Creature Comfort: Animals That Heal

by Bernie Graham

Overview

This inspiring, humorous, and touching book celebrates the beneficial effects that animals have on humans and describes how their therapeutic potential is being increasingly acknowledged by the medical community. Animal Assisted Therapy, an important new development in health care, has already shown that people are statistically less likely to suffer an early heart attack if they have a pet, and that stroking an animal reduces a person's stress level.

This is only the tip of the iceberg, says Bernie Graham in Creature Comfort: Animals That Heal. Animal Assisted Therapy is now achieving amazing results in treating children with physical and mental disabilities by using trained dolphins in aquatic therapy. There are also programs that teach dogs to help the disabled with their daily chores. Horses, cats, dogs, and even more exotic animals are being used to offer support and bring hope to individuals, thereby enhancing human efforts.

Written with warmth and compassion, Creature Comfort looks at all aspects of Animal Assisted Therapy, including the theories behind it, to provide both a practical guide and a moving account of the many rewarding human-animal interactions.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781615923267
Publisher:	Prometheus Books
Publication date:	03/01/2000
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Bernie Graham, an environmental psychologist, is a member of the British Psychological Society, the International Society for Anthrozoology, and the Society for Companion Animal Studies.

Table of Contents

	Acknowledgements	ix
	Preface	xi
	Preface to the American Edition	xv
	How To Use This Book	xix
Part I	Some First Thoughts	1
1	The Current State of Play	3
2	A Personal View	15
3	Theories, Thoughts and Feelings	39
Part II	Pets in Practice	69
4	Doctor Dolphin	71
5	My Best Friends - Dogs	111
6	Horses that Heal	167
7	In the Care of Cats	199
8	The Unsung Heroes	221
9	The 'A' Team	241
Part III	What Next?	257
10	Future Directions	259
11	Some Practical Guidelines	273
12	Contact Addresses	283
	Bibliography	292
	Index	303

Editorial Reviews

YA-Not just another amazing animal book, this is a timely and valuable introduction to Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT), a scientific and medical discipline still in its infancy-and one that should be particularly appealing to many teens as a possible career direction. Graham tells plenty of fascinating stories (illustrated with black-and-white photos) as he relates his own experiences and those of others working with diverse creatures such as dolphins, cats, dogs, donkeys, monkeys, ferrets, guinea pigs, rabbits, fish, and horses. Those benefiting from AAT include mentally or physically disabled children and adults in private programs or in institutional settings such as hospitals, clinics, and prisons, in the U.S., Great Britain, and Europe. The author gives an overview of the wide range of AAT projects that have evolved in recent years, mostly through volunteer efforts and in the face of traditional obstacles to the presence of animals in institutional and medical settings. Though the writing style is somewhat academic, occasionally inelegant, and riddled with Briticisms, the book is nevertheless friendly and readable, and succeeds very well in communicating the author's great enthusiasm for his subject. He concludes with a useful listing of organizations for readers to contact if they feel motivated to pursue further study or volunteer work.-Christine C. Menefee, Fairfax County Public Library, VA Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|

School Library Journal

Celebrates the beneficial effects that animals have on humans and describes how their therapeutic potential is being increasingly acknowledged by the medical community. Demonstrates achievements of Assisted Animal Therapy in reducing stress, preventing heart attacks, and treating children with physical and mental disabilities, and looks at programs that train dogs to help disabled people with daily chores. The writing, by a British "environmental psychologist," is filled with anecdotes and the author's personal point of view. The book was originally published in Great Britain in 1999 by Simon & Schuster UK. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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