#animal-assisted-intervention

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#empathy
fromSilicon Canals
1 day ago
Psychology

Research suggests people who feel more empathy for dogs than humans aren't broken - their empathy is fully intact, it's just been directed toward the only available recipient that has never weaponized it, and a person whose empathy has been weaponized enough times eventually stops handing it to anyone who could do it again - Silicon Canals

Empathy can be selective, often directed more towards animals than humans due to psychological and biological factors.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
1 day ago

Research suggests people who feel more empathy for dogs than humans aren't broken - their empathy is fully intact, it's just been directed toward the only available recipient that has never weaponized it, and a person whose empathy has been weaponized enough times eventually stops handing it to anyone who could do it again - Silicon Canals

Empathy can be selective, often directed more towards animals than humans due to psychological and biological factors.
fromFuncheap
21 hours ago

Celebrate "Brixton" Therapy Dog w/ Love Fest Memorial (Pier 23)

On Saturday - April 11 (12-3PM) at Pier 23 we will be celebrating the life of sweet Golden Boy - Brixton At Large the iconic Heart of San Francisco with an epic Love Fest Memorial.
San Francisco
Healthcare
fromThe Verge
1 day ago

This chatbot can prescribe psych meds. Kind of.

Utah allows an AI system to prescribe psychiatric drugs, raising concerns about risks and the effectiveness of expanding mental health care.
#ai
fromThe Washington Post
2 weeks ago
US news

These people used AI to help find their lost pets

AI technology is enhancing the chances of reuniting lost pets with their owners.
Medicine
fromPsychology Today
1 day ago

Building Wisdom With BDNF-and Ketamine

BDNF is crucial for brain health, and can be boosted through healthy habits and ketamine, aiding neuroplasticity and cognitive function.
Mental health
fromPsychology Today
2 days ago

Remembering an Angel With a Traumatic Brain Injury

Laura, despite severe brain damage, radiated joy and built meaningful connections with caregivers, enriching their lives through her infectious spirit.
Philosophy
fromPsychology Today
6 days ago

Therapists as Moral Educators

Therapy shapes our attention and relationships, emphasizing ethical living through habits of care and responsibility rather than mere rule-following.
Pets
fromMail Online
2 days ago

Vets reveal 17 subtle signs that indicate a dog has hurt themselves

Vets identified 17 key signs indicating pain in dogs, highlighting the importance of recognizing subtle behavioral changes.
Mental health
fromPsychology Today
5 days ago

The Link Between Medicine and Psychology

Mental health significantly impacts heart and brain health, necessitating integration of mental health care into traditional medical practices.
Online Community Development
fromPsychology Today
2 weeks ago

The Power of Human-Animal Relationships: 'Unleashing the Bond'

Human-animal relationships significantly influence physical health, emotional well-being, and community resilience through scientifically measurable mechanisms beyond sentimental value.
#ai-therapy
fromPsychology Today
2 weeks ago
Artificial intelligence

What Is It Like to Be an AI Therapist?

AI therapy raises concerns about the emotional capabilities of AI and whether they can genuinely connect with clients.
Mental health
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 month ago

I've turned AI into my therapist. The results were pretty disquieting

An AI skeptic uses ChatGPT as a therapist while caring for an elderly mother, finding it provides practical support, emotional validation, and structured guidance despite uncertainty about genuine machine compassion.
Mental health
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 month ago

I've turned AI into my therapist. The results were pretty disquieting

An AI skeptic uses ChatGPT as a therapist while caring for an elderly mother, finding it provides practical support, emotional validation, and structured guidance despite uncertainty about genuine machine compassion.
Pets
fromwww.theguardian.com
5 days ago

The pet I'll never forget: Merlin the therapy sheep

Merlin the sheep provides emotional support and therapy to clients, showcasing the calming effect of animals on human well-being.
Mental health
fromwww.bbc.com
5 days ago

'I nearly broke trying to help my partner with addiction issues'

Addiction impacts both the individual and their loved ones, requiring personal growth and boundaries for recovery.
Psychology
fromwww.theguardian.com
6 days ago

I'm seeing more people in therapy struggling with war-related anxiety. Here's what helps | Ahona Guha

Global events have led to widespread feelings of doom and a sense of globalized trauma affecting societal perceptions of safety and predictability.
Pets
fromwww.theguardian.com
4 days ago

Reforms must be fair tovets and pet owners | Letters

Increased veterinary costs and reduced services threaten the availability of essential pet care for owners.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
5 days ago

Still Waiting to Hear "You Were Right"?

