Category: Great Leader Tips

Taking on a leadership role at work is not a walk in the park. While many aim to climb the ladder and call the shots, they don’t realize that going up the ranks means heavier responsibilities. It can be easy to crumble under pressure. When the team is stressed, you are doubly so. After all, you’re in charge of steering the sheep. In addition, it can be isolating to be the boss. No longer are you part of the workplace gossip; you may even become the subject of it. 

Thoughts like not being good enough as a leader or not properly doing your job also come and go. You begin to doubt yourself and your capabilities. You may feel like you have so many responsibilities yet so little control, and you cannot do any of them right. So, you develop thoughts of inadequacy. This reaction is a form of workplace stress, and it can lead to the deterioration of your physical and mental health. 

The good news is you can cope and deal with this type of stress. Multiple articles and websites give out advice or suggestions you can do by yourself. Furthermore, if you want professional guidance, you can always seek the help of a therapist. Therapy has been instrumental for so many people in improving their lives. It is no surprise that it also helps leaders become better in their work. By undergoing therapy, you will understand yourself more, learn how to reduce your stress, and become the confident leader you can be. 

Below are some concrete ways how therapy can help you cope with workplace stress. 

Find Out What Triggers Your Stress And Anxiety

One type of therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, aims to shift perception from having little control to believe in your capability to overcome any issue or problem. The first step is to spot and pinpoint those anxiety-inducing thoughts. 

Most of the time, you only feel like you lost control because of the recurring thoughts. These kinds of thoughts fuel your self-doubt and make you believe they are the truth. If you constantly tell yourself that you are not worthy of leading your group, you may feel dejected. As a result, you might give up and become more stressed. 

To stop these feelings, you and your therapist will process your thoughts to spot the negative ones. You might be asked to talk about the entirety of your day. Your therapist may also ask about your previous thoughts and how you feel about them. Slowly, your complicated emotions will unravel themselves. You and your therapist can then identify which ones are not good for you and address them accordingly.

Outside therapy, your therapist might even suggest you keep a journal, so you can point out situations that stress you and how you respond to them. At the next session, your therapist will, again, help you process them all to figure out the triggering ones. 

Examine And Dispute Your Thoughts

Once you pinpoint your negative thoughts, the next step is to dispute them. To do so, you and your therapist will critically analyze them. You will have to go through these beliefs and figure out whether they are true or not. If they are true, your therapist will help you find ways to improve. They’ll help you learn how to deal with the situation better, as well. It is okay to be saddened by it. But to give up entirely is not the best answer. 

If it is true that you’re not a good leader, you can start attending leadership training or seminars to better yourself. You can also start identifying your strengths and weaknesses to determine where you can improve. However, as you process them, you will see that the majority of these thoughts are untrue. Self-doubting thoughts often lead to lower self-esteem, which makes it easier for us to believe them. You and your therapist will now have to dispute them. 

Often, a democratic group votes on a leader. The members would not have picked someone they think is unworthy. Their vote may have been based on seeing that person leading without any major troubles or blunders. You may be this exact leader they want. So, the notion that you are an unworthy leader is untrue. 

In the end, the aim of debating over these thoughts is to make sure you do not go into that mental state where you instantly believe them. You will be looking over them objectively as a way to cope better with stress. 

Conclusion 

According to group counseling experts, being responsible for the success and achievements of a group certainly can put pressure and stress on a leader. Suddenly, you are not just focusing on yourself anymore but the rest of your team, as well. Having that many obligations can make you doubt yourself. You can avoid it, but it does come sometimes. For others, this will motivate them to be better. For the rest, it just brings more anxiety and apprehension.  

We begin to push ourselves to achieve our goals at the expense of our health. We reach our breaking point, but we still work in hopes of getting rid of our self-doubts. But, as human beings, we must take care of ourselves. To ensure our well-being, we must not let our thoughts put us in a bad place. Allowing this to happen will cause more problems and consequences for ourselves and the group. 

