ANIMAL ASSISTED THERAPY FEATURE
On top of this , ‘ situational awareness improved , as they considered factors that could influence the behaviour , responses and emotions of the llama , and of themselves ’.
Participants also reported an increased sense of self-worth and achievement and their physical endurance improved . ‘ Motivation to sustain an adequate level of physical ability seemed promoted by the need to protect the welfare of the animal ,’ Heidi adds .
For their project , the service users created a poster , which they presented and discussed in a multidisciplinary team forum , with photographs they had taken throughout the course and the learning they had acquired while working with the llamas .
‘ The narrative evaluations of the patients were positive – exceeding expectation ,’ Heidi says , ‘ and plans are in place to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of the programme using quantitative and qualitative date .’
Skills developed included : information processing ; understanding systems ; managing resources ; decision making and problem solving ; keeping records ; achieving goals ; communication and social interaction ; self-awareness ; leadership skills ; self-motivation ; increasing self-esteem ; improving tolerance of uncertainty and ambiguity ; improving emotional regulation skills ; a chance to define emotions ; identifying and discussing the function of emotions ; challenging emotional / behavioural responses ; skills for tolerating distress ; skills for crisis management ; developing a comprehension of reward pursuit ; clarifying priorities and interacting effectively ; improving physical endurance ; developing new skills ; and developing transferable vocational skills .
One participant , Carol , reflected : ‘ I ’ ve enjoyed working with Heidi ’ s llama ’ s . In just six weeks I ’ ve learnt so much ; I ’ ve never worked with llamas before , or even seen one in real life . At first I was a bit stand offish , but as I got to know one specific llama called Esmerelda , I built trust with her and vice versa . This then transformed into me feeling relaxed and getting a high level of enjoyment each week .
‘ Completing the six-week programme has increased my confidence and reminded me that I am capable and skilled at working with animals . I think animal therapies are very important to people in my situation . For me , being around animals brings out a different side , I find it brings back positive memories from when I was relaxed and living in the community , giving me a sense of happiness within that moment .
‘ By having animals around me , it gives me a sense of purpose and reason to get up each morning , it improves my mental health and enables me to see a future .’
Heidi concludes : ‘ One of the most valuable lessons I have learned throughout my career , is that mostly a patient thinks of themselves as their illness . This self-perception can reinforce the need of the “ safety net ”, which is provided by remaining in a care setting , and potentially acts as a barrier to progression .
‘ If we can empower them to recognise themselves as an individual – with a unique personality , skills , competences , purpose and self-respect – help them identify and believe that they are a person with an illness , rather than the illness being their identity , we can work together , and with the patient guiding their care team , develop successful approaches to managing the difficulties caused by their illness .
‘ A sense of self-worth and a skill acquisition is a key starting point . The course provides this by instilling hope for the future and confidence in work skills . It encourages target and goal setting , alongside developing emotional regulation , empathetic awareness , crisis resolution , distress tolerance and communication skills . It is also unique . And fun .’
Heidi Harrison-Price , psychiatric nurse , Carnfield Hall , with acknowledgement to Krissy Walker , specialist occupational therapist , Elysium Healthcare , for support in writing this article
OTnews December 2021 37