College Advocates Praise Animal-Assisted Therapy's Positive Impact
In the realm of 2025, as per the American Veterinary Medical Association's report, animal-assisted intervention (AAI) serves as a comprehensive term for utilizing animals to enhance human experiences. The AVMA suggests guidelines for these interventions and categorizes them into three distinct types.
Firstly, animal-assisted therapy (AAT) utilizes animals in therapeutic situations, aiming to improve health benefits. A popular example of this type is employing therapy dogs in counseling sessions.
Secondly, animal-assisted activities (AAA) involve animals to boost motivation, as well as encourage recreation and coping with stressors. Examples of AAA include hospital visits and outreach programs.
Lastly, animal-assisted education (AAE) leverages animals to foster educational activities, such as in reading programs for children.
It's essential to distinguish AAIs from emotional support animals (ESAs). ESAs provide comfort to specific individuals with targeted medical conditions, while the majority of AAIs do not engage service animals.
In a 2020 study featured in The College of New Jersey’s Journal of Student Scholarship, the effectiveness of AAIs on college campuses was underscored. Particularly, they successfully reduced stress, homesickness, and negative affects, with high levels of popularity among students. Professors from Kalamazoo College, Lawrence Technological University, Dickinson College, and Texas Christian University (where I work) were consulted regarding AAIs' campus implementation.
Kalamazoo College's Counseling Center Director, Dr. Erica Pearson, and her therapy dog, Noodles, have collaborated since 2016. They offer a range of interventions, including pet visits, group counseling, wellness programming, and crisis support. Dr. Pearson points out that AAI enables social connections, allowing students to engage with new people and establish positive social interactions through shared experiences with the therapy dog.
Lawrence Technological University Director of Counseling Services, Christy Schulze, discusses using therapy dogs on campus in two settings. They include Maggie, a miniature pinscher mix who works with her owner in the therapy room, and the Study "Paws" program, which brings volunteer therapy dogs to campus. AAIs promote emotional awareness in students and have reduced stigma for utilizing mental health services.
At Dickinson College, AAIs incorporate bunnies in their programs. Dr. Lauren Strunk, the Executive Director of the Dickinson Wellness Center, comments that the Bunny Connections Group is a group focusing on building connections, boundaries, and playful activities with bunnies. Students benefit from individual therapy sessions with therapy bunnies and find "Bunny Breaks" to be a tranquil retreat from the demands of college life.
Texas Christian University offers an equine therapy program in collaboration with Freedom Reigns Counseling. The program's goal is to facilitate emotional growth and learning by observing horses' reactions to environmental stressors. Students have reported increased productivity, attributing it to the horses teaching them to live in the present and experience life more fully.
Mental health professionals agree that AAIs positively impact social connections, emotional awareness, reduce stigma, provide a calming presence, and even improve academic functioning in students. Interacting with therapy dogs, bunnies, and horses likely brings an emotional boost to students. In conclusion, researchers and providers concur that AAIs cater to numerous benefits for colleges and universities.
Enrichment Data:
While the study does not detail the specific benefits of AAIs on college campuses, broader context suggests some general advantages of AAIs:
- Stress reduction and anxiety relief.
- Mood boosting.
- Social connection and loneliness alleviation.
- Physical health benefits.
- Cognitive stimulation.
- Emotional support.
These advantages can be extended to various environments, including college campuses. Nevertheless, studies or reports from mental health professionals at universities could provide more profound insights into AAIs' specific impact on these environments.
In the realm of higher education, college mental health services often incorporate animal-assisted therapy (AAT) to enhance student well-being. Therapy dogs, such as Noodles at Kalamazoo College, are frequently used in counseling sessions to reduce stress and foster social connections among students. Additionally, equine therapy, like the program at Texas Christian University, encourages emotional growth and learning, leading to improved academic functioning.