That is why it is crucial always to check yourself. You can question if you’re still doing okay. Ponder on your thoughts, and see how you doubt yourself. If your self-doubt is getting too much, know that therapy is always an option. Know that it’s not only something needed by people in deep trouble. You can also benefit from it as you begin your journey to coping with your stress to become a better leader. Your therapist will be with you every step of the way. 

Being a leader of exceptional quality requires having the right qualifications. It’s not enough to have the drive and confidence to take on the role. After all, you’re in charge of an entire team when you lead. How you manage the people under your care has a significant impact on their well-being, dynamics, efficiency, and productivity.

To be a great leader, you must constantly strive to learn and improve. If that’s your goal, then therapy can help you. Contrary to popular belief, seeing a therapist isn’t limited to those with concerns or illnesses. Therapy is beneficial for everyone. It’s a process that can help you become a better person and leader.

Your therapist can guide you in building healthy habits and breaking bad ones. They can also help you understand yourself. All these will benefit you in your journey toward improving as a leader. Read further to learn how therapy can help you!

To Gain Self-Awareness

Self-awareness is necessary for everyone, but more so for leaders. Objectively seeing yourself means being conscious of your personality and being in tune with your emotions. It’s considerably useful for those in leadership positions when managing stressful situations.

This trait helps you exercise appropriate responsibility and accountability. By being self-aware, you recognize your role in situations. Having this ability also prevents problematic actions, such as blaming others and absolving yourself of any liability. In addition, gaining self-awareness helps you understand yourself in relation to others. Therefore, you get an earnest sense of your relationships with the people you lead through therapy or group counseling.

Seeing a therapist can help you develop this self-awareness. But it’s not going to be an overnight course. Instead, the process will involve multiple steps to assist you in learning about yourself and how you view others and feel about them. Through therapy, you will also be more in tune with and in control of your emotions.

Sometimes, being too self-aware can lead to excessive self-consciousness. Several mental and emotional concerns can arise from that. However, with the help of your therapist, you can achieve just the right sense of self-awareness to help you be a better leader.

To Develop Empathy 

Being a leader means being responsible for your team. Keep in mind that your team members have lives, feelings, and experiences of their own. So, leading them doesn’t stop at meeting goals and making sure they deliver results. Beyond that, leadership involves ensuring the well-being of your team as you achieve your targets.

That’s where leaders rise above bosses. When you lead, you consider each member of your team. But taking care of them doesn’t mean coddling them or making excuses for mistakes they make. Instead, leading entails fostering an environment that promotes growth, learning, and gratitude. Good leadership also requires being considerate of your members’ emotions, needs, and well-being.

Gone are the days when we view apathy and stoicism as pillars of leadership. Now, more than ever, we need leaders who exercise empathy together with excellent skills. Your therapist can help you learn and work toward developing this trait. They’ll aid you in changing your behavior so that you become kinder, more considerate, and more empathetic.

Developing empathy is vital because your team members are people. They have their own unique experiences, emotions, and hardships. They’re working with you to achieve a common goal. It would benefit your cause and everyone involved if you provide them a safe space where they know they’re valued. That feeling helps them perform at their best, especially when they’re given plenty of growth opportunities.

To Improve Your Communication Skills

Understanding and comprehension are vital for a team to work. So, effective communication is heavily intertwined with great leadership. When you’re moving toward a goal, it’s even more important for you to communicate well.

Communication involves being able to express your thoughts, ideas, and emotions clearly. Simultaneously, it also includes being considerate of and open to what your team has to say to you. It’s vital to hone your communication skills to build trust among your members and encourage a healthy exchange of ideas.

Effective communication can also promote strategic and critical thinking. In addition, effectively communicating will allow you to motivate, inspire, and direct your team. Your therapist can help you develop that skill. They will guide you through exercises that will help you improve your communicative abilities. That way, you won’t just express yourself well, but you’ll also develop the ability to direct your team.

