Dogs helping humans heal | Moschell Coffey | TEDxUMassAmherst

Summary

The speaker discusses the profound impact of therapy dogs, like Finn, on human healing, emphasizing the mutual benefits of the human-animal bond. Therapy dogs provide emotional, psychological, and physical support, significantly reducing stress, anxiety, and pain. Through personal anecdotes and historical examples, the speaker highlights how therapy dogs have helped various populations, including cancer patients, students with autism, and disaster survivors. These dogs undergo rigorous training to assist in diverse settings, showcasing their importance in improving lives and mental health. The session underscores the need for continued research to validate the effectiveness of therapy dogs in various therapeutic contexts.

Takeaways

• 😀 Therapy dogs, like Finn, can significantly improve emotional well-being by reducing stress and anxiety.
• 🐕 The human-animal bond is a powerful relationship that provides mutual benefits for both humans and animals.
• ❤️ Studies show that interactions with therapy dogs lead to decreased blood pressure, lower cortisol levels, and increased feelings of happiness.
• 📚 Therapy dogs help various populations, including cancer patients, elderly individuals, and students, by providing companionship and comfort.
• 🤔 Therapy dogs undergo extensive training to ensure they can interact safely and effectively with different patient populations.
• 🏥 Unlike service dogs, therapy dogs provide emotional support to many people rather than just assisting one individual.
• 🐾 Therapy dogs engage in activities that help patients develop motor skills, regain social interaction, and alleviate stress.
• 🌈 Historical evidence shows that therapy animals have been helping humans for centuries, dating back to studies in the 18th century.
• 🔬 Recent studies have further validated the positive effects of therapy dogs in medical settings, including reductions in anxiety for psychiatric patients.
• 🌟 The importance of continued research and stringent certification for therapy dogs is crucial to maintain the quality and effectiveness of these programs.

Q & A

What emotional and physiological changes occur when therapy dogs are introduced?

When therapy dogs are introduced, people's pupils dilate, cortisol levels drop, blood pressure normalizes, and they may smile, indicating reduced stress and increased happiness.

What is the human-animal bond, and how does it benefit people?

The human-animal bond refers to the mutually beneficial relationship between humans and animals, which can provide emotional, psychological, and physical benefits, including decreased anxiety and stress levels.

What distinguishes a therapy dog from a service dog?

Therapy dogs are pets that undergo training to provide support to various groups in community settings, while service dogs are trained to assist one specific person with disabilities in their daily life.

What types of dogs are best suited to become therapy dogs?

Therapy dogs typically have innate characteristics such as a love for attention, comfort in unfamiliar settings, and the ability to interact positively with strangers.

How does Finn, the therapy dog, assist patients undergoing chemotherapy?

Finn provides emotional support to chemotherapy patients, helping to uplift their spirits and encourage them to attend their treatments, as seen in his interactions with patients who struggled to complete their regimens.

What impact do therapy dogs have on students during stressful times, such as finals?

Therapy dogs help lower stress levels in students during finals by providing comfort and companionship, allowing them to manage anxiety and improve their overall mental well-being.

Can you provide an example of a successful interaction between a therapy dog and an elderly patient?

An elderly woman, who had been nonverbal for years, spoke for the first time in years while petting Finn, recalling memories of her childhood dog, highlighting the therapy dog's ability to stimulate conversation and emotional expression.

What role did therapy dogs play in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy?

After Superstorm Sandy, therapy dogs like Finn provided comfort to displaced families in shelters and assisted first responders, helping them cope with the emotional toll of the disaster.

How has research supported the use of therapy dogs in medical settings?

Research has shown that therapy dogs can significantly reduce anxiety, despair, and other psychological issues in patients, as documented in various studies from the 1980s to recent years.

Why is it important for therapy dogs and their handlers to undergo training?

Training ensures that therapy dogs can effectively interact with different populations and situations while ensuring the safety and comfort of both the dog and the people they assist.