The desire for validation stems from past neglect and devaluation, creating a painful emotional wound that seeks recognition and worth.
Healthcare
fromPsychology Today
2 weeks ago

Building a Therapeutic Revolution: Veterans Lead the Way

Therapeutic alliance—the collaborative bond between clinician and patient—extends beyond individual clinical encounters to systemic mental health care structures, particularly for treating complex conditions like PTSD and substance use disorders in veteran populations.
fromwww.independent.co.uk
3 weeks ago

Outdoor centre forced to rehome beloved therapy pigs after council row

James Short, who runs Adventure Pirate near Lytchett Minster, had introduced the three pigs to a plot of land adjacent to his education business, which previously housed animals. However, when he began advertising "pig walking" and "pig therapy" for his predominantly child customers on social media, Dorset Council intervened.
UK news
fromPsychology Today
1 week ago

How a Huggy Dog Is Helping Children With Wartime Trauma

Hibuki, the stuffed animal dog, allows children to project their feelings, helping them to express emotions like sadness and anxiety. The child becomes the caretaker of the dog, which facilitates self-soothing.
Pets
Portland
fromOregon ArtsWatch * Arts & Culture News
3 weeks ago

'Marvin's Rescue': Can a rescue dog save a mere human? * Oregon ArtsWatch

Victor Polanco plays a rescue dog in Marv Ross's musical comedy 'Marvin's Rescue,' observing real dogs to develop his character through body movements and personality traits.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
6 days ago

People who turned out genuinely kind despite a tough childhood didn't learn kindness - they absorbed its absence so completely that its presence became the one thing they couldn't withhold from anyone who needed it, not as a decision, but as the only response available to a person formed the way they were formed - Silicon Canals

Kindness often stems from experiencing adversity, leading to deep empathy rather than being solely a product of a nurturing environment.
Pets
fromPsychology Today
1 week ago

Dogs, Cats, and Other Nonhumans Are Not 'Just Animals'

A new book challenges speciesist narratives and promotes deeper respect for animals as sentient beings with powerful social bonds.
fromThe Washington Post
3 weeks ago

Punch the monkey isn't alone in bonding with his emotional support toy

Newborn mammals find comfort in contact, and rescue animals sometimes seek solace from fuzzy toys in the absence of their families, said Marc Bekoff, professor emeritus of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Some adult animals might also look to toys for safety and companionship, according to Bekoff. 'It brings them joy, and it makes them feel good,' he said.
US news
#resilience
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
1 week ago

Why Seven Dogs Escaping Captivity Gives Hope to Us All

Resilience and leadership can emerge from unexpected sources, as demonstrated by a group of dogs navigating challenges together.
Pets
fromPsychology Today
1 week ago

The Reciprocal Relationships of Pets and Their Caregivers

Cats vocalize more frequently with male caregivers, suggesting a learned behavior to attract attention.
Education
fromPsychology Today
1 month ago

Ask, Tell, Teach

Effective instruction requires asking gently first, then telling more clearly, but demanding creates resistance and should be avoided with students of any kind.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
1 week ago

There's a kind of intelligence that never gets measured because it lives entirely in the body. The person who can feel the weather changing in their knees, read a dog's mood from across the street, and know a room is wrong before anyone speaks. - Silicon Canals

Intelligence extends beyond cognitive abilities, encompassing bodily awareness and interoception as vital forms of processing information.
Pets
fromSilicon Canals
1 week ago

Psychology says people who sleep in the same bed as their dogs aren't substituting the dog for human intimacy - they're supplementing a human life with the one kind of companionship that asks for nothing, carries no grievances into the bedroom, and has never once in the history of the arrangement woken up on the wrong side - Silicon Canals

Co-sleeping with dogs provides comfort and security, enhancing relaxation and sleep quality for many pet owners.
Pets
fromwww.dw.com
1 week ago

Humans and dogs scientists find new proof of ancient bond

A female puppy from 15,800 years ago in Turkey is identified as the earliest-known dog, predating the previous record by 5,000 years.
Pets
fromPsychology Today
1 week ago

Sleeping With Your Pet: Is It Really Good for Your Sleep?