To Boost Your Mental Focus

Great leadership requires a great deal of focus. As a leader, you’re responsible for handling the team to achieve a goal. That means you need a clear mind to see the big picture while being aware of minute details. 

To focus well, you need to relieve your mind of worries and concerns. Therapy can help you clear your head. To do that, your therapist will help you solve any problems you’re encountering. They’ll also aid you in addressing the mental and emotional concerns you may have. By seeking avenues to make yourself feel better, you’re moving toward becoming a better leader.

In addition, your therapist can suggest exercises to help you boost your focus. They may recommend some behavioral techniques that will allow you to sustain concentration. 

Wrapping Up

Improving your leadership skills is a continuous journey. As such, you should be open to criticism and opportunities for growth. To become a great leader, you must always strive to better yourself. Learn from your experiences and mistakes, and move forward with resolve and empathy.

Therapy can help you in this path. Your therapist can help you gain a healthy sense of self-awareness. Through therapy, you get to acknowledge your role in situations and be responsible for your actions. That also entails understanding yourself and your relationship with your team. Moreover, your therapist can help you develop empathy—the trait that will best help you take care of your members.

The benefits don’t stop there. Your therapist can help you improve your communication skills and boost your mental focus, as well. These are all necessary factors you need to work on to become a better leader for yourself and your team members.

As leaders, it is important to act on reason. By doing so, it enables objective judgments on issues and problems. However, as leaders, it is equally important to pay attention to emotions as well. People get more inspired when they know, and they feel that their leaders can empathize with what they are going through.

In general, emotions often make us impulsive, but they also tell us what is deeply important. Our feelings help us understand what we need and want. It helps us discern which actions are appropriate and which are not. In this understanding, emotions serve as guidance and a way to develop oneself. This is what Emotion-Focused Therapy aims to do.

Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) is an approach that focuses on learning and understanding our emotions. Additionally, it teaches us how to tolerate and regulate them. However, the therapy does not stop there. It includes experiencing the emotions themselves.

Going through the emotions in a therapy session ensures safety not only for us but also for others. Furthermore, EFT will help you better understand yourself through the guidance of a professional. 

Following the therapy is the process of reflection. After identifying how you react to things, you can now begin to change the parts that need improvement. Making internal changes can be difficult initially. But with the right guidance and personal determination, it is possible.

Once you get through the difficult parts, it can take that weight off your shoulder. Eventually, you will see things clearer with no clouded judgment. Moreover, you will be able to communicate and live better. 

In the end, Emotion Focused Therapy will help you identify what emotions you can trust and rely on and what feelings that may be painful and harmful to you and others. With that knowledge, it guides you on how to be better with yourself and your relationships. 

If you want to know more about Emotion Focused Therapy, read the frequently asked questions below. 

What is emotion-focused therapy used for?

Emotion-focused therapy (EFT) is an approach relying on emotions, which is the key to identity. In this therapeutic approach, emotions serve as a guide for decision-making. According to EFT, a lack of emotional awareness or abstaining from unpleasant feelings can be detrimental. EFT encourages people towards an understanding of their emotions, enabling them to use this as information.

How effective is emotionally focused therapy?

Emotionally-focused therapy is an intervention derived from a scientific study. It is primarily designed to address distress in the relationships of adults. This type of treatment helped people understand their emotional responses and those of other people, which improves relationships. Moreover, this approach was found useful for family therapy.

How long does emotionally focused therapy take?

Emotionally focused therapy commonly takes between 8 to 20 sessions to bring a relationship through the stages of this therapy. In this therapy, the therapist and clients will find patterns within the relationship and take the necessary steps to build a stronger relationship.

What type of therapy is EFT?

EFT is a humanistic approach to psychodynamics designed in the 1980s and constructed with adult attachment science. This science has broadened our comprehension of individual dysfunction and intimate relationships. The EFT model focuses on emotion and emotional regulation as the critical agent in personal experience and relationship interactions.

