From Grupo envera, the Animal Assisted Therapy Program (AAT) that we carry out in the care services of our Center of Colmenar Viejo, is a program of Dog Assisted Therapy. AAT is an intervention designed to improve the cognitive, physical or social functioning of a person and complements conventional therapies.
For many people with intellectual disabilities, contact with an animal helps them get out of their daily routine. Based on this premise, and in collaboration with the Yaracan Association(www.yaracan.com), envera launched its TAA program five years ago.
This type of therapy requires a combined participation of the AAT expert and health professionals. Within an AAT session, the animal acts as a social mediator (favoring communication), an emotional facilitator (the expression of emotions), someone with whom people with functional diversity can express themselves.
As for the studies that validate the application of AAT, they are very numerous and cover various groups: children with disabilities, the sick, the elderly or prisoners. The animals most frequently used as Therapy Animals are the dog and the horse; but other animals such as cats, birds, farm animals or dolphins are also successfully used.
Studies are conclusive in confirming the healing power of AAT, with physical benefits (cardiovascular health, improvement of general physical condition), psychological benefits (calming effects), social benefits (socializing effect) and socio-educational benefits (acquisition of social skills through the development of empathy).
Regarding the origins of the treatment, it was William Tuke who for the first time in history, in 1792, recorded the positive effects of the use of animals in a therapeutic environment. In modern times, the active participation of animals in therapeutic processes is due to the child psychologist Dr. Boris Levinson, who in 1962 began to use animals in his sessions. He compiled his experiences in several publications and is considered, today, the father of Animal Assisted Therapy.
