When Healing Has Fur: How Animal-Assisted Support Enhances the Therapy Experience

Winter blankets. A warm cup of tea. Soft background music. And sometimes, a gentle golden retriever named Tucker resting at your feet.

At Still Waters Counseling, therapy is rooted in creating a safe, grounding environment where clients feel fully seen and supported. While traditional talk therapy is at the center of the work we do, we also recognize that healing doesn’t always happen through words alone. For some clients, the presence of an animal can offer a non-verbal path to connection, comfort, and nervous system regulation.

This is where animal-assisted therapy comes in.

Animal-assisted therapy has grown significantly in recent years and not by accident. Research continues to show that the presence of calm, trained animals can lower cortisol levels, reduce anxiety, support emotional regulation, and build a sense of connection in ways that feel safe and natural. During times when communication feels overwhelming or when the body is dysregulated, an animal can help bridge the gap between distress and grounding.

At Still Waters Counseling, Tucker the Golden Retriever, is available for clients who want that kind of support. He is not present in every session, but is integrated thoughtfully and intentionally based on client preference, treatment goals, and scheduling.

This blog explores the science, the benefits, and the heart behind incorporating animals into the therapeutic space. You’ll also learn what you can expect if you choose to have Tucker join your session.

What Is Animal-Assisted Therapy?

Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) is a formal therapeutic approach that incorporates animals into treatment plans to improve emotional, cognitive, social, or psychological outcomes. While many people think of animals visiting hospitals or nursing homes, AAT in mental health settings is much more integrated and clinically intentional.

It’s not just “having a dog around.”

It’s about how the presence, behaviors, and relational interactions of the animal support therapeutic goals, such as:

• Reducing physiological arousal

• Increasing emotional expression

• Supporting trauma processing

• Strengthening attachment and relational trust

• Providing co-regulation for the nervous system

Unlike a pet in a home setting, animals used in therapy settings are selected for temperament, trained for calm environments, and attuned to human emotional cues.

Why Animals Help Us Feel Safe: The Science Behind It

One reason animal-assisted support works so well is because it engages the nervous system, not just the intellect.

When we interact with calm animals, research shows:

What Happens	Why It Matters
Heart rate and blood pressure decrease	Body exits fight-or-flight mode
Cortisol levels drop	Lowers stress and anxiety
Oxytocin increases	Boosts bonding, trust, emotional openness
Muscles relax	Supports grounding and somatic processing

Animals regulate from the body upward, helping clients feel anchored when words feel too vulnerable or inaccessible.

For clients who have experienced trauma, attachment wounds, or relational harm, an animal can offer non-judgmental presence that feels safe in a way humans sometimes do not. For neurodivergent clients or those with sensory needs, tactile interaction (like petting a dog) can provide rhythmic, soothing input that supports regulation.

Why Some Clients Choose Tucker in Their Sessions

While Tucker isn’t involved in every appointment, he joins sessions when it aligns with clinical goals and client preference. Clients may request Tucker for reasons such as:

• Reducing anxiety in sessions: For clients who feel overwhelmed or activated during therapy, having Tucker to pet can help slow breathing and soften defenses.

• Grounding during trauma work: When processing painful memories, having a physical source of comfort can support staying regulated enough to remain present.

• Companionship for clients who feel lonely, disconnected, or unsupported: Tucker offers a warm presence that helps build trust and connection without pressure.

• A softer entry into therapy for children or teens: Younger clients may feel more comfortable opening up when a friendly dog is present.

• Somatic regulation for clients with chronic illness or sensory overload: Touch, warmth, and pressure can help relax muscles, reduce pain signals, or soothe sensory overwhelm.

Other times, clients simply say:

“Having Tucker here just makes this feel easier.”

And that alone is valid.

How Tucker Is Integrated at Still Waters Counseling

Tucker is available on specific days and times so his involvement is planned intentionally. He may:

• Greet clients in the lobby

• Sit or rest quietly on the couch or floor during sessions

• Offer comforting touch (with consent)

• Participate in grounding exercises (breathing while petting him, mindful touch, etc.)

He does not:

• Push interaction onto clients

• Serve as a distraction from inner work

• Attend sessions without prior discussion

• Replace therapeutic intervention

His role is supportive, not central, and always optional.

If at any point a client prefers a session without him, that preference is fully respected.

Accessibility, Boundaries, and Client Considerations

Because not every client wants or benefits from animal involvement, we approach Tucker’s presence thoughtfully.

Sessions without Tucker may be best for clients who:

• Have allergies or sensory sensitivities

• Experience fear or discomfort around dogs

• Prefer a more traditional therapeutic environment

• Struggle with distraction

Clients are always encouraged to voice their needs, and we check in regularly about comfort level.

For clients who do want Tucker involved, we discuss boundaries such as:

• What type of interaction feels supportive

• Whether touch is desired or not

• What Tucker should do if the client becomes distressed

• Where he should sit or lay during session

This keeps sessions grounded, safe, and aligned with therapeutic goals.

Clinical Benefits Supported by Research

Below are evidence-based benefits associated with therapy animals in mental health care:

1. Reduces Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression

Interactions with animals can increase serotonin and oxytocin while decreasing stress hormones, leading to improved mood and reduced anxious arousal.

2. Supports Trauma and Attachment Repair

Animals offer unconditional positive regard without threat, helping clients rebuild trust and increase emotional tolerance.

3. Enhances Emotional Expression

Clients may find it easier to express vulnerability when grounded by a calming presence.

4. Improves Engagement in Treatment

For some clients, especially children and adolescents, having an animal present can increase motivation, connection, and willingness to attend sessions.

5. Provides Somatic Regulation

Touch, warmth, rhythmic petting, and tactile pressure can help support the physiological components of regulation, especially for trauma survivors or neurodivergent clients.

Therapy With Animals Isn’t For Everyone And That’s Okay!

Animal-assisted support is not meant to be a universal intervention. For some clients, the presence of an animal may feel distracting, overstimulating, or unnecessary. Healing is not “better” with a dog…it’s just different.

The goal is not to introduce animals for the sake of novelty, but to offer one more path to connection for those who find comfort in a furry friend.

If You Want Tucker in Your Session

Clients are welcome to request sessions with Tucker. We simply ask that you:

• Mention it when you schedule

• Confirm before your appointment

• Let us know any accessibility or boundary needs

We will do our best to accommodate based on scheduling and therapeutic fit.

Healing happens in many forms.

Sometimes it comes through reflection, words, and insight. Sometimes through silence. And sometimes, through the gentle weight of a dog resting quietly beside you, reminding your nervous system that you are safe.

At Still Waters Counseling, Tucker is honored to walk alongside our clients in the moments they choose to include him.