Handbook on Animal Assisted Therapy: Theoretical Foundations and Guidelines for Practice - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0122564758 ISBN 13: 9780122564758

Publisher: Academic Press Inc, 1999

Synopsis

Handbook on Animal-Assisted Therapy provides a comprehensive overview of the many ways in which animals can be used to assist therapists. Coverage includes how animals can assist specific patient populations (children, the disabled, AIDS patients, etc.), how animals can aid in specific settings (hospitals, prisons, independent practice, etc.), and how professionals can best select appropriate animals (species, breed, and individual temperament) and design an AAT program.
Humans have long had a special bond with animals, initially as work animals, then as pets, and now more frequently as therapeutic companions. Animals help the sick recover more quickly and help the aged live longer and more satisfying lives. Specially trained animals are now helping stroke victims, the handicapped, and others to regain or build lost faculties. Increasingly, animals assist in nonphysical/medical therapies, helping the stressed and angry relax and the shy be more forthcoming.
Contributors represent the top people in the field from hospital settings, vet hospitals, animal training centers, and therapists in practice.

About this title

Review

"5 Stars from Doody!"
--DOODY'S
"This is a very in-depth and informational text on animal-assisted therapy (AAT). It is full of good historical and up-to-date information to guide the practitioner wanting to begin AAT... I feel that this book is definitely needed in any AAT program, and I found it very informative as well as instructional... This book is a complete, thorough, and in-depth overview of the ways that animals can assist human therapists. Specific use in hospitals, prisons, and independent practices is covered. Information on how to design an AAT program as well as the value that an AAT program can have in human therapy is included. Selection of appropriate animals for specific environments is suggested. The information and history of the human-animal bond gives the reader a sense of how useful AAT can be in a practice or institution... The editor and contributors provide needed information in the AAT field, which is still in its infancy. They give concise, detailed information on all areas of AAT including how to start a program or improve a current program. Anyone interested in the human-animal bond, particularly on how it relates to helping in a therapeutic setting, must read this book."
--KENT DAVIS, DVM (University of Illinois Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital)
"It is a well-written and interesting book and makes a considerable and important contribution to the field of animal-assisted therapy. This book would make an ideal text for courses in this topic and should be in the personal library of those interested in the human-animal bond and animal-assisted therapy."
--JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION, June 15, 2001
"Aubrey Fine has collated a broad ranging series of contributions which provide a much-needed resource for practitioners, researchers and students. This book is a positive step in formalizing the concepts and practicalities surrounding the use of animals in therapeutic settings... it is a valuable contribution to the field."
--ANTHROZOOS

From the Back Cover

The use of animal assisted therapy, also referred to as animal assisted interventions, has grown tremendously since the first edition of this work. Used with a far greater variety of patient populations and to treat more types of psychological problems, the research and practice literature in the field has expanded. This second edition of Handbook on Animal Assisted Therapy highlights the evidence basis of these therapies, updates original chapters with new research information and it's application to practice, and includes three new chapters on the implementation of animal assisted therapies with children.

The book is divided into four sections. Section 1 introduces background information on the animal-human bond, the historical value of this bond, definitions of animal assisted interventions (AAI), the evolution of such interventions toward the improvement of human function and quality of life. Section 2 provides an overview of the design and implementation of AAI services. Coverage includes how to select animal species to match to patient populations and the factors that influence performance of specific animal species. Section 3 documents the therapeutic efficacy of AAI with specific populations including children, persons with chronic disorders and AIDS, the elderly, and in specialized settings. Additional chapters address how animals can be incorporated into standard psychotherapy techniques. Section 4 covers special issues including assessment tools regarding the efficacy of AAI programs, coordination with veterinarians, and the ethical treatment of therapy animals.|The use of animal assisted therapy, also referred to as animal assisted interventions, has grown tremendously since the first edition of this work. Used with a far greater variety of patient populations and to treat more types of psychological problems, the research and practice literature in the field has expanded. This second edition of Handbook on Animal Assisted Therapy highlights the evidence basis of these therapies, updates original chapters with new research information and it’s application to practice, and includes three new chapters on the implementation of animal assisted therapies with children.

The book is divided into four sections. Section 1 introduces background information on the animal-human bond, the historical value of this bond, definitions of animal assisted interventions (AAI), the evolution of such interventions toward the improvement of human function and quality of life. Section 2 provides an overview of the design and implementation of AAI services. Coverage includes how to select animal species to match to patient populations and the factors that influence performance of specific animal species. Section 3 documents the therapeutic efficacy of AAI with specific populations including children, persons with chronic disorders and AIDS, the elderly, and in specialized settings. Additional chapters address how animals can be incorporated into standard psychotherapy techniques. Section 4 covers special issues including assessment tools regarding the efficacy of AAI programs, coordination with veterinarians, and the ethical treatment of therapy animals.

Edition details

• Publisher: Academic Press Inc
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0122564758
• ISBN 13: 9780122564758
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 481
• Editor: Fine Aubrey H.