Assessing Cultural, Religious, and Trauma Influences in Human-Animal Interactions for Effective Animal-Assisted Counseling
Abstract
:Simple Summary
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Background
Race, Trauma, Religion, and Culture
3. Considerations
Cultural Responsiveness
Animal-Assisted Counseling Evaluation Process | |
Practitioner provides education on the integration of animal-assisted counseling in their practice. | |
Client decides whether they are interested in AAC. (If not interested, the practitioner does not force the client nor bring the client into session.) | |
If client expresses interest in AAC, the following can be utilized to guide the initial session (avoid bringing animal to initial session): | |
Assess appropriateness for AAC | Assess following the guide in Figure 2. Utilize broaching techniques to acknowledge differences and ask questions to gain a deeper understanding of client’s perspective. Get more information on any instances of trauma and cultural beliefs of animals, and assess client’s preferences and comfortability with various species, interventions, and any past work to mend relationships with animals. |
If appropriate for AAC with your therapy animal, provide informed consent | Provide client with information on what animal-assisted counseling is and how the therapy animal will be involved in session. Within the informed consent, provide policies and procedures. Make sure to go in depth with what the role of the AAC practitioner is and the training received, health considerations, the therapy animal’s rights and ways you will ensure welfare, behaviors and communications of the specific therapy animal that is working in session, benefits and risks of AAC, and ways to prevent these risks. |
4. Discussion
4.1. Ethical and Cultural Dimensions in AAC
4.2. Navigating Ethical Challenges in Restrictive Environments
5. Conclusions
Funding
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Evans, J.J. Assessing Cultural, Religious, and Trauma Influences in Human-Animal Interactions for Effective Animal-Assisted Counseling. Animals 2024, 14, 2496. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14172496
Evans JJ. Assessing Cultural, Religious, and Trauma Influences in Human-Animal Interactions for Effective Animal-Assisted Counseling. Animals. 2024; 14(17):2496. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14172496
Chicago/Turabian StyleEvans, Jordan Jalen. 2024. "Assessing Cultural, Religious, and Trauma Influences in Human-Animal Interactions for Effective Animal-Assisted Counseling" Animals 14, no. 17: 2496. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14172496