suggesting that there are statistically sig- nificant rates of positive change for those involved in these programs. The Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association evaluated treatment of members of the Georgia National Guard where deployments averaged two years or more. The study revealed that 100 percent of soldiers who completed equine assisted therapy had dramatically reduced stress levels. There are many reasons why horses are effective at helping veterans gain insight and un- derstanding while decreasing the negative symptoms caused by combat zone experi- ences. This topic will be discussed in a fol- low up article.


Another alternate method for helping sol- diers deal with the after effects of war is dog-assisted therapy. Dogs are being recog- nized as a comfort and support to warriors who have trouble sleeping, have nightmares and other fear-based reactions that assisted them in surviving the war zone. The U.S. Defense Department funded a $300,000 study at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington in 2009 that involved partnering servicemen and women who were still exhibiting survival reactions with trained service dogs. Thirty-nine people who were exhibiting “survival symptoms” were given service dogs and 82 percent reported a reduction in symptoms. There are now more than 100,000 service dogs in the United States some of which are providing assistance to the Nation’s warriors by nudg- ing them when they begin to show signs of panic attacks, calming them by reacting


calmly to something the person perceives as a threat, or validating the person’s height- ened awareness if an actual threat is pres- ent. The dogs’ natural reactions to the en- vironment help the combat survivor relearn how to interpret real from imagined threats and give the survivor the immediate feed- back s/he needs to either relax and calm or fight/flight. Pacelle notes that benefits include decreases in medication, increases in sleep and increases in social integration. Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) is being rec- ognized as an effective therapeutic modal- ity for helping veterans positively readjust to peace time so much so that the first AAT symposium was held at Fort Myer Army Base in Virginia in late 2009.


Animal assisted healing methods are non- intrusive, non-medicated, natural ways to help our human brains return to balance. When some veterans return home from extended tours of duty there are sometimes unexpected feelings of isolation, anger, fear, or grief. Their brains have been soaking in a hormonal bath for months, keeping them “on their toes”, and in “high alert” to ensure their survival. Animal assisted programs run by qualified professionals are plentiful in Alberta. There are at least 25 such programs that have been in existence for as long as 15 years. If animal and equine assisted thera- pies have been researched and found to be non-intrusive, effective helping techniques in the United States, then perhaps it is time that the awareness of this helping medium is brought forward to provide further assis- tance to our Canadian Forces personnel.


9


IAC Conference 2014: Communicating, Connecting and Collaborating on a Global Stage


May 3 - 7, 2014, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada


The International Association for Counselling (IAC), in partnership with the Canadian Coun- selling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA), would like to invite you to the IAC Conference 2014 from May 3 to 7, 2014.


For more information regarding IAC’s 2014 Annual Conference, visit: http://ccpa-accp.ca/iacconference/index.php


WWW.CCPA-ACCP.CA


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