Tammy Schamuhn | February 10th, 2025

As a child growing up with significant amounts of trauma, I learned from a young age how special the bond with animals can be, especially if you grow up without the connection and safety you need from your caregivers. But it wasn’t until I became a psychologist and started working with children in mental health that I realized it was more than that– the human animal bond is also protective and healing. 

For centuries, animals have played a significant role in human lives—not just as companions but as healers, comforters, and silent therapists. From reducing stress to assisting with physical rehabilitation, the therapeutic benefits of animals are well-documented in both scientific research and real-world applications. 

The Science Behind Animal Therapy

Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) has been widely researched for its effectiveness in various medical and psychological contexts. A study published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research found that interacting with animals significantly reduces cortisol levels (a key stress hormone) and increases oxytocin, a hormone linked to bonding and emotional regulation (Beetz et al., 2012). This hormonal shift can lead to reduced anxiety and improved mood in individuals with depression, PTSD, and other mental health disorders.

Additionally, research in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy suggests that therapy animals can help individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) develop social skills, decrease agitation, and improve attention span (O’Haire, 2017). The calming presence of an animal helps create a structured, nonjudgmental environment for emotional expression and interaction.

Emotional and Psychological Benefits

Pets provide unconditional love and emotional support, making them invaluable to people struggling with loneliness, depression, or trauma. Studies show that individuals who own pets report lower rates of loneliness and higher life satisfaction (McConnell et al., 2011). Dogs, for instance, have been found to enhance socialization in people with social anxiety by acting as a bridge for human connection.

Therapy animals are particularly beneficial in trauma recovery. Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have shown significant improvements in symptoms when paired with service dogs. A study in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology found that veterans with service dogs exhibited lower anxiety and fewer PTSD-related symptoms compared to those without (Rodriguez et al., 2020).

Physical Health Improvements

Beyond mental health benefits, interactions with animals have been shown to promote physical well-being. A 12-year study in Circulation, the journal of the American Heart Association, concluded that dog ownership is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and a longer lifespan (Mubanga et al., 2017). Regular walks with dogs not only encourage physical activity but also lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

For patients recovering from surgery or chronic illness, therapy animals can reduce pain perception and enhance overall recovery. A study in Pain Medicine reported that hospitalized patients who received visits from therapy dogs experienced significant reductions in pain and discomfort compared to those who did not (Hoffmann et al., 2019).

Animals as Co-therapists 

The integration of animals into healthcare settings is becoming increasingly common. Hospitals, nursing homes, and rehabilitation centers frequently employ therapy animals to provide comfort and emotional relief to patients. In pediatric settings, therapy dogs help children cope with medical procedures, reducing fear and distress.

Moreover, emotional support animals (ESAs) and service animals play a crucial role in the lives of individuals with disabilities. From guiding the visually impaired to providing emotional stability for those with psychiatric disorders, these animals are recognized as vital partners in daily life.

Animal-Assisted Therapy

As a clinician I having been using animals, more specifically dogs and horses as part of my treatment plan with children for over a decade now. I have seen clients who wouldn’t open up to a therapist for years begin sharing their deepest traumas in the presence of a horse softly nuzzling them at their shoulder. A child to fearful to come forward about their abuse, share with a police officer the horrors of their assault while clinging to my therapy dog for comfort. And a teen chronically labelled as lazy, inattentive, and impulsive work hard to earn the trust of a stubborn and previously abused little miniature donkey in our program and show his parents he could not only catch and lead him, but he could also pick up his feet and his take him through a series of obstacles which took him months to prepare for—all while staying emotionally regulated and focussed. 

