Animal-Assisted Therapy

A comprehensive guide to animal-assisted therapy: how incorporating animals into treatment helps with anxiety, depression, PTSD, and developmental disabilities.

8 min readLast reviewed: March 24, 2026

What Is Animal-Assisted Therapy?

Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is a goal-directed therapeutic intervention that incorporates trained animals into the treatment process under the guidance of a licensed mental health professional. Unlike casual pet visits or emotional support animals, AAT is a structured clinical intervention where the animal plays a specific role in helping the client achieve therapeutic goals.

The approach harnesses the human-animal bond — the well-documented phenomenon that interacting with animals reduces stress hormones, lowers blood pressure, increases oxytocin, and creates a sense of safety and connection that can be difficult to achieve through conversation alone.

How It Works

The Science of the Human-Animal Bond

Research has identified several mechanisms through which animal interaction supports mental health:

Physiological regulation: Petting or being near an animal reduces cortisol (a stress hormone) and increases oxytocin (associated with bonding and calm). Heart rate and blood pressure decrease within minutes of animal interaction.
Social facilitation: Animals serve as social lubricants, making it easier for clients — especially those who are withdrawn, anxious, or guarded — to engage in the therapeutic process. A client who struggles to make eye contact with a therapist may relax while petting a dog.
Non-judgmental presence: Animals offer unconditional positive regard without the complexity of human relationships. For clients who have experienced rejection, trauma, or social anxiety, this acceptance can be profoundly healing.
Emotional regulation: The rhythmic, sensory experience of interacting with an animal — stroking fur, feeling warmth, matching breathing — activates the parasympathetic nervous system and helps regulate emotional arousal.
Motivation and engagement: Clients who are reluctant to attend therapy or participate in treatment often become significantly more engaged when animals are involved.

Cortisol reduction

Research shows that just 15 minutes of interaction with a therapy animal can significantly reduce cortisol levels, lower blood pressure, and increase oxytocin — creating a physiological state more conducive to therapeutic work

Types of Animals Used

While dogs are the most common therapy animals, AAT can involve:

Dogs: The most widely used and researched therapy animals, selected for temperament, training, and comfort with diverse clients
Horses: Used in equine-assisted therapy, particularly effective for trauma, behavioral issues, and building confidence
Cats: Used in settings where a calmer, quieter animal presence is appropriate
Rabbits and guinea pigs: Common in work with children and in settings where smaller, less intimidating animals are preferred
Birds, fish, and other animals: Used in specialized programs, often for sensory stimulation or calming environments

All therapy animals undergo temperament testing, health screening, and specific training to ensure they are safe, comfortable, and reliable in clinical settings.

How AAT Integrates With Therapy

Animal-assisted therapy is not a standalone treatment model — it is an adjunct that enhances existing therapeutic approaches. A therapist might integrate an animal into:

CBT sessions: Using the animal to practice anxiety management techniques, with the animal's calming presence supporting graduated exposure
Trauma processing: The animal provides a grounding anchor during difficult emotional work, helping the client stay within their window of tolerance
Social skills training: Practicing communication, empathy, and boundary-setting through interactions with the animal
Play therapy: Incorporating the animal into play-based interventions with children
Emotional regulation work: Using the animal's calming effect to practice self-soothing and co-regulation

What to Expect

Before Your First Session

The therapist will assess whether animal-assisted therapy is appropriate for you, considering:

Allergies or fear of animals
History with animals (positive or negative)
Therapeutic goals that could be supported by animal involvement
The specific animal's suitability for your needs

In Session

Sessions typically last 50 to 60 minutes, though some formats run longer. What happens in session depends on your treatment goals:

For anxiety: You might practice relaxation techniques while petting the therapy dog, use the animal's calm presence to ground yourself during exposure work, or learn to read the animal's body language as a way to build awareness of your own physiological states
For trauma: The animal may sit with you during processing work, providing a physical anchor and source of comfort. You might practice boundary-setting by directing the animal or noticing how you feel when the animal approaches versus gives space
For social difficulties: Interacting with the animal can serve as a bridge to discussing relationship patterns, practicing assertiveness, or building confidence in social interaction
For children: Sessions may involve caring for the animal, reading to the animal, or playing structured games that build social and emotional skills

The therapist remains the clinical director throughout — the animal enhances the work but does not replace the therapeutic relationship or clinical expertise.