Many pet guardians report comfort and relaxation from sleeping with pets, despite potential disruptions to sleep quality.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
3 weeks ago

People who are instinctively trusted by dogs and children aren't performing warmth - they carry a baseline nervous system frequency that hasn't been overwritten by social strategy - Silicon Canals

Babies and dogs respond to authentic nervous system regulation and genuine presence rather than performed social skills or techniques.
fromPsychology Today
1 month ago

The Hidden Lives of Lab Animals and the Need for Reform

Countless millions of nonhuman animals (animals) of all sorts are used in a diverse array of laboratory research. Their treatment varies from being unspeakably inhumanely abused to being treated with kindness, depending on the questions at hand and the values and attitudes of the researchers themselves. The lives of these animals truly are hidden, and most people are incredulous when they learn that laboratory rats and mice still are not considered "animals" under the current federal Animal Welfare Act.
Science
US politics
fromwww.independent.co.uk
2 months ago

Why the death of a pet can be as traumatic as losing a loved one

Pet bereavement can cause clinically significant prolonged grief disorder, prompting calls to extend PGD recognition to include pet deaths in clinical guidelines.
fromNewsday
3 weeks ago

Aryna Sabalenka credits her new dog with providing 'mental health support' at Indian Wells

I feel like I'm much more settled, calm, more in control. Whenever I feel like going crazy on my team, I just pet Ash and I feel better.
Pets
Mindfulness
fromPsychology Today
2 months ago

How Listening to the Sound of Feathers Can Awaken True Joy

Attentive connection with nature nurtures creativity, compassion, and joy, fostering respect for nonhuman life and inspiring gentler, more flourishing communities.
Pets
fromwww.theguardian.com
3 weeks ago

The pet I'll never forget: Luke, the blind dog whose unconditional love made me live again

Luke, a blind Australian shepherd, demonstrates that physical limitations do not prevent living a full, joyful life through sensory adaptation and resilience.
US politics
fromPsychology Today
2 months ago

How ICE Is Disrupting the Human-Animal Bond

Abrupt immigration enforcement severs human-animal bonds, causing lasting trauma, abandoned pets, and reluctance to seek veterinary care.
Pets
fromApartment Therapy
3 weeks ago

I'm a Dog Trainer, and Here's What I Really Think About Pets Sleeping in Your Bed

A certified dog trainer recommends letting dogs sleep in bed, as outdated dominance theory has been disproven and co-sleeping can improve sleep quality and feelings of safety.
Medicine
fromwww.theguardian.com
2 months ago

The pet I'll never forget: Jack, the sacked sniffer dog, who pulled me through the darkest days of chemo

A retired police cocker spaniel provided companionship and practical emotional support during cancer treatment, giving structure, comfort, and unconditional love.
Science
fromSilicon Canals
1 month ago

5 unlikely animal friendships that prove connection has no species barrier - Silicon Canals

Animals form deep, unexpected interspecies bonds that transcend instinct, demonstrating that genuine connection can override species boundaries and learned categories.
US news
fromwww.npr.org
2 months ago

After being hit by a car, she was saved by a lavender bunny

Urban cycling dangers come primarily from other vehicles rather than terrain or weather.
Pets
fromSilicon Canals
4 weeks ago

Research suggests that the specific warmth of a dog sleeping against your body activates the same oxytocin pathways as skin-to-skin contact with a partner, which is why people who sleep with their dog report feeling held even when they technically sleep alone - Silicon Canals

