The Influence of Animal-Assisted Psychotherapy on the Establishment of the Therapeutic Alliance with Maltreated Children in Residential Care
Chairperson, IAAAP - Israeli Association of Animal-Assisted Psychotherapy
Background: Many maltreated children hide their experiences, leading to continuing maltreatment, developmental trauma, and prevention of treatment. These children often lack of trust in professionals, inhibiting the establishment of the therapeutic alliance (TA). Animal-assisted psychotherapy (AAP) might facilitate the establishment of the TA for these children.
Hypotheses: The TA will be established earlier and stronger in AAP than in psychotherapy without animals, the gap (if any) being smaller at a later stage in therapy. Secondly, the TA for subjects lacking trust in adults will be higher in AAP.
Methodology: 18 subjects from residential treatment homes, ages 7-11, were randomly divided into two treatment groups: 1) AAP play therapy, and 2) play therapy without animals. Subjects filled out questionnaires measuring their trust in adults. After the third and eighth therapy session, each subject filled out a questionnaire measuring the strength of the TA.
Results: The TA after the third session was stronger in AAP than in non-AAP. Trust in adults was related to the TA after the third AAP session, and related to the TA in the non-AAP group after the eighth session, suggesting that the presence of animals in therapy may shorten the process of the establishment of the TA.