As partners in the therapeutic process, I see animals as helping children in a therapy setting in 5 distinct ways:

1. Co-regulators: Being in the presence of calm animals provides a safe haven for the child to regulate their own feelings—their calm is contagious. 
2. Biofeedback: When working with prey animals such as horses or goats, a person who is dysregulated and impulsive will frighten or cause unease for that animal and they’ll likely move away. However, if a child slows their body, mind, and breathe, the animal is more inclined to move towards the client and connect. The relationship motivates the client to engage in emotional regulation activities and sees the cascading effects their own positive emotional well-being also has on others.  
3. Attachment:  Many children who end up in animal-assisted therapy have a distrust for adults in their life. Whether they’ve been abused, neglected, or I’ve had a poor experience with a mental health therapist you didn’t understand them in the past, being with people and trusting others is simply very hard. Animals can provide the unconditional acceptance and love that person so desperately needs and help ignite the healing process. Moreover, the animals also create a bridge between the client and the new therapist. They build connection and attachment with the animal (which is in itself a reward) but this also allows the client to translate and bridge those feelings of safety and connection to the therapist who is now working with the child. 
4. Self-Efficacy: Working with a 1100 lb horse can be intimidating but when they learn to not only connect with this animal but begin leading and engaging the horse in activities like leading them through an obstacle course, it empowers the client and builds their confidence and self-esteem. 
5. Narrative Work: By nature, humans are story tellers. Stories are how we connect to one another and create mutual understanding. Many children who engage in animal-assisted therapy “project” what is going on in their lives onto the therapy animals at the ranch and connect with the animals’ own stories as if they were their own.
   
   A child will see two horses fighting over some hay (a normal behavior in horses) and a client will assign one of the horses as a victim and the other as the bully, and low and behold they were bullied in school. A child will hear a story about one of our adopted goats and how they didn’t have a mother and had to be bottle fed by our family, and they will open-up about growing up without a father and how hard that was. The animals’ behaviors and own life stories illuminate a shared parallel experience and normalize the hardships the clients have faced. 

Conclusion: A Lifelong Bond with Healing Potential

The bond between humans and animals is more than just companionship; it is a relationship rooted in mutual healing. Whether through structured animal-assisted therapy or simply the presence of a beloved pet, animals provide unique psychological and physiological benefits that enhance well-being. As research continues to unveil the depth of these benefits, integrating animals into therapeutic settings will only become more prevalent, offering hope and healing to those in need.

Tammy Schamuhn, M.Sc., B.Ed, RPT-S 

Tammy is a Registered Psychologist, best-selling author,  Registered Play Therapist Supervisor, Co-Founder of the Institute of Child Psychology, and Founder of the Child- Centered Animal Assisted Therapy Association.  Tammy offers training in animal-assisted therapy at her ranch in Canada (www.hoovesofhoperanch.com). Visit www.ccaata.com to learn more.

References

• Beetz, A., Uvnäs-Moberg, K., Julius, H., & Kotrschal, K. (2012). Psychosocial and psychophysiological effects of human-animal interactions: The possible role of oxytocin. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 47(3), 1-10.
• Hoffmann, A. O. M., Lee, A. H., Wertenauer, F., Ricken, R., Jansen, J. J., Gallinat, J., & Lang, U. E. (2019). Dog-assisted intervention significantly reduces anxiety in hospitalized patients with major depression. Pain Medicine, 20(3), 567-575.
• McConnell, A. R., Brown, C. M., Shoda, T. M., Stayton, L. E., & Martin, C. E. (2011). Friends with benefits: On the positive consequences of pet ownership. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 101(6), 1239-1252.
• Mubanga, M., Byberg, L., Egenvall, A., Ingelsson, E., & Fall, T. (2017). Dog ownership and the risk of cardiovascular disease and death–A nationwide cohort study. Circulation, 137(8), 923-933.
• O’Haire, M. E. (2017). Animal-assisted intervention for autism spectrum disorder: A systematic literature review. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 71(2), 7102200010p1-7102200010p10.
• Rodriguez, K. E., Bryce, C. I., Granger, D. A., & O’Haire, M. E. (2020). The effect of service dogs on military veterans’ PTSD symptoms and social participation: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 88(4), 309-322.