Animal Assisted Therapy

I wanted to share with you some ways in which Timberline Knolls involves animals to facilitate healing and rehabilitation. As a collaborative effort between Timberline Knolls staff and a professional handler, Timberline Knolls residents work with animals to realize individual treatment goals by addressing a variety of mental health and human development needs, including behavioral issues, attention deficit disorder, substance abuse, eating disorders, abuse issues, depression, anxiety, relationship problems and communication needs.

Canine Therapy
By building on the bond between dogs and humans, residents receive unconditional love and patience provided by special therapy dogs, which help increase the residents’ self esteem and motivation. Whether emotional or physical, goals are oriented toward growth on an individual level.

Equine Therapy at TK Ranch
Timberline Knolls offers equine-assisted psychotherapy, a powerful and effective therapeutic approach providing residents with an opportunity to work and care for horses. Certified by the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association (EAGALA), TK Ranch helps residents develop non-verbal communication skills, assertiveness, confidence, creative thinking, leadership and problem-solving skills, as well as teamwork and relationships.

Has anyone found that animal therapy helped them in their recovery? I would love to hear your stories.