Benefit of Animals with Teenagers

With the addition of Winston to our school community, I wanted to dedicate a blog post to the positive impact animals can have, specifically on teenagers. Professionally, I have always known that therapy dogs can have a positive impact in a therapy setting. They provide positive touch to a client that a counselor cannot provide. They build an almost immediate non-judgmental rapport that all counselors are trying to achieve. They lower anxiety with deep pressure therapy or their natural calming presence.

Now that I have been working with Winston, I have many personal experiences that prove his valuable impact on students. Quotes like “Winston always puts a smile on my face”, “I look forward to coming to school to see Winston”, “I just need a hug from Winston”, and “I didn’t understand getting a facility dog, but now that he is here, I get it” make me understand his impact on students and faculty.

Lisa Damour, psychologists and best selling author, wrote an article in The New Yorker addressing the importance of teenagers having access to animals. Click on the button below to read her article.