| The human-animal bond facilitates a unique relationship that encompasses a deep respect and affinity for living creatures. Over the past 30 years, researchers have discovered that companion animals can positively impact humans along both physiological and psychological dimensions. Animal-assisted therapy, (AAT) an emerging therapeutic intervention, has demonstrated positive benefits across a variety of populations and treatment settings.More recently, clinicians are implementing animal-assisted interventions in working with traumatized individuals, including children and adolescents. Since child trauma often involves gross violations of trust, respect, and security, clinicians are challenged to provide clients with a safe therapeutic environment that can foster both consistency and compassion. In the appropriate setting, including therapeutic animals could serve as one significant contributing component to the therapeutic process.Since AAT is an innovative treatment approach, it necessitates rigorous testing and evaluation in order to achieve legitimacy. Without standardized interventions, complications arise regarding implementation, assessment, and dissemination to the greater clinical community. As such, animal-assisted therapy and trauma research necessitates the development of treatment models capable of evaluation and modification. An important step in this process involves the development of a treatment manual that integrates human-animal interaction theory and animal-assisted therapeutic approaches with empirically-validated trauma treatment interventions.In an effort to facilitate further empirical study, this dissertation focuses on the development of an animal-assisted group therapy treatment manual designed for children ages 8 to 12 with a history of trauma. The eight session group treatment manual is intended for use at an outpatient facility and includes a certified therapeutic dog, turtle, and two group facilitator clinicians. The animal-assisted interventions are grounded in empirically-validated trauma treatment research and reflect a variety of child-animal bonding theories reviewed by the researcher. Two group facilitators will serve as both clinician and certified therapeutic animal handler. Activities and interventions include hands-on interactions with the therapeutic animals along with worksheets and handouts. Group facilitators assess each child's treatment progress via session-specific evaluation forms completed post-session. |
