12 Points Psychology
Animal Assisted Therapy
What is Animal-Assisted Therapy?
Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) falls under the umbrella of Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAI)
These interventions can include everything from basic visits to nursing homes, or hospitals, all the way through to goal-directed therapeutic interventions with trained healthcare providers - aka AAT!
AAT is a therapeutic approach that integrates trained animals into the therapeutic process to support emotional, social, and cognitive well-being. The presence of an animal during therapy can create a more relaxed, welcoming atmosphere, making it easier for clients to engage and feel supported. AAT is adaptable to each person’s unique needs and can enhance emotional regulation, communication, and connection in ways that feel natural and accessible.
Plus - it’s a LOT of fun!
How Can Animal-Assisted Therapy Help?
Areas of Intervention for Mental Health and Well-Being
The ever expanding research base for AAT shows it can be particularly helpful for individuals, including
neurodivergent clients, who may find traditional therapeutic approaches less effective or accessible.
Here’s how AAT can make a difference:
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Mood, Stress, & Anxiety
Animals offer a calming presence, helping to lower stress responses (including blood pressure and heart rate) and promote relaxation. Their non-judgemental nature can reduce social anxiety and encourage emotional expression in a gentle, non-threatening way.
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Communication Challenges
For those who find verbal communication difficult - including some autistic and ADHD individuals - interacting with an animal provides a nonverbal, sensory-rich connection that feels safer and less pressured.
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Trauma & Emotional Regulation
The presence of an animal can facilitate co-regulation, offering grounding and emotional stability during distressing moments. Their responsiveness to emotional cues can help clients feel seen, validated, and understood.
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Sensory-Friendly, Engaging Experience
For neurodivergent individuals who may feel overwhelmed or uncomfortable in conventional therapy settings, AAT provides a more dynamic, sensory-friendly environment. This approach offers opportunities for tactile engagement, movement, and alternative forms of connection.
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Attachment & Relational Trauma
Animals offer unconditional acceptance, which can be especially healing for those with attachment-based trauma, or who feel socially isolated, excluded, or misunderstood. Building a bond with an animal can enhance feelings of safety and trust, promoting a deeper therapeutic experience.
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Making Mindfulness Accessible
Instead of traditional meditation, AAT provides sensory-based, present-moment experiences like stroking fur or playful engagement—ideal for neurodivergent clients, those with anxiety, trauma, or emotional dysregulation, or any clients who struggle with grounding - making mindfulness feel natural and achievable.
How Does AAT Help?
Animals not only offer a calm, welcoming presence but also provide genuine, unconditional acceptance. This can reduce stress and create a safer, more effective therapeutic space. Interacting with animals helps clients regulate emotions, experience co-regulation safely, and access parts of themselves that may be difficult to reach through talk therapy alone. For many, connecting with an animal brings feelings of being understood, accepted, and supported in a way that can also heal relational wounds and enhance recall of session information. Plus, it’s pretty hard to feel bad when you’re greeted by a smiling doggo and a wagging tail!
Meet Our Therapy Animals
At 12 Points Psychology, we include a variety of animals in our
AAT dependant on the needs of the individual client. Get to know the amazing animal therapy team at 12 Points Psychology.
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Winston
Therapy Dog
Winston is a 7-year old cavoodle who passed his Foundation training in July 2018. Like his sister Jersey (one of our OG therapy dogs), he was pulled out of a puppy farm and came to us through Beagle Rescue Victoria.
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Rory
Therapy Dog
Rory is an 13-year old cavalier x maltese x shizhu (although we thought she was a cavoodle for her first 4 years so we still think of her that way most of the time!)
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Sophie
Therapy Dog
Sophie is a tan border collie who was born in 2017. She came to live with us in 2022 after spending her first five years as a breeding dog in a puppy farm.
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Toothless
Therapy Axolotl
Toothless is an axolotl, or Mexican walking fish (although he’s an amphibian, not a fish – and I’m pretty sure he’s from Melbourne, not Mexico!).
