Episode # 37: Animal-Assisted Therapy: A Story of One Woman’s Recovery and the Shelter Dogs Who Loved Her Back to Life (link here and @therapyrockspodcast, listen time 38 min): https://audioboom.com/posts/8290965-animal-assisted-therapy-a-story-of-one-woman-s-recovery-and-the-shelter-dogs-who-loved-her-back

@therapyrockspodcast interview with Shannon Kopp @kopp_shannon, live now! Shannon shares her personal eating disorder recovery story, including the shelter dogs, and how they loved her back to life, the healing benefits of animals, and gave her best tips for grieving the loss of an animal in a society that underestimates the power of the human/animal connection.

Shannon is the author of Pound for Pound: A Story of One Woman’s Recovery and the Shelter Dogs Who Loved Her Back to Life. Shannon holds an MFA in Nonfiction Writing and has written for CNN, Maria Shriver, The Huffington Post, Good Housekeeping, BarkPost and more. Her story has been featured in PEOPLE, NPR, CNN, Women’s Health, and Psychology Today. Shannon is the founder and CEO of the @soulpawsrecoveryproject, a nonprofit organization providing free, clinician-led eating disorder support groups, enhanced by the loving presence of therapy animals. Shannon is a National Mental Health Advocate for ERC @Pathlightbh.

Show notes:
1:52: Shannon’s personal recovery story
7:25 How do dogs know when we are anxious or depressed?
10:00 Animals are a way of expanding identity beyond the eating disorder
11:15 Shannon talks about why it can be scary to share “SI”
12:30 Dr. Bruce Perry’s Neurosequential model: regulate, relate, reason…
15:40 The most common animals used for animal therapy
16:20 Shannon defines Emotional Support Animals (ESA), Service Animals (SA), Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT), and Animal Assisted Activities (AAA)…
21:33 Identify obstacles standing in the way of eating disorder recovery through therapy animals
22:34 What does a therapy session look like with an ESA in session?
25:44 What if an individual wants an ESA but can’t have one due to their housing or job?
28:35 Choosing the right animal for you
31:20 Shannon gives her best advice for grieving the loss of an animal in a society that underestimates the power of the human/animal connection

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