Jen Higgins and Naomi Blake with border collie x dalmatian Freya.
A counsellor and a dog trainer, together with canine friends, have joined forces to help some of Ipswich’s most vulnerable people tackle life’s toughest challenges.
Naomi Blake and Jen Higgins operate community group PAATS – People and Animal Assisted Therapy Services.
While small in size, the group is having a big impact on the lives of those it helps.
“The work we have been doing has predominantly been with young people, particularly children in care and children with autism,” Ms Blake said.
“Children in care have often had a difficult and complex upbringing and they don’t always respond well to talk-based therapy, which is why animal assisted therapy is great.”
Ms Blake, a social worker and counsellor, said positive interactions with an animal helped the children build their confidence.
Animal assisted therapy sessions usually involve participants taking the animal through basic dog handling tasks such as sit and drop and loose lead handling.
“How animal assisted therapy is different is the animal is actually seen as a co-therapist. It’s more than a passive form of therapy where the participant is just petting the animal as you might see with animals going to say a nursing home,” she said.
“Our sessions are interactive with the participant working with the animal.
“We begin by teaching them safe behaviour around animals and how to read a dog’s body language. In the case of children who have been in care, this can help them to be more empathetic.
“By encouraging them to make a connection with the animal and consider how it is feeling they often become more aware of other people around them.
“We use rescue animals which also offers a nice way for us to start a discussion about how the dog, much like them, may not have had the best start in life but is still valuable.”
PAATS currently has three dogs – Freya, Abbey and Rex – assisting with therapy, all of which were trained by Ms Higgins .
“The animals we use are carefully chosen. They need to have a good temperament, be well behaved and obedient and like working with people,” Ms Higgins said.
Ms Blake said the change in those they helped was often significant.
“One child we worked with was considered non-verbal when we began and was absolutely terrified of dogs, they couldn’t be in the same space as the dog,” Ms Blake said.
“Now, they have learnt the dogs’ names and have started to interact and really grasped the concept of positive reinforcement. The ultimate goal for that family is to be able to have a pet in the house.”
PAATS also helps people who have lost a pet and hosts a monthly grief and loss support group at Ms Higgins’ Booval business Doggy Dogma.
“It’s not uncommon in life for a pet to go missing and when it does it can leave a big hole in a person’s life,” Ms Blake said.
“It’s also common when a pet dies for people to say ‘it’s only a pet, why are you carrying on’ and so people feel they have to hide their grief.
“But there is evidence to suggest that losing a pet, for some people, can be like losing a child.
“Any grief counselling is about normalising grief, helping people to accept it. Often people feel bad or have a sense of guilt, that they should have done more.
“What we do is create a space where it is safe and okay for them to explore that grief.”
PAATS grief and loss session
When: 6.30pm, first Monday of the month
Where: Doggy Dogma, 3/14 South Station Road
Call: 0438 626 642