Therapy dogs are not a new phenomenon in healthcare. Man’s best friend has been used to comfort patients with physical and mental health conditions. But, what do therapy dogs do, and how can they help?
Dogs are known for their loving and supportive nature. These traits are useful in mental health treatment. Sometimes, inpatient mental health treatment can take a long time. Therapy dogs are used to provide companionship to teens while they try to conquer their mental health struggles. Therapy dogs can be used for both individual and group support. They are trained to be friendly and gentle and the perfect companions.
This article will provide an overview of what therapy dogs do and explore therapy dogs’ roles, benefits, and training. It will also educate parents, guardians, and teens on the common settings for using therapy dogs. It will also guide teens in getting their therapy dogs. If you need more information on therapy dogs, contact Nexus Teen Academy today and learn more about our treatment offerings.
What Do Dogs Therapy Do?
Therapy dogs are used to provide comfort for teens receiving treatment for mental health conditions, such as teen depression treatment or teen anxiety treatment. They visit the facility and play with the residents to make them feel less lonely and loved. Interacting with therapy dogs has been shown to have numerous benefits. These benefits include the following:
Providing Comfort During Stressful Situation
Teens with mental health conditions like teen anxiety are often stressed and fear new people or certain interactions. Therapy dogs help reduce stress by playing and interacting positively with teens. They also accept pets and hugs, which can be comforting. When we pet dogs, our bodies release hormones like oxytocin and serotonin, which improve our mood and allow us to form meaningful connections with others. Teens enrolled in teen residential treatment centers can feel anxious and lonely. But therapy dogs are the perfect companions because they elevate moods.
Helping with Grief and Trauma
Loss, grief, and teen trauma are complicated emotions and not easy to get over. Therapy dogs help teens cope with grief and trauma by providing comfort. They are cuddling and will not judge you if you need to cry. Teens often suppress their emotions to look strong. However, suppressing your feelings can have negative effects. Therapy dogs allow teens to process their feelings instead of suppressing them. Dogs are loving creatures that will stay by your side as you process difficult emotions.
Encouraging Social Interaction
Therapy dogs can help improve social interactions. During treatment, teens interact with therapy dogs in a group setting. They play, interact, and feed the dogs together, encouraging social interactions. Additionally, interacting with dogs can help teens learn to communicate better. They become more open and can confidently talk about their emotions.
When teens interact with therapy dogs, it promotes positive social behavior. Teens become more affectionate and non-judgmental. Having these treats makes them more sociable and confident.
Boosting Cognitive Skills
Therapy dogs can help teens with autism and other developmental conditions. They learn to be more mindful of other people’s feelings. They learn responsibility and improve their cognitive skills.
Encouraging Physical Activity
Playing with dogs requires energy. When teens interact with therapy dogs, they take them on walks and play with them constantly. Some dog breeds are high-energy and require extended periods of play. To keep up, teens must increase their physical activity. Increased physical activity improves mental health conditions like depression and anxiety.
Common Settings for Therapy Dogs
Therapy dogs can be used in various settings. They can be used in healthcare services, schools, and hospices. Therapy dogs can be used in the following ways:
Animal-assisted activities: These dogs are commonly known as “visiting dogs.” they are brought into the facility a couple of times a week to provide comfort for teens enrolled in inpatient care.
Facility therapy dogs: These dogs are “office dogs.” They are usually owned by the treatment facilities and help with specific tasks.
Animal-assisted therapy: These therapy dogs work closely with mental health providers to help in treatment. They are used to improve a teen’s mental health outcomes by helping to alleviate anxiety and loneliness. They are specifically trained to look out for negative mental health indicators and act to ease the symptoms.
Reading therapy dogs: Teens with reading disabilities and other developmental conditions may benefit from reading dogs. They help alleviate anxiety around reading and make teens more confident. Having a non-judgmental listener boosts a teen’s confidence and improves their self-worth.
Disaster relief dogs: These dogs help teens who have experienced traumatic events such as natural disasters and violence. They help teens cope with difficult emotions by providing solace.
Teen Mental Health Treatment at Nexus Teen Academy
Nexus Teen Academy is a premier mental health treatment facility in Arizona that uses therapy dogs to help with the treatment process. While we don’t have therapy dogs living at the facility, we work with third-party providers to bring them in and work with the teens on a regular basis.
Our comprehensive treatment for teens combines evidence-based and holistic approaches to ensure thorough mental health treatment. For more information, contact us today or visit our website. We will answer all your questions and ensure your teen’s needs are met.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can any dog become a therapy dog?
