynamic, client-centred and cognitive-behavioural therapy, and some have studied what experienced practitioners recommend and call for. However, Danish psychologists’ experiences were undescribed. As a start, we interviewed four Danish psychologists with professional experience with
dogs in their therapy room. We asked how and on what basis they involve the dog, what they see as contributions from the dog, and what challenges they see. The interviewees mostly referred to therapy with children and young people, and they gave examples of direct and indirect ways in which the dog could be involved. Across therapeutic approaches (cognitive, social psychological, and narrative), motivation, feelings of safety, and facilitation of the therapeutic alliance were seen as possible effects of the dog’s presence. We discuss the main results of the study in the context of the international literature, as well as the reservations and precautions that should be taken into account when involving a dog in your counselling work.
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