Harley did her first full therapy session with me today. And she was fantastic. The client had given consent and is a lab owner, also Harley had made contact briefly in the past so it was a great match. Here she is contemplating her future and preparing for her first session. She is an incredible young dog.
What did she have do in the session? And what effect do you think it had on your client compared to when she’s not there?
Her job in the session is just to be there. So for this client she was a comfort animal. This client has a young labrador so if Harley was to get excited I knew it would be fine. Harley was calm, but very funny. I gave her a chewy and she threw it up in the air and played with it. But yes @MF whether it was my perception, or my comfort of having Harley there I did notice that the client reached for her everytime we discussed difficult topics. They way an animal lover does because we know that it is going to be a feel good emotion. And the client expressed comfort at having Harley in the session. It was clear that Harley was at ease, she lay there and gazed lovingly at us, and had her tummy scratched for long stretches. She will definitely only be for certain clients and also there are days where I work back to back for 6-8 hours so I need to be aware of Harley's exposure to emotional distress. But it has also been encouraging that some clients have chosen to work with me because of the inclusion of Harley or the cats in the sessions.
Wasn't she just. She was so thrilled to be in the therapy room and I took her in about 10 minutes early so that she could get settled but she settled in a minute. Luckily my therapy room opens up onto a deck so she could also go outside if she needed some space.
Well done Harley. Beatiful picture of a stunning young girl (and I see she crosses her legs perfectly )
I think I would definitely respond better with a dog in the room. It would put me at ease. Especially one as beautiful as Harley. She's such a good girl x
Just look at her - expert Comforter in Chief right there! How do you use your Bengals in therapy, though? Wouldn't that be pandemonium?