Dogs sleeping in bed with humans activate oxytocin pathways similar to intimate human contact, providing neurochemical benefits beyond emotional comfort.
Science
fromPsychology Today
2 months ago

It's Time to Celebrate Animal Sentience and Stop Squabbling

Many nonhuman animals, including insects, are sentient and experience emotions such as joy and pain, and sentience should be recognized broadly.
#pet-grief
fromSilicon Canals
4 weeks ago
Pets

Psychology says people who grieve a pet more intensely than they've grieved some relatives aren't being dramatic - the bond activates these 7 attachment pathways that human relationships often can't access, and the grief is unfiltered because the love was - Silicon Canals

fromSilicon Canals
4 weeks ago
Pets

Psychology says people who grieve a pet more intensely than they've grieved some relatives aren't being dramatic - the bond activates these 7 attachment pathways that human relationships often can't access, and the grief is unfiltered because the love was - Silicon Canals

Mental health
fromwww.bbc.com
1 month ago

Dogs, tea, snacks: an alternative mental health A&E

A specialist emergency mental health unit in Ladbroke Grove offers a calm, therapeutic alternative to A&E with quicker specialist assessment and predictable, shorter waits.
Science
fromPsychology Today
2 months ago

A Deep Dive Into Why Joy is Essential, Who Feels It, and Why

Rapid, short-lived 'woo-hoo' joy and longer transcendent joy occur across diverse animal species and likely evolved as adaptive emotional states.
Pets
fromMail Online
1 month ago

Face it, your cat doesn't care about you: Felines rarely help owners

Dogs and toddlers spontaneously help locate hidden objects, while cats rarely assist unless the item is their favorite treat or toy, reflecting differences in domestication and selective breeding for cooperation.
#pet-loss
Pets
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 month ago

The pet I'll never forget: Harvey, the most human of cats who helped me through grief and illness

A cat named Harvey provided emotional support and comfort to a grieving family and later became a healing companion during the narrator's unexplained illness.
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 month ago

Canine carer: how guide dog school dropout Marcus came to comfort cancer patients for a living

Marcus was purpose-bred at the Guide Dogs Centre in Glossodia a small town at the foot of the Blue Mountains, 68km north-west of Sydney. In April 2020, at the start of our most recent global pandemic, when Marcus was eight weeks old, he went to live with puppy raisers Alex and Alison.
Pets
#pet-bereavement
Pets
fromSilicon Canals
1 month ago

Dog walkers say they learn more about a family from spending 30 minutes with their pet than most friends learn in years - these are the 7 things the dog reveals that the owner never would - Silicon Canals

Professional dog walkers can accurately assess families' personal circumstances and stress levels by observing behavioral changes in their pets, as dogs reflect their owners' emotional states and life conditions.
Pets
fromAol
1 month ago

NYC Shelter's Video of Adoptable Dogs Choosing Their Humans Will Have You in Tears

Animal Care Centers of NYC recreated a viral AI dog adoption video trend as a real event where rescue dogs chose their adoptive families, resulting in successful adoptions despite a blizzard.
Pets
fromPsychology Today
1 month ago

Do Pets Make Their Owners Happy? New Study Says They Do Not

Pet ownership showed no measurable causal effect on life satisfaction, loneliness, mental health, or general health in analyzed Australian longitudinal data.
Psychology
fromLady Freethinker
2 months ago

The Link Between Animal Cruelty and Human Violence

Animal cruelty commonly co-occurs with interpersonal violence and serves as a strong early warning sign indicating elevated risk to both animals and people.
#dog-ownership
fromFortune
1 month ago
Pets

You love your dog too much. Blame the broken American Dream and loss of purpose since the pandemic | Fortune

fromFortune
1 month ago
Pets

You love your dog too much. Blame the broken American Dream and loss of purpose since the pandemic | Fortune

Pets
fromHuffPost
1 month ago

My Senior Dog Couldn't Walk Anymore. Before She Passed, She Led Me To My Husband.

