What Is a Therapy Dog? 🐾

You may have noticed that I have a four-legged colleague at Jessica Parker Psychology! Kylo is a certified therapy dog who joins me in selected sessions to help create a calm, welcoming environment.

But what exactly is a therapy dog?

A therapy dog is a specially trained and temperament-tested dog that works alongside a health professional to support clients during therapy. Unlike assistance or service dogs, therapy dogs aren't there to perform tasks for one individual. Instead, they help create an environment where people feel safer, calmer, and more comfortable engaging in therapy.

How can a therapy dog help?

While every person is different, research suggests that interacting with a therapy dog may:

• Reduce stress and anxiety.

• Help lower physiological signs of stress, such as heart rate and blood pressure.

• Create a sense of safety and comfort.

• Make it easier to talk about difficult emotions.

• Increase engagement in therapy.

• Provide gentle companionship during emotionally challenging sessions.

Sometimes simply having a friendly dog quietly lying nearby can make therapy feel a little less intimidating.

Kylo

Kylo is certified with Therapy Dogs Australia and has completed extensive training to work in a clinical setting. He has a calm, gentle nature and especially enjoys greeting clients, accepting scratches and pats, and curling up for a nap while important conversations happen.

For many people, Kylo isn't just a cute face, he's another way of helping therapy feel safe, connected, and a little less overwhelming.

If you're curious about animal-assisted therapy or would like to include Kylo in your sessions, feel free to ask when booking your appointment.