Alice White
Of course, one must understand that zootherapy is a method that requires serious research and evidence. Unfortunately, sometimes animal therapy is advertised in bad faith, especially when it comes to the rehabilitation of children. For example, they promise unprecedented progress from training with dolphins – while there is no serious evidence that it is dolphins that improve the condition of patients.
If pet therapy is still considered an auxiliary method of treatment, then the animal must be picked up with a specialist. It all depends on the goals of treatment, the patient’s condition, and his personal characteristics. Even if a person needs a faithful friend and walks in the fresh air, but he is simply afraid of dogs, you should not involve him in communication with them. A patient with spinal cord injuries should not ride a horse, even if he wants to try hippotherapy, with a lack of warmth and close relationships, a turtle is unlikely to seriously help.
There are also more prosaic contraindications. For example, allergies to hair and skin, in which you should not have a cat. In addition, not every animal can become medicinal. Animals can be aggressive and fearful, and in this case, communication with them will not be beneficial, especially for a person with a mental disorder or neurological disorders. But the restrictions can be circumvented – choose an animal that does not scare and to which there is no allergy, to practice in places where animals are prepared to meet with patients – and then the classes will be more beneficial than harmful.