Not every dog is cut out to be a therapy dog. Therapy dogs need to be friendly, calm, and gentle. They should not be easily overstimulated or overwhelmed.
Do therapy dogs need certification?
Yes, therapy dogs need to be certified by organizations like the American Kennel Club.
What breeds are commonly used as therapy dogs?
Commonly breeds of therapy dogs include the following:
What Do Therapy Dogs Do?
Published By nexus_admin
Published On March 18, 2025
Table of Contents
Therapy dogs are not a new phenomenon in healthcare. Man’s best friend has been used to comfort patients with physical and mental health conditions. But, what do therapy dogs do, and how can they help?
Dogs are known for their loving and supportive nature. These traits are useful in mental health treatment. Sometimes, inpatient mental health treatment can take a long time. Therapy dogs are used to provide companionship to teens while they try to conquer their mental health struggles. Therapy dogs can be used for both individual and group support. They are trained to be friendly and gentle and the perfect companions.
This article will provide an overview of what therapy dogs do and explore therapy dogs’ roles, benefits, and training. It will also educate parents, guardians, and teens on the common settings for using therapy dogs. It will also guide teens in getting their therapy dogs. If you need more information on therapy dogs, contact Nexus Teen Academy today and learn more about our treatment offerings.
What Do Dogs Therapy Do?
Therapy dogs are used to provide comfort for teens receiving treatment for mental health conditions, such as teen depression treatment or teen anxiety treatment. They visit the facility and play with the residents to make them feel less lonely and loved. Interacting with therapy dogs has been shown to have numerous benefits. These benefits include the following:
Providing Comfort During Stressful Situation
Teens with mental health conditions like teen anxiety are often stressed and fear new people or certain interactions. Therapy dogs help reduce stress by playing and interacting positively with teens. They also accept pets and hugs, which can be comforting. When we pet dogs, our bodies release hormones like oxytocin and serotonin, which improve our mood and allow us to form meaningful connections with others. Teens enrolled in teen residential treatment centers can feel anxious and lonely. But therapy dogs are the perfect companions because they elevate moods.
Helping with Grief and Trauma
Loss, grief, and teen trauma are complicated emotions and not easy to get over. Therapy dogs help teens cope with grief and trauma by providing comfort. They are cuddling and will not judge you if you need to cry. Teens often suppress their emotions to look strong. However, suppressing your feelings can have negative effects. Therapy dogs allow teens to process their feelings instead of suppressing them. Dogs are loving creatures that will stay by your side as you process difficult emotions.
Encouraging Social Interaction
Therapy dogs can help improve social interactions. During treatment, teens interact with therapy dogs in a group setting. They play, interact, and feed the dogs together, encouraging social interactions. Additionally, interacting with dogs can help teens learn to communicate better. They become more open and can confidently talk about their emotions.
When teens interact with therapy dogs, it promotes positive social behavior. Teens become more affectionate and non-judgmental. Having these treats makes them more sociable and confident.
Boosting Cognitive Skills
Therapy dogs can help teens with autism and other developmental conditions. They learn to be more mindful of other people’s feelings. They learn responsibility and improve their cognitive skills.
Encouraging Physical Activity
Playing with dogs requires energy. When teens interact with therapy dogs, they take them on walks and play with them constantly. Some dog breeds are high-energy and require extended periods of play. To keep up, teens must increase their physical activity. Increased physical activity improves mental health conditions like depression and anxiety.
Common Settings for Therapy Dogs
Therapy dogs can be used in various settings. They can be used in healthcare services, schools, and hospices. Therapy dogs can be used in the following ways:
Teen Mental Health Treatment at Nexus Teen Academy
Nexus Teen Academy is a premier mental health treatment facility in Arizona that uses therapy dogs to help with the treatment process. While we don’t have therapy dogs living at the facility, we work with third-party providers to bring them in and work with the teens on a regular basis.
Our comprehensive treatment for teens combines evidence-based and holistic approaches to ensure thorough mental health treatment. For more information, contact us today or visit our website. We will answer all your questions and ensure your teen’s needs are met.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Not every dog is cut out to be a therapy dog. Therapy dogs need to be friendly, calm, and gentle. They should not be easily overstimulated or overwhelmed.
Yes, therapy dogs need to be certified by organizations like the American Kennel Club.
Commonly breeds of therapy dogs include the following: