The biological and psychological basis of pet therapy / animal-assisted therapy

and what this means for practice

"A comprehensive, scientific foundation for human-animal therapy."

(Judith Solomon)

In recent years, the ancient symbiosis between humans and their pets has entered

a new phase, marked by the burgeoning clinical specialty of human-animal

therapy. This approach uses the relationship between humans and their (mainly)

mammalian pets to support the growth of emotion regulation, social skills, and

mental health in children, adolescents, and adults.

But how are humans and animals able to develop close bonds at all? What makes

it possible for animals to have a therapeutic effect on humans? And how can we

best use this understanding in animal-assisted therapy?

In this unique book, a team of expert biologists and psychologists integrate and

combine sophisticated biological and psychological knowledge to answer these

questions. Together they have created a comprehensive, scientific foundation for

human-animal therapy, a foundation that will facilitate the development, implementation,

and evaluation of effective new interventions.