Handbook on Animal-Assisted Therapy: Foundations and Guidelines for Animal-Assisted Interventions

Handbook on Animal-Assisted Therapy: Foundations and Guidelines for Animal-Assisted Interventions, Fifth Edition highlights advances in the field, with seven new chapters and revisions to over 75% of the material. This book will help therapists discover the benefits of incorporating animal assisted therapy into their practice, how to design and implement animal assisted interventions, and the efficacy of animal assisted therapy with different disorders and patient populations. Coverage includes the use of AAT with children, families and the elderly, in counseling and psychotherapy settings, and for treating a variety of specific disorders.

Contains seven new chapters in addition to 75% new or revised materialIncludes guidelines and best practices for using animals as therapeutic companionsAddresses specific types of patients and environmental situationsIncludes AAI working with cats, dogs, birds, and horsesDiscusses why animals are used in therapy, as well as how

Section I The Conceptualization of the Animal-Human Bond: The Foundation for Understanding Animal-Assisted Interventions 1. Understanding Our Kinship with Animals: Input for Health Care Professionals Interested in the Human–Animal Bond 2. Animal-assisted Interventions in Historical Perspective 3. Conceptualizing Animal Assisted Interventions: Honoring Our Past, Understanding Our Present and Building a New Future 4. Influence of Cultural and Religious Factors on Attitudes toward Animals 5. The Social Capital of Companion Animals: Pets as a Catalyst for Social Networks and Support and a Barometer of Community Violence 6. Living with Assistance Dogs and Other Animals: Their Therapeutic Roles and Psychosocial Health Effects 7. The Animal-Human Bond: Health and Wellness

SECTION II Animal-Assisted Interventions and Therapy: Conceptual Model and Guidelines for Quality Assurance 8. What’s Love Got to Do with It? Selecting Animals for Animal-Assisted Mental Health Interventions 9. Getting the Right Dog for the Right Job for Animal Assisted Interventions (AAI): Essential Understanding of Dog Behavior and Ethology for those working within AAI 10. The Role of the Equine in Animal-Assisted Interactions 11. Understanding the Other End of the Leash: What Therapists Need to Understand about Their Co-therapists 12. Our Ethical and Moral Responsibility: Ensuring the Welfare of Therapy Animals 13. The Veterinarian’s Role in Safe and Effective Animal-Assisted Interventions

SECTION III Best Practices in Animal-Assisted Therapy: Guidelines for Use of AAT with Special Populations 14. Incorporating Animal-Assisted Interventions into Psychotherapy: Guidelines and Suggestions for Therapists 15. Application of Animal-Assisted Interventions in Professional Mental Health Settings: An Overview of Practice Considerations 16. Animals in the Lives of Children 17. Animals in Educational Settings: Research and Practice 18. The Roles of Animals for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder 19. AAI for Children with Disorders of Executive Function: The Influence of Humane Education and Character Development on the P.A.C.K. Model 20. Human–Animal Interaction in the Aging Boom 21. Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAI) in Hospitals 22. Animal-Assisted Activities in Colleges and Universities: An Efficient Model for Reducing Student Stress 23. Understanding the Role of Human-Animal Interaction in the Family Context 24. Treating Human Trauma with the Help of Animals: Trauma-informed Intervention for Child Maltreatment and Adult Post-traumatic Stress 25. Animal Assisted Occupational Therapy: Guidelines for Standards, Theory and Practice 26. Developing Community Based AAI Programs: Supporting Paws on the Ground

SECTION IV Special Topics in Animal-Assisted Interventions 27. Research, Practice, Science and Public Policy – How They Fit Together in the Context of AAI 28. Global Best Practices in Applying AAI: Snapshots of Unique Treatments 29. Methodological Standards and Strategies for Establishing the Evidence Base of Animal-Assisted Interventions 30. AAI in an International Perspective: Trends, Research and Practices 31. The Research Challenge: Threats to the Validity of Human-Animal Interaction Intervention Studies and Suggestions for Improvement 32. Strengthening the Foundation of Human–Animal Interaction Research: Recent Developments in a Rapidly-Growing Field

Appendix The IAHAIO Definitions for Animal-Assisted Intervention and Guidelines for Wellness of Animals Involved