Does EFT actually work?

Recent studies have found EFT to be an evidence-based approach for depression, anxiety, and phobias. Moreover, 70 to 75% of couples going through EFT takes away distress, and 90% have shown significant improvements.

What are the stages of EFT?

EFT has three stages, which in total has nine steps. In this approach, therapists are building first an alliance before they proceed to the three phases. It includes Assess and De-escalates, Change Events, and Consolidation and Change phase.

In the first stage, the therapists strive to uncover the underlying emotion inside the relationship. While the Change Events phase involves developing corrective emotional experience. For the final stage, the clients will resolve the old problems.

What does psychodynamic therapy focus on?

Psychodynamic therapy prioritizes unconscious processes, which are manifested in the client’s behavior. Through this therapy, they strive to create self-awareness and know the past’s influence on present behavior. The psychodynamic approach allows the client to inspect unresolved conflicts and symptoms.

What are the 3 types of therapy?

The theory of psychotherapy serves as the guide for psychologists to understand the clients and their problems. The three types of therapy include Psychodynamic, Behavioral, and Humanistic therapy.

What can EFT help with?

Emotionally-focused therapy may help various issues, such as addiction, anger management, anxiety, depression, insomnia, pain management, stress, and trauma. As with different forms of holistic therapy, EFT should be used with traditional medical advice and support.

How does EFT affect the brain?

According to the recent studies results, EFT can help alter the brain’s representation of threat cues found in the client. EFT’s effectiveness for mitigating the social regulation of neural threat responds to utilizing an fMRI-based process.

Is EFT scientifically proven?

Recent studies have found EFT to be an evidence-based approach for depression, anxiety, and phobias. Moreover, 70 to 75% of couples going through EFT takes away distress, and 90% have shown significant improvements.

Can EFT cure anxiety?

EFT was built as a treatment to various client presentations through universal applications. Additionally, it was explicitly utilized for depression, anxiety, and trauma.

Does EFT work for couples?

EFT is utilized with different kinds of couples in private practice, university training centers, and hospital clinics. Research studies have discovered that 70 to 75% of couples undertaking this therapy move distressed to recovery. Moreover, approximately 90% have shown significant improvements.

What is an example of psychodynamic therapy?

One example of psychodynamic therapy is art or music therapy. This therapy is a non-traditional form of psychodynamic therapy that revolves around expressing feelings through art or music. This therapy is non-directive and non-structured, which enables the client to lead the session.

What can I expect from psychodynamic therapy?

Instead of focusing on behavior, Psychodynamic therapy entails the interpretation of mental and emotional processes. Psychodynamic therapists attempt to help clients figure out patterns in their emotions, thoughts, and beliefs to learn their present self.

Between reason and emotions, there is no better than the other. If you follow your logic too much, you deprive yourself of feeling anything. It can even lead you to lose your knowledge of your needs and wants. Meanwhile, if you are deep amidst your emotions, then impulsion guides you. It cannot truly lead you to the right path. Instead, it might drive you astray.

Emotion-Focused Therapy helps you find the balance in both. By letting the emotions run through, it allows a better understanding of oneself. EFT can also help develop a more solid judgment on what is appropriate and what is not. As a humanistic approach, EFT aims to help a person become better than before by reflecting within.

As human beings, change is the only thing that remains constant. It continuously happens, and no one can stop it. Through time, you can either become a better or worse version of yourself. The role of Emotion-Focused Therapy is to help you to be the best that you can be. Although it is tough to look into yourself, it is a necessary thing to do. It is only by facing the music that you can figure out how to solve it.

Once you go through EFT, you will feel an indescribable lightness within. It will bring you the confidence to do the things that you have always been wanting to explore. Moreover, it will allow you to feel better, more hopeful, and happier. In time, you will notice significant improvements in the overall quality of your life. Just trust the process and believe that you can do it.

For years, I have done nothing but make sure that I will succeed in my adult life. I tried to get straight As and enter an Ivy League school; I had some fun in college, but I always stayed as far from trouble as possible. My attention was solely focused on coming out on top of my class and opening a company.

As much as I amaze people with my long-term plans, I always hear the same warnings. “If you are all work and no play, your efforts may become futile.” “Being a business owner is not an effortless job; it may not be what you genuinely want to be.” The most common one makes me wonder if I should rethink my decisions: “Many successful people are losers when it comes to love or family.”

After all, they have a point. Just look at Angelina Jolie, Tiger Woods, Elon Musk, and even Demi Lovato. They have all the fame and money that anyone can ever ask for due to their careers, but they have had more terrible relationships than great ones. Thus, it may be true that success in a career may jeopardize my ability to develop life-long connections.

Nonetheless, every time I veer towards giving up on my dream, I see the likes of Barack Obama, Mark Zuckerberg, and Bill Gates on TV, and my resolve becomes more potent than ever. These folks are known not only for their successful careers but also for their healthy families. Their stature in society has not prevented them from sticking to one person and becoming incredible parents.

The only remaining question is, “How do successful people maintain family connections?”

Separate Your Emotions For Work And Home

Life becomes complicated when you cannot separate your feelings at work when you are at home. That is especially true if your business suffers from losses or you cannot finish a project on time. The latter makes you anxious and irritable, after all. If you take these emotions into the house, the kids may notice your attitude and not want to come to you.

To keep your loved ones from getting scared of you, you must detach your work from home life. As soon as you roll into your driveway, remind yourself to get your act together and prepare a genuine smile for your spouse and children. They are not part of your problems anyway, so they should not be your shock absorber.

Avoid Bringing Too Much Work At Home

It seems impossible in the real world for a devoted employee not to bring work at home. The reason is that some projects must be completed early, and it cannot happen if they wait for another day to come. Hence, the only solution is to take the materials to the house and finish it until the wee hours.

Although your family may understand why you are doing that, you should try not to take home too much work too often. Doing so will reduce the amount of free time you have for bonding with your kids and life partner. The more you insist on that, the more it may cause a rift on your family connections.

Take The Family To Your Workplace

Most companies have a “Bring Your Kids” or “Bring Your Entire Family To Work” day. You should take advantage of special occasions like that and do as your bosses say. This way, it will be effortless for them to realize why you are always busy.

Taking your family to your workplace also ensures that they know your co-workers. It is especially ideal when your spouse seems to get jealous quickly of the people they have not even met. When they get acquainted with everyone, their constant worrying and nagging may stop.

Make Sure Your Loved Ones Are Aware Of Your Decisions Before Announcing Them

Another vital factor for maintaining family connections is making sure that your loved ones are aware of your decisions before letting others know about it. For instance, if you want to launch your business online, they should be mindful of it while the website is still in the works. That will allow them to ponder through your announcement and give you a piece of their mind.

Sometimes, talking to your loved ones about your decisions is beneficial since they can offer free advice and voice their worries. It will then help you reconsider all your options or figure out if you are on the correct path.

Final Thoughts

Don’t you love it when you hear about successful people at work and at home?

I do love that; it gives me hope that I can have the same fate as them. I am merely waiting for this pandemic to end before I get started with my plans. The best thing I can do is guarantee that my business ideas are as fail-safe as possible and that my family is never in the dark when it comes to my work decisions.

 

 

Do you like the company of pets? Ever felt comforted by a pet at home? They call this animal assisted therapy. Has this type of counseling helped people in different ways? How do pet interactions facilitate therapy, improve interpersonal relationships and social interactions, increase self-esteem, and lessen anxiety ratings? Let’s talk and learn more about healing through a therapy animal on this topic of animal assisted therapy.

Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) For Behavioral Therapy Intervention – Unique Facts

How can animal assisted therapy help with mental health?  How does animal-assisted therapy affect the individual? Can animal assisted therapy really provide emotional support and yield physiological benefits? What is the effectiveness of using service dogs and other animals in the hospital setting or nursing home? Does animal assisted therapy work well with complementary therapy?

Animal-assisted therapy is one of the complementary therapies that has been helping people to overcome mental health issues such as depression and anxiety over the years. Animal assisted therapy helps us to reconnect with our gentle and innocent side where we do not worry and overthink our surroundings – we only focus on making a bond with the therapy dog, cat, or any other type of animal or chosen pet and throughout the animal assisted therapy sessions, achieve healing and reap its positive long-term effects.

Additionally, this treatment plan is a therapeutic intervention that involves using a trained animal, such as therapy dogs, therapy cats, or therapy horses to help improve physical, social, emotional, and cognitive functioning. It can help people who have autism spectrum disorder (ASD), for example. Randomized controlled trials have shown that animal-assisted therapies can be effective in treating a variety of mental health conditions, including anxiety and depression. A systematic review of studies on animal-assisted therapy or pet therapy for Alzheimer’s disease has shown it can improve the quality of life for individuals with the disease, reduce their agitation, and increase their social interaction.

Did you know that some great leaders in history had pet partners or dogs, which also happen to be their pseudo-psychologists? President Andrew Jackson, even a famous war hero, had an obnoxious pet parrot that he loved dearly. As for President George Washington, he had so many dogs. He had French and English foxhounds – which for him were brilliant beings. Even Queen Victoria was an animal lover. She had a Pekingese, which was a gift to her. So, you see, pets are essential as it brings a sense of calm and relaxation even to the busiest of people.

This is the very reason why, at this time, this therapy program is practiced for mental health care. Here’s a list of 8 unique facts you’d love to know about animal-assisted therapy.

According to Maureen Huang, MSW, AASW, “Animal-assisted therapy or pet therapy is a therapeutic tool that can be utilized in the counseling/psychotherapy process, providing socialization skills and emotional support to clients.” This can play a major role in an individual’s rehabilitation.

Also known as pet therapy, AA therapy is a form of medicine that has been gaining popularity in recent years. A meta-analysis of headache reports found that animal-assisted therapy was effective in reducing the severity and frequency of headaches in patients. In addition to medical facilities, pet therapy is also being used in other facilities, such as nursing homes and schools, to improve the well-being of individuals.

Even before animal therapy programs have been formally introduced in the 1960s, a few mental health therapists have already harnessed the power of animals to help them to heal their patients.

Sigmund Freud was a notable neurologist and founder of psychoanalysis. He has helped lots of mentally disturbed patients through his counseling sessions. But what enhanced these sessions was the presence of Jofi, his intelligent canine. In a way, Jofi comforted and relaxed his patients which made them respond to treatment better.

Helping Patients During Treatment

“Service animals are specially trained to assist with or perform physical activity for people with disabilities,” says psychologist Aubrey Fine. “Psychiatric service dogs, for example, might be specially trained to remind someone to take his or her psychiatric medication, check a room and turn on the lights for someone with anxiety or stop someone with behavioral problems from engaging in self-mutilation behavior, for example,” she adds.

When a therapist brings therapy animals to a treatment session, he knows that he’s not the only one responsible for helping the patient. He realizes that the therapy animal is equal, beneficial treatment, gives social support (especially in a nursing home), and is not just there as a mere distraction for the patient.

Equine-assisted therapy or dolphin-assisted therapy is meant to be treated fairly. It’s like bringing in another counselor to an animal-assisted counseling session. Hence, their needs must be met by the counselors for them to function well in helping hospitalized psychiatric patients. A counselor is responsible for the animal’s needs, including:

• Regular water and food breaks
• Peeing and pooping breaks as needed
• Avoiding overstimulation of the animal
• Ensuring that the animal is comfortable throughout the session

Trained Pets Are More Effective In Aiding People With Disabilities

Specialized counselors often bring in their trained pets (it could be a cat or a dog) to traditional treatment sessions for children and adults with anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). They know that this so-called human-animal bond helps strengthen the mental health of these individuals.

The human-animal bond is a relationship that stems and forms a mutually beneficial improvement of health and well-being. The treatment starts during the initial interaction between humans and animals and gradually intensifies as they get together for more extended periods.

Meanwhile, you can now have types of therapy like this within the comfort of your home through online counseling such as BetterHelp. These are very reliable ways to undergo treatment since professionals facilitate it. A lot of people have tried it, and there are numerous online reviews for you to check.

Animals who are trained, especially for animal-assisted therapy often work together with counselors during treatment sessions. Handlers of these animals are typically the counselors themselves. This creates a bond that makes them a better tag team during counseling sessions.

Animal therapy or pet therapy must not be confused with other kinds of service-oriented pets, such as:

Emotional support animals – Pets who have been trained to alleviate emotional and current pain from humans. Without these animals, an emotionally conflicted individual may easily break down mentally.

Service animals – Pets who are uniquely trained to help persons with disabilities. They perform tasks such as opening doors, pressing elevator buttons, and guiding physically disabled people.

Helping People Through Treatments

Therapeutic activities and safe physical interaction with an animal assistant help mentally challenged patients in expressing what they truly feel inside. They don’t even have to voice it out to their counselor during a treatment session.

Dogs

No doubt about it. Our favorite canines are, indeed, man’s best friend, the best animal or pet. Dogs are the most utilized animals not only because they are widespread pets. Research has proven that dogs can pick up human emotions quickly and find ways to work around them to make the human feel better in an instant. No wonder two of the great leaders mentioned above had lots of dogs.

Horses

This might be a little unusual, and many might not believe it, but horses are next to dogs in providing care and comfort to distressed humans.

The horse is an animal that can mirror a patient’s behavioral and emotional state, which is excellent for assessing the true feelings of a mentally problematic patient; thus, great for therapy. They also quickly respond to nonverbal cues due to their innate observant nature.

Expert Opinions On Animal Assisted Therapy

“In my clinical practice as a professional counselor, I have worked with a dog, a rabbit, and horses and I’ve noticed benefits–especially anxiety reduction and relationship enhancement–when working with all three species,” says Leslie Stewart, Ph.D., LPC.

Dogs, cats, horses, rabbits, birds, guinea pigs, and llamas are all considered animals fit for pet treatment. But counselors don’t pick a well-behaved animal and then bring it right inside the hospital or a treatment session. These animals involved need to be certified through an ethical training program. They must have core competencies to aid counselors in helping people.

Frequently Asked Questions About This Type Of Treatment With Some Pets’ Help

1. What Is The Goal Of Counseling With Pets?

2. What Types Of Things Might An Pet Therapy Team Do?

3. How Does Pet Therapy Relate To Psychology?

4. What Kind Of Animals Can Be Used Here?

5. When Was This First Used?

6. What is the difference between animal-assisted therapy and animal-assisted activities?
7. What are the different types of animal therapy?
8. What type of therapy is animal therapy?
9. How common is animal-assisted therapy?
10. What are the benefits of animal-assisted therapy in mental health?
11. Is animal-assisted therapy ethical?
12. What are the risks of animal-assisted therapy?
13. What is the best animal to help with anxiety?
14. What animal can help with panic attacks?
15. Why doesn’t animal-assisted therapy work?

Anxiety is one of the most prevalent mental health conditions at this time. It happens to all and is experienced by all at some point in each person’s life, regardless, if your family is prone to mental health issues or not. This is also a workplace issue. At work, the managers and senior leaders can create policies that can help in developing an understanding of the mental health and the wellbeing of their people. Since anxiety is natural in the workplace, many people do not give concern about it. Thus, continued feelings of anxiety lead to job stress.

Continue reading How The Best Business Leaders Combat Anxiety (And Help Their Employees Too)

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