Creature Comfort: Animals That Heal
This inspiring, humorous, and touching book celebrates the beneficial effects that animals have on humans and describes how their healing potential is being increasingly acknowledged by the medical community. Animal Assisted Therapy, an important new development in health care, has already shown that people are statistically less likely to suffer an early heart attack if they have a pet, and that stroking an animal actually reduces stress levels.\ This, however, is only the tip of the...
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". . . a collection of wonderful and encouraging stories about 'Animal Assisted Therapy.'" - Stanley Coren, author of The Intelligence of DogsThis inspiring, humorous, and touching book celebrates the beneficial effects that animals have on humans and describes how their healing potential is being increasingly acknowledged by the medical community. Animal Assisted Therapy, an important new development in health care, has already shown that people are statistically less likely to suffer an early heart attack if they have a pet, and that stroking an animal actually reduces stress levels.This, however, is only the tip of the iceberg, says environmental psychologist Bernie Graham. Animal Assisted Therapy is now achieving amazing results in treating children with physical and mental disabilities by using trained dolphins in acquatic therapy. There are also programs that teach dogs to help the disabled by taking laundry out of the washing machine; selecting, unpacking, and paying for items in the supermarket; and even withdrawing money from the bank. Cats, rabbits, and dogs are now taken into hospitals to comfort the patients, and more exotic animals such as ferrets, donkeys, guinea pigs, monkeys, and even tigers are being used to bring hope to individuals, thereby enhancing human efforts.Written with warmth and compassion, Creature Comfort looks at all aspects of Animal Assisted Therapy, including the theories behind it, to provide both a practical guide and a moving account of the many rewarding human-animal interactions. A must for pet lovers, health care workers, and anyone who wishes to benefit from this most holistic of therapies.Bernie Graham, an environmental psychologist, is a member of the British Psychological Society, the International Society for Anthrozoology, and the Society for Companion Animal Studies. School Library Journal YA-Not just another amazing animal book, this is a timely and valuable introduction to Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT), a scientific and medical discipline still in its infancy-and one that should be particularly appealing to many teens as a possible career direction. Graham tells plenty of fascinating stories (illustrated with black-and-white photos) as he relates his own experiences and those of others working with diverse creatures such as dolphins, cats, dogs, donkeys, monkeys, ferrets, guinea pigs, rabbits, fish, and horses. Those benefiting from AAT include mentally or physically disabled children and adults in private programs or in institutional settings such as hospitals, clinics, and prisons, in the U.S., Great Britain, and Europe. The author gives an overview of the wide range of AAT projects that have evolved in recent years, mostly through volunteer efforts and in the face of traditional obstacles to the presence of animals in institutional and medical settings. Though the writing style is somewhat academic, occasionally inelegant, and riddled with Briticisms, the book is nevertheless friendly and readable, and succeeds very well in communicating the author's great enthusiasm for his subject. He concludes with a useful listing of organizations for readers to contact if they feel motivated to pursue further study or volunteer work.-Christine C. Menefee, Fairfax County Public Library, VA Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.\|
AcknowledgementsixPrefacexiPreface to the American EditionxvHow To Use This BookxixPart ISome First Thoughts11The Current State of Play32A Personal View153Theories, Thoughts and Feelings39Part IIPets in Practice694Doctor Dolphin715My Best Friends - Dogs1116Horses that Heal1677In the Care of Cats1998The Unsung Heroes2219The 'A' Team241Part IIIWhat Next?25710Future Directions25911Some Practical Guidelines27312Contact Addresses283Bibliography292Index303
\ School Library JournalYA-Not just another amazing animal book, this is a timely and valuable introduction to Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT), a scientific and medical discipline still in its infancy-and one that should be particularly appealing to many teens as a possible career direction. Graham tells plenty of fascinating stories (illustrated with black-and-white photos) as he relates his own experiences and those of others working with diverse creatures such as dolphins, cats, dogs, donkeys, monkeys, ferrets, guinea pigs, rabbits, fish, and horses. Those benefiting from AAT include mentally or physically disabled children and adults in private programs or in institutional settings such as hospitals, clinics, and prisons, in the U.S., Great Britain, and Europe. The author gives an overview of the wide range of AAT projects that have evolved in recent years, mostly through volunteer efforts and in the face of traditional obstacles to the presence of animals in institutional and medical settings. Though the writing style is somewhat academic, occasionally inelegant, and riddled with Briticisms, the book is nevertheless friendly and readable, and succeeds very well in communicating the author's great enthusiasm for his subject. He concludes with a useful listing of organizations for readers to contact if they feel motivated to pursue further study or volunteer work.-Christine C. Menefee, Fairfax County Public Library, VA Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.\|\ \ \ \ \ BooknewsCelebrates the beneficial effects that animals have on humans and describes how their therapeutic potential is being increasingly acknowledged by the medical community. Demonstrates achievements of Assisted Animal Therapy in reducing stress, preventing heart attacks, and treating children with physical and mental disabilities, and looks at programs that train dogs to help disabled people with daily chores. The writing, by a British "environmental psychologist," is filled with anecdotes and the author's personal point of view. The book was originally published in Great Britain in 1999 by Simon & Schuster UK. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)\ \
