Beyond Conventional Approaches to Mental Health: Examining Perceptions and the Contribution of Animals in Animal-Assisted Therapy

There has been growing interest in Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) within academia and clinical practice. Despite its perceived benefits, there persists a gap in the evidence base and comprehensive understanding of the subjective experiences of AAT and the mechanisms underlying its therapeutic effects. This thesis aims to address the gap in research and delves into examining AAT’s subjective experiences.

The first section reviews existing literature on the professionals’ and clients’1 perceptions of AAT. Positive attitudes towards therapeutic interventions are crucial for their sustainability. Therefore, exploring subjective experiences of AAT was both timely and relevant. Fifteen qualitative studies were thematically analysed, which resulted in three main themes: understanding of self in relation to the animal, grounded in the present, and different from other therapies. The perceived difference in AAT was a strong theme, and the animal's presence appeared to be the main underlying factor. However, it became evident that there was a lot of uncertainty about how AAT works and what the animal does. The second section of the thesis is a research report on the qualitative study conducted with 15 professionals delivering AAT. The study examined the role of the animal. A reflexive thematic analysis of 15 interviews generated four major themes that captured animals' varied roles in AAT: providing experiential learning, developing an alternative relationship, offering a different way of processing, and collaborating in therapeutic activities. The clinical relevance of the findings is discussed, cultivating openness and curiosity towards this relatively new therapy.