Duration

AAT is used for as long as it supports treatment goals. Some clients benefit from animal involvement throughout treatment; others use it for specific phases (such as early sessions to build rapport, or during intensive trauma processing) and transition to sessions without the animal as goals shift.

Conditions It Treats

Animal-assisted therapy has been applied to:

Anxiety disorders — generalized anxiety, social anxiety, and specific phobias. The animal's calming presence reduces arousal and supports exposure-based work.
Depression — the warmth and responsiveness of a therapy animal can counter isolation, anhedonia, and emotional numbness
PTSD and trauma — animals provide grounding during trauma processing and help clients rebuild a sense of safety
Developmental disabilities — AAT supports social skill development, sensory regulation, and communication in clients with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental conditions
ADHD — the presence of an animal can improve focus and reduce hyperactivity during sessions
Substance use disorders — AAT has been used in residential treatment settings to improve engagement, emotional regulation, and interpersonal skills
Dementia and cognitive decline — animal visits reduce agitation and improve mood in individuals with Alzheimer's and other dementias
Chronic pain and medical conditions — AAT reduces pain perception and improves coping in medical settings

Effectiveness

The evidence base for animal-assisted therapy has grown substantially:

A meta-analysis published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology found moderate effect sizes for AAT in reducing symptoms of depression, anxiety, and behavioral distress.
Studies with children on the autism spectrum show improvements in social interaction, communication, and sensory processing with AAT.
Research in PTSD populations, including military veterans, demonstrates significant reductions in PTSD symptoms, depression, and anxiety when AAT is added to standard treatment.
Hospital-based studies show that AAT reduces pain, anxiety, and stress in patients undergoing medical procedures or recovering from surgery.
Studies in residential treatment for substance use show that AAT improves treatment engagement, therapeutic alliance, and emotional regulation.

How It Compares

AAT vs. equine therapy: Equine-assisted therapy is a specialized form of animal-assisted therapy that uses horses specifically. Equine therapy leverages the unique qualities of horses — their size, sensitivity to nonverbal cues, and the physical demands of working with them — to address issues like trauma, leadership, boundary-setting, and emotional regulation. General AAT most commonly uses dogs and is more accessible in traditional office settings.

AAT vs. play therapy: Play therapy uses play as the primary medium for therapeutic work with children. Animal-assisted therapy uses the human-animal bond as a therapeutic tool. The two approaches can be combined effectively — using a therapy animal within play therapy sessions — and both are particularly well-suited to clients who struggle with traditional talk-based therapy.

Animal-Assisted Approaches

Animal-Assisted Therapy: How Pets Help Us Heal — How the human-animal bond works therapeutically and what the research shows.
Equine Therapy for PTSD: How Horses Help Trauma Survivors — A specialized form of animal-assisted therapy using horses for trauma recovery.

Music Therapy for Autism: Building Connection Through Sound — Another non-verbal therapeutic approach effective for developmental disabilities.

Frequently Asked Questions

No. While the interaction may look casual, AAT is a structured clinical intervention with defined treatment goals. The therapist selects specific activities involving the animal to target therapeutic objectives — such as building trust, practicing emotional regulation, or developing social skills. Progress is tracked and the animal's involvement is intentionally designed to support the treatment plan.

Fear of animals does not automatically disqualify you from AAT. In some cases, working with a gentle therapy animal in a controlled setting can actually help address the fear. However, AAT is not appropriate for everyone, and a good therapist will never force animal involvement. If animals cause significant distress, other therapeutic approaches will be recommended.

Certified therapy animals undergo extensive temperament testing, health screening, and training. They are selected for calm, predictable behavior and comfort with diverse people. Handlers are trained to read the animal's stress signals and remove the animal if needed. While no interaction is completely risk-free, certified therapy animals are carefully screened to minimize any risk.

Your own pet typically does not serve as the therapy animal because they are not trained for the clinical role and their bond with you may complicate the therapeutic process. However, some therapists do incorporate discussions about your pet into treatment, and your therapist may discuss how your relationship with your pet connects to broader therapeutic themes.

AAT is generally covered when provided by a licensed mental health professional as part of a recognized treatment plan. Insurance covers the therapy session itself — the therapist's clinical service — regardless of whether an animal is present. Check with your insurance provider about coverage for your specific therapist and treatment plan.

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