Debby Dobson has seen the positive effects animals can have on troubled and at-risk youth. As an experienced youth counselor, she’s had her share of tough clients – and some respond better to animals than people. Dobson was featured in an Aug. 20 article on the website of Arizona's Verde Independent:
“She saw this first hand years ago while working with a teenage girl client. The girl was withdrawn and communicated only with one-syllable words: yes, no. Not knowing what to do during her time together with the girl, Debby took her to a local animal shelter. Debby says she watched with amazement as the girl’s ‘whole demeanor transformed the moment she stepped in.’”
Dobson now includes animals as a regular part of her counseling sessions with young people, and she’s recently started an animal therapy business. She says the unconditional love offered by animals is just what troubled kids need.
Animal-assisted therapy -- often using horses insead of dogs -- has proved an effective means of reaching youth in crisis, and has been included in programs in many boarding schools for girls, including Copper Canyon Academy in Rimrock, Arizona and New Leaf Academy in Bend, Oregon..
Labels: animal-assisted therapy
Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton
