Understanding the role of the animal in animal-assisted therapy: A qualitative study

The popularity of adjunctive psychological therapies, such as animal-assisted therapy (AAT), continues to grow. However, there is a lot of inconsistency and uncertainty regarding the mechanism of AAT and, more specifically, the role of the therapy animal. This study aimed to better understand the animals' role in AAT from the perspective of those who deliver it.

Fifteen professionals from a wide range of mental health backgrounds completed 1-h semi-structured interviews online. Reflexive Thematic Analysis was used to analyse the data.

The analysis resulted in four main themes and 12 subthemes, representing the various aspects of the animals' role in therapy. The four main themes were: Providing experiential learning, developing an alternative relationship, offering a different way of processing and collaborating in therapeutic activities.

This study demonstrates that the role of the therapy animal is complex and tightly linked to the relational aspect of human-animal interactions. It shows their presence is valuable even when the animals are not directly involved in therapeutic interventions. The challenge of balancing training and socialising the animals and allowing them to display natural behaviours is highlighted. The findings are discussed in the broader context of existing AAT research and theories, considering clinical implications and directions for future research.