Transforming Trauma

Resilience and Healing Through Our Connections With Animals

Philip Tedeschi, Molly Anne Jenkins

• Publisher: Purdue University Press
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN: 9781557537959
• eBook ISBN: 9781612495200
• Topic: Psychology
• Subtopic: Animal & Comparative Psychology
• Index: Psychology

Have you ever looked deep into the eyes of an animal and felt entirely known? Often, the connections we share with non-human animals represent our safest and most reliable relationships, offering unique and profound opportunities for healing in periods of hardship. This book focuses on research developments, models, and practical applications of human-animal connection and animal-assisted intervention for diverse populations who have experienced trauma. Physiological and psychological trauma are explored across three broad and interconnected domains: 1) child maltreatment and family violence; 2) acute and post-traumatic stress, including military service, war, and developmental trauma; and 3) times of crisis, such as the ever-increasing occurrence of natural disasters, community violence, terrorism, and anticipated or actual grief and loss. Contributing authors, who include international experts in the fields of trauma and human-animal connection, examine how our relationships with animals can help build resiliency and foster healing to transform trauma. A myriad of animal species and roles, including companion, therapy, and service animals are discussed. Authors also consider how animals are included in a variety of formal and informal models of trauma recovery across the human lifespan, with special attention paid to canine- and equine-assisted interventions and psychotherapy. In addition, authors emphasize the potential impacts to animals who provide trauma-informed services, and discuss how we can respect their participation and implement best practices and ethical standards to ensure their well-being. The reader is offered a comprehensive understanding of the history of research in this field, as well as the latest advancements and areas in need of further or refined investigation. Likewise, authors explore, in depth, emerging practices and methodologies for helping people and communities thrive in the face of traumatic events and their long-term impacts. As animals are important in cultures all over the world, cross-cultural and often overlooked animal-assisted and animal welfare applications are also highlighted throughout the text.

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Halftitle Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Contents
• Foreword
• Introduction: Human Trauma and Animals: Research Developments, Models, and Practice Methods for Trauma-Informed Animal-Assisted Interventions
• Chapter 1: The Impact of Human-Animal Interaction in Trauma Recovery
• Chapter 2: Advocacy and Rethinking Our Relationships With Animals: Ethical Responsibilities and Competencies in Animal-Assisted Interventions
• Chapter 3: Clinical Objectives for Animal-Assisted Interventions: Physiological and Psychological Targets in Trauma-Informed Practice
• Chapter 4: Implications of Animal-Assisted Psychotherapy for the Treatment of Developmental Trauma Through the Lens of Interpersonal Neurobiology
• Chapter 5: The Power of Play and Animals: Animal Assisted Play Therapy as an Integrative Practice Model for Mental Health Treatment
• Chapter 6: Children and Animals: The Importance of Human-Other Animal Relationships in Fostering Resilience in Children
• Chapter 7: The Healing Power of Nature: The Impact of Interventions in Farm Settings
• Chapter 8: Horses in the Treatment of Trauma
• Chapter 9: Why the Dog?
• Chapter 10: Animals in Action: Therapeutic Roles in Healing Military Trauma
• Chapter 11: The Battle for Hearts and Minds: Warrior Canine Connection’s Mission-Based Trauma Recovery Program
• Chapter 12: Animal-Assisted Crisis Response: Offering Opportunity for Human Resiliency During and After Traumatic Incidents
• Chapter 13: Loss, Grief, and Bereavement in the Context of Human-Animal Relationships
• Chapter 14: The Global and Cross-Cultural Reach of Trauma-Informed Animal-Assisted Interventions
• Conclusions
• Selective Index