Publisher Description

The integration of animals into the therapy setting by psychotherapists has been a growing trend. Psychological problems treated include emotional and behavioral problems, attachment issues, trauma, and developmental disorders. An influential 1970s survey suggests that over 20 percent of therapists in the psychotherapy division of the American Psychological Association incorporated animals into their treatment in some fashion. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the number is much higher today. Since Yeshiva University psychologist Boris Levinson popularized the involvement of animals in psychotherapy in the 1960s, Israel has come to be perhaps the most advanced country in the world in the area of animal-assisted psychotherapy (AAP). This is true especially in the areas of academic training programs, theory-building, and clinical practice. Great effort has been put into understanding the mechanisms behind AAP, as well as into developing ethical guidelines that take into account the therapists responsibility toward both client and animal. This book exposes the world to the theory and practice of AAP as conceived and used in Israel. It emphasizes evidence-based and clinically sound applications with psychotherapeutic goals, as differentiated from other animal-assisted interventions, such as AAE (animal-assisted education) and AAA (animal-assisted activities), which may have education or skills-oriented goals. Not just anyone with a dog can call him-or herself an animal-assisted therapist. This volume demonstrates not only the promise of animal-assisted psychotherapeutic approaches, but also some of the challenges the field still needs to overcome to gain widespread legitimacy.

Author Biography

Nancy Parish-Plass studied psychology at Smith College and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, before working in early childhood education in kibbutz children's houses in Israel. Later she received extensive training in animal-assisted psychotherapy at the pioneering Oranim College and Machon Magid–Hebrew University School of Psychotherapy for experienced therapists in the field of mental health. Parish-Plass is the founding and current chairperson of the Israeli Association of Animal-Assisted Psychotherapy, and she is spearheading the struggle for legal recognition of the field in the Israeli Knesset. Her specialty is in the area of animal-assisted psychotherapy with at-risk children, and she was most influenced in her professional development by memories of her relationship with her horse Baby Doll and her dog Tammy, as well as by all the children with whom she has worked.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments Preface Introduction THEORY CHAPTER 1: The Integration of Animals Into the Therapy Process and Its Implications as a Unique Medium in Psychotherapy, by Dror Oren and Nancy Parish-Plass Chapter 2: The Animal as a Relational Medium: An Object Relations Approach to the Therapy Triangle in Animal-Assisted Psychotherapy, by Nancy Parish-Plass and Dror Oren Chapter 3: Projection and Projective Object in Child Animal-Assisted Psychotherapy, by Rachel Ben David Chapter 4: The Contribution of Animal-Assisted Psychotherapy to the Potential Space in Play Therapy, by Nancy Parish-Plass Chapter 5: Animal-Assisted Psychotherapy From an Attachment Perspective, by Sigal Zilcha-Mano Chapter 6: Elements of Group Psychotherapy Found in Individual Animal-Assisted Psychotherapy, by Hadas Ish-Lev and Roni Amit Chapter 7: The Therapy Zoo as a Mirror to the Psyche, by Efrat Maayan Chapter 8: Equine-Facilitated Psychotherapy: Practice, Theory, and Empirical Knowledge, by Keren Bachi ISSUES Chapter 9: Dilemmas, Questions, and Issues Concerning the Integration of Animals Into the Psychotherapy Setting, by Nancy Parish-Plass and Dror Oren Chapter 10: The Unique Ethical Stance of Animal-Assisted Psychotherapy, by Rachel Ben David Chapter 11: Why Israel? A Unique Direction in the Development of the Definition and Practice of Animal-Assisted Psychotherapy, by Nancy Parish-Plass and Sari Bar-On Chapter 12: Life Cycle Analysis of the Equine-Facilitated Psychotherapy Field, by Keren Bachi Chapter 13: Is Animal-Assisted Psychotherapy a Profession? The Consolidation of the Professional Identity of the Animal-Assisted Psychotherapist in Israel, by Sari Bar-On, Anna Shapiro, and Anat Gendelman PRACTICE Chapter 14: The Relationship Between the Animalistic and the Artistic: A Therapeutic Model Integrating Animal-Assisted Psychotherapy With Art Therapy, by Efrat Maayan and Elana Lakh Chapter 15: ?What Does the Turtle Have Inside Its House?? Animal-Assisted Psychotherapy With Foster Children, by Shira Hellmann Chapter 16: ?Take Me Under Your Wing??Love in Animal-Assisted Psychotherapy: A Clinical Perspective on the Unique Therapeutic Bond Between Animals and Humans, by Sarit Lev-Bendov and Inbar Barel Chapter 17: Animal-Assisted Group Psychotherapy for Children, by Orit Harel Conclusion Appendix A: The Child and the Animal and the Potential Space Between: A Comparison of Animal- Assisted Education and Animal-Assisted Psychotherapy Appendix B: Roles of Animals in Animal-Assisted Psychotherapy Appendix C: Code of Ethics: The Israeli Association of Animal-Assisted Psychotherapy Appendix D: The 18th Session of the Israeli Knesset Appendix E: Representative Certificate Program in Animal-Assisted Psychotherapy Contributors Index

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