What Is Pet Therapy?

Pet Therapy—also known as animal-assisted therapy—is a therapeutic approach that integrates trained animals into counseling sessions to help clients feel more relaxed, emotionally supported, and open.

Animals have a natural way of easing tension and encouraging connection. Their presence can:

• Lower anxiety and stress
• Encourage emotional expression
• Build trust and comfort
• Improve mood and motivation

This approach is especially supportive for clients who feel nervous in traditional therapy settings or find it easier to open up with a comforting companion by their side.

Animals remind us that healing can be gentle, intuitive, and filled with warmth.

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Benefits of Pet Therapy

The presence of therapy animals offers a wide range of emotional and psychological benefits, including:

• Reduced anxiety and emotional tension
• Increased feelings of safety and grounding
• Improved mood, relaxation, and calm
• Enhanced emotional expression and vulnerability
• Support for trauma processing
• Lower blood pressure and heart rate
• Increased social connection and comfort
• Sense of unconditional love and acceptance

Pet therapy creates a soothing, welcoming environment—helping clients feel more comfortable and connected during treatment.

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Who Can Benefit from Pet Therapy?

Pet Therapy is beneficial for clients of all ages and backgrounds. It is particularly helpful for individuals experiencing:

• Anxiety or panic
• Depression and low mood
• Trauma or PTSD
• Grief or emotional loss
• Social anxiety or isolation
• Low self-esteem
• Difficulty trusting or opening up
• Overwhelm, stress, or burnout

Children, teens, adults, and families can all benefit from the grounding and supportive presence of therapy animals.

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What to Expect During a Session

Pet Therapy sessions are customized to your comfort level and emotional needs. Here’s what you can expect:

1. Meeting the Therapy Animal: Clients are introduced to a trained therapy dog or emotional support animal.
2. Comfort and Connection: You may pet, sit near, or interact with the animal while engaging in therapeutic conversation.
3. Therapeutic Integration: Your therapist guides the session to incorporate grounding, mindfulness, or emotional exploration supported by the animal’s presence.
4. Reflection: Sessions end with a brief reflection on emotions, insights, or soothing effects felt during the experience.

The animal is always handled by a trained professional and participates voluntarily and safely.

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Our Therapeutic Approach

While the animal creates emotional comfort, your therapist integrates evidence-based modalities to support growth and healing, including:

• Mindfulness-Based Therapy: Using the animal’s presence to ground your senses and calm the nervous system.
• CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy): Helping reframe anxiety or negative thinking.
• DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy): Supporting emotional regulation and distress tolerance.
• Trauma-Informed Therapy: Using the animal to create safety and reduce activation during trauma work.
• Play and Expressive Therapy: Especially helpful for children who connect easily with animals.

This combined approach strengthens emotional resilience and makes therapy feel more approachable and comforting.

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Types of Animals Used

Our Pet Therapy program currently includes:

• Certified therapy dogs trained for calmness, responsiveness, and emotional support
• Emotional support animals used in specific therapeutic contexts

Expanding options may be available depending on therapist certification, animal availability, and client needs.

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Related Services and Specialties

Pet Therapy pairs well with many other therapeutic modalities, including:

These complementary options help build emotional grounding, safety, and connection.

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Our Pet Therapy Team

Our licensed therapists partner with certified therapy animals to ensure safe, ethical, and compassionate interactions. Each team member is trained in animal-assisted interventions and creates a soothing environment where clients can relax and feel supported.

Meet Our Team →