The Role of Therapeutic Animals in Student Adaptation to College Life
Jul 11, 2024
For many students, moving on to college can be both exciting and stressful. Stress and anxiety can happen because of the newfound independence, study pressures, and social changes. In the past few years, therapeutic animals have become an important tool for helping students deal with these problems. This piece talks about how therapeutic animals can help college students get used to college life. It talks about the benefits, the different programs, and real-life examples of how these furry friends make a difference.
What Are Animals Used For Therapy?
Therapeutic animals, also called therapy animals, are carefully trained animals that help people feel better by being with them, giving them comfort, and being an emotional support system in places like hospitals, nursing homes, and colleges. Service animals are trained to do specific jobs for disabled people. Therapeutic animals, on the other hand, are mostly used to help people feel better and be with them. Some other animals that can be used as therapy are rabbits, guinea pigs, and even horses. Dogs and cats are the most popular ones.
What college students can gain from having therapy animals?
It’s possible that you want to know how these animals help students get used to college life. Let’s look at the different advantages:
Academic Support
While therapeutic animals provide essential emotional support, they can’t literally write my assignment. However, the calming presence of these animals can make it easier for students to focus on their academic tasks. In addition to spending time with therapy animals, students can also benefit from using online writing services. These services offer professional assistance with writing assignments, ensuring students can manage their workload more effectively. Combining the stress-relieving benefits of therapeutic animals with the practical support of online writing services can create a balanced approach to handling academic challenges.
Getting rid of stress
One of the best things about having therapy animals on campus is that they can help people feel less stressed. A lot of college students feel a lot of stress from schoolwork, sadness, and social anxiety. Oxytocin is a hormone that makes you feel good and helps you bond with others. Petting a nice animal can release this hormone. The stress hormone cortisol levels drop because of this exchange. This makes you feel calm and healthy in general.
Better social interaction
Therapeutic animals also help people get along with each other. Additionally, they give students a place to meet and talk to each other, which can be especially helpful for shy or quiet individuals. A friendly dog or cat can make it easier to talk to new people and start conversations, which can help build a sense of community and connection.
Better mental health
A lot of college students have problems with their mental health, like depression, worry, and feeling alone. Therapeutic animals offer pure love and company that doesn’t judge, which can be very comforting for people who are going through hard times. It has been shown that these animals can improve your mood, make you happier, and even ease the signs of depression.
What colleges are doing to bring in therapy animals?
Many schools and universities have started programs to bring therapy animals to their campuses because they know the benefits. The organization and frequency of these programs are different, but they all have the same goal: to help students stay healthy.
Seeing pets as therapy
A lot of colleges have regular pet therapy sessions where students can connect with animals that are trained to help people. These classes are often held during stressful times of the education year, like finals and midterms. They give students a break and a mental boost.
Therapy animals for homes
Some schools have taken it a step further by letting therapeutic animals live with students. Students can get to these animals at any time because they live in dorms or close buildings. A therapy animal’s constant presence can make the space feel more like home, which can help students get used to their new settings more quickly.
Animal-Assisted Therapy Programs
In addition to casual interactions, some colleges offer structured animal-assisted therapy programs. These programs are led by licensed therapists and involve therapeutic animals as part of the treatment process. Students can participate in individual or group sessions, where the animals help facilitate emotional expression and healing. Interestingly, the integration of modern technology like an AI generator in these programs can enhance the therapy experience. For instance, an AI generator can analyze students’ emotional states and suggest personalized therapy sessions, optimizing the benefits of human-animal interaction. This innovative approach combines the emotional support of therapy animals with the analytical power of AI, creating a comprehensive support system for students.
Examples from real life
Let’s look at some real-life cases of how college students have been helped by therapy animals:
University of California, San Diego (UCSD): UCSD’s “Therapy Fluffies” program brings trained therapy dogs to campus when students are taking tests. Students can take a break from studying to play with and pet the dogs. This has been shown to make people feel better and less anxious.
University of Emory
At Emory University, there is a therapy dog named Beowulf who lives in one of the dorms. Students can pet Beowulf, take him for walks, or just hang out with him. He is always there to calm and companion them.
Yale Law School
Some students at Yale Law School can “check out” a therapy dog named Monty from the library as part of a unique program. Students in this program can spend time with Monty in a certain room, which helps them relax and unwind while they study hard.
In conclusion
Students need therapeutic animals a lot to help them deal with the challenges of college life. Because they can help students deal with worry, make friends, and feel better mentally, they are great companions for students. As more colleges see how helpful these programs are, we can expect to see more therapeutic animals on college campuses across the country. These furry friends are making a big difference in the lives of college students by helping them get through their studies with a little more ease and a lot more joy. They do this through organized pet therapy sessions, residential therapy animals, and structured animal-assisted therapy programs.
Disclaimer: healthcareforpets.com and its team of veterinarians and clinicians do not endorse any products, services, or recommended advice. All advice presented by our veterinarians, clinicians, tools, resources, etc is not meant to replace a regular physical exam and consultation with your primary veterinarian or other clinicians. We always encourage you to seek medical advice from your regular veterinarian.
