Pet animals are used as clinical adjuncts in pet-facilitated psychotherapy. It is proposed that the manner in which pets reduce emotional discomfort is theoretically explained through the competing-response theory of extinction via attention shifts. Using this model pets are seen as emotionally-laden distracting stimuli which allow for exposure to, instead of avoidance of, anxiety-generating stimuli. Therapist-directed alternative response patterns are then developed.
A survey of case histories, anecdotal evidence and pilot studies shows that, as therapeutic adjuncts, pet animals facilitate rapport and otherwise enrich the treatment milieu. Similar evidence shows that pets enhance the lives of their owners in the community. Pet-facilitated psychotherapy (PFP) can increase social interaction, provide comfort and support, and reinforce feelings of independence. Replication and expansion of existing studies are recommended to further explore how pet animals may enrich the lives of members of psychiatric and geriatric populations.
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