Have you ever looked deep into the eyes of an animal and felt entirely known? Often, the connections we share with non-human animals represent our safest and most reliable relationships, offering unique and profound opportunities for healing in periods of hardship. This book focuses on research developments, models, and practical applications of human-animal connection and animal-assisted intervention for diverse populations who have experienced trauma. Physiological and psychological trauma are explored across three broad and interconnected domains: 1) child maltreatment and family violence; 2) acute and post-traumatic stress, including military service, war, and developmental trauma; and 3) times of crisis, such as the ever-increasing occurrence of natural disasters, community violence, terrorism, and anticipated or actual grief and loss.
Contributing authors, who include international experts in the fields of trauma and human-animal connection, examine how our relationships with animals can help build resiliency and foster healing to transform trauma. A myriad of animal species and roles, including companion, therapy, and service animals are discussed. Authors also consider how animals are included in a variety of formal and informal models of trauma recovery across the human lifespan, with special attention paid to canine- and equine-assisted interventions and psychotherapy. In addition, authors emphasize the potential impacts to animals who provide trauma-informed services, and discuss how we can respect their participation and implement best practices and ethical standards to ensure their well-being. The reader is offered a comprehensive understanding of the history of research in this field, as well as the latest advancements and areas in need of further or refined investigation. Likewise, authors explore, in depth, emerging practices and methodologies for helping people and communities thrive in the face of traumatic events and their long-term impacts. As animals are important in cultures all over the world, cross-cultural and often overlooked animal-assisted and animal welfare applications are also highlighted throughout the text.
Foreword, by Bruce D. Perry
Introduction: Human Trauma and Animals: Research Developments, Models, and Practice Methods for Trauma-Informed Animal-Assisted Interventions, by Philip Tedeschi and Molly A. Jenkins
Chapter 1: The Impact of Human-Animal Interaction in Trauma Recovery, by Marguerite E. O’Haire, Philip Tedeschi, Molly A. Jenkins, Sally R. Braden, and Kerri E. Rodriguez
Chapter 2: Advocacy and Rethinking Our Relationships With Animals: Ethical Responsibilities and Competencies in Animal-Assisted Interventions, by Zenithson Ng
Chapter 3: Clinical Objectives for Animal-Assisted Interventions: Physiological and Psychological Targets in Trauma-Informed Practice, by Andrea M. Beetz and Ira Schöfmann-Crawford
Chapter 4: Implications of Animal-Assisted Psychotherapy for the Treatment of Developmental Trauma Through the Lens of Interpersonal Neurobiology, by Nancy Parish-Plass and Jessica Pfeiffer
Chapter 5: The Power of Play and Animals: Animal Assisted Play Therapy as an Integrative Practice Model for Mental Health Treatment, by Risë VanFleet
Chapter 6: Children and Animals: The Importance of Human-Other Animal Relationships in Fostering Resilience in Children, by Sarah M. Bexell, Susan Clayton, and Gene Myers
Chapter 7: The Healing Power of Nature: The Impact of Interventions in Farm Settings, by Michael Kaufmann; Miyako Kinoshita, and Susan Puckett Teumer
Chapter 8: Horses in the Treatment of Trauma, by Nina Ekholm Fry
Chapter 9: Why the Dog?, by Ann R. Howie, Aubrey H. Fine, and Lindsay A. Rojas
Chapter 10: Animals in Action: Therapeutic Roles in Healing Military Trauma, by Cheryl A. Krause-Parello, Allison E. Boyrer, and Eleni Padden
Chapter 11: The Battle for Hearts and Minds: Warrior Canine Connection’s Mission-Based Trauma Recovery Program, by Rick A. Yount, Robert Koffman, and Meg D. Olmert
Chapter 12: Animal-Assisted Crisis Response: Offering Opportunity for Human Resiliency During and After Traumatic Incidents, by Raquel Lacke and Gehrig Haberstock
Chapter 13: Loss, Grief, and Bereavement in the Context of Human-Animal Relationships, by Susan Cohen and Adam Clark
Chapter 14: The Global and Cross-Cultural Reach of Trauma-Informed Animal-Assisted Interventions, by Betty Jean Curran, Molly A. Jenkins and Philip Tedeschi
Conclusions, by Molly A. Jenkins and Philip Tedeschi
Selective Index
Philip Tedeschi is the executive director of the Institute for Human-Animal Connection at the University of Denver's Graduate School of Social Work. Recognized for his expertise in clinical methods for animal-assisted interventions, he is the founder and coordinator of the university's Animal-Assisted Social Work and Animals and Human Health Professional Development certificate programs. His teaching, research, and scholarship focus on the bioaffiliative connection between people and animals, animal welfare, interpersonal violence and animal cruelty, social ecological justice, One Health, and bioethics.
Molly Anne Jenkins is an affiliated faculty member with the Graduate School of Social Work's Institute for Human-Animal Connection at the University of Denver. She previously served as research analyst and human-animal interaction specialist for the American Humane Association, where she managed a national and multiyear study on the effects of animal-assisted intervention for children with cancer, their parents, and participating therapy dogs. Her background and primary interests center on human-animal relationships, animal welfare and behavior, veterinary medicine, social and ecological justice, and One Health.