Maya, a lifelong companion dog, remained a steadfast soulmate through relocations, crises, aging, paralysis, and persistent efforts to secure veterinary care.
Pets
fromPsychology Today
2 months ago

What Do Dogs and Other Pets Feel About Their Captive Lives?

Many companion animals often experience compromised well-being; owners must learn animal communication and provide appropriate enrichment to ensure pets thrive.
Pets
fromPsychology Today
1 month ago

For Your Pet To Thrive, Listen to What They're Asking of You

A love-centered, consent-based, animal-perspective holistic approach unlocks pets' natural healing, fostering vitality, balance, and empowered human-animal relationships.
Pets
fromPsychology Today
2 months ago

Do Dogs and Other Animals Really Make Friends? They Do!

Many nonhuman animals form enduring friendships within and between species, using species-specific signals and cognitive-emotional capacities to establish and sustain close social bonds.
#golden-retriever
fromAol
2 months ago
Pets

Video: Golden Retriever Needs Owner to Hold His Hand While They Are Working

fromAol
2 months ago
Pets

Video: Golden Retriever Needs Owner to Hold His Hand While They Are Working

Pets
fromSilicon Canals
1 month ago

5 signs your pet has chosen you as their favorite person in the household - Silicon Canals

Pets often form a primary attachment to one household member, showing favoritism through behaviors like following and seeking proximity.
Pets
fromPsychology Today
2 months ago

Building Your Puppy's Confidence

Secure, patient, gradual positive exposure builds confident puppies capable of calm, responsive behavior needed for therapy dog work.
fromColumbus Ledger-Enquirer
1 month ago

Sweet Velcro Dog Refuses to Let His Favorite Person Work Alone

The clip opens with the dog sitting beside his mom on the couch while she works on her laptop. It's clear that the pup is deeply inconvenienced by his mom's working situation. Text above his head reads "Worst day ever," perfectly capturing the dramatic tone of what's to come. Within seconds, he side-eyes her to make sure she's paying attention, then begins softly whining, as if to say he's been patient long enough.
Pets
fromSilicon Canals
1 month ago

Vets can tell which dogs are truly thriving and which are just being "managed"-here are 7 signs they notice right away - Silicon Canals

Remember that moment at the dog park when you see two golden retrievers, with one bouncing around with bright eyes and a glossy coat, and the other just going through the motions with a dull expression despite being perfectly groomed? Both dogs are clearly loved and cared for, but something deeper separates them: It's the difference between a dog that's genuinely flourishing and one that's simply being maintained.
Pets
fromwww.theguardian.com
2 months ago

The pet I'll never forget: Dory the 10kg rabbit, who saved me from a diabetic coma

The first time I saw a Flemish giant rabbit was at TruckFest in Peterborough in 2002. Among a sprawling maze of stalls at the East of England showground, I was led into a tent filled with the biggest rabbits I'd ever laid eyes on. I'd never heard of Flemish giants before, but I knew then that I needed one. I couldn't have predicted in that moment that one of these beautiful creatures might save my life.
Pets
Pets
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 month ago

Losing a pet can be as painful as any other bereavement but there are some differences | Ahona Guha

Anticipatory grief for a beloved pet causes persistent emotional strain and complicates end-of-life decisions with guilt and deep attachment.
Pets
fromAol
2 months ago

Video Shows What It's Like to Work When You Have a Labrador

A black Labrador named Belvedere persistently interrupts his owner’s remote work with kisses, nudges, bounces, and demands for full attention until she gives in.
Pets
fromSilicon Canals
1 month ago

Psychology says people who prefer dogs over cats typically display these 8 distinct personality traits - Silicon Canals

Dog people are more extroverted and more agreeable, seeking social interaction and exhibiting trusting, altruistic traits linked to personality differences with cat owners.
Pets
fromScary Mommy
1 month ago

What Vets Say You Should Be Doing When Your Beloved Pet Starts To "Slow Down"

Senior pets frequently develop arthritis, dental, kidney, heart, endocrine, and cognitive problems; proactive age-based care, including semiannual exams and routine lab work, improves outcomes.
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