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Animal Assisted Therapy Argumentative Essay

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Animal assisted therapy, or AAT for short, began with the first documented case at an asylum run by the Society of Friends in England 1792. The first documented case of animal assisted therapy in the United States was not until 1919 at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Washington D.C. During the 1930s, famous psychoanalysist Sigmund Freud become an advocate for AAT when he used his dog, Jofi, during his therapy sessions. He found that his patients were more comfortable talking to him when Jofi was present. I believe that AAT proves to be beneficial for both mental and physical disorders according to articles I have read prior to the research done for this project. Research conducted on AAT usually follows behavior research methods. Research done for AAT focuses on the question of how exactly Animal Assisted Therapy is beneficial to both adults and …show more content…

Most people believe that AAT only helps with mental disorders; however, according to research, AAT certified animals can also serve as emotional support animals which greatly helps physical disorders such as cancer and addiction. Research done by psychologists could be used to better train animals who will become certified for AAT. In addition, medical professionals could use this research to be able to better prescribe AAT to patients who need it. It is important for the public to be made aware of the multiple benefits of AAT so that it can have a better chance of being implemented in the federal budget. Research towards AAT is important as it can potentially serve as a natural alternative to pharmaceutical drugs. Moreover, the research can help provide psychologists a better understanding of the link between animal and human communication. AAT is now currently regulated by Pet Partners, formerly known as

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