Therapy Dogs: Guiding Wellbeing & Mental Health

Therapy dogs are remarkable partners in fostering emotional well-being and enhancing mental health across various settings. This article explores the benefits of therapy dog programs, the role of therapy animals, and how they differ from companion animals and assistance dogs. We aim to clarify the key distinctions while highlighting the growing presence of therapy dogs in Australian schools, clinics, and community initiatives.

What Is a Therapy Dog?

A therapy dog is a certified companion animal trained to offer comfort, support, and companionship in public settings. They do not perform tasks related to a person’s disability. Their role focuses on emotional support, helping reduce anxiety and promote calm during supervised interactions.

How Therapy Dogs Support Mental Health

Therapy dogs improve mental well-being by offering non-judgmental companionship and psychological support. Animal-assisted therapy with trained dogs helps reduce stress, ease anxiety, and foster social and emotional connection. This intervention can benefit children, adults, and the elderly alike.

Benefits of Therapy Dogs in Different Settings

From aged care homes to classrooms, therapy dogs promote emotional stability, reduce isolation, and improve emotional regulation. These dogs are often incorporated into therapy sessions to enhance outcomes in mental health, social work, and occupational therapy.

Therapy Dog Programs

Paws For Support offers structured therapy dog certification for individuals and facilities. We guide you from pre-assessment through training to full certification. Whether you’re looking to support school wellbeing or bring comfort to hospitals, our programs suit a range of community needs. Paws For Support also offers training for companion dogs and wellbeing dogs tailored to school and community use

Community Programs, School Wellbeing and Animal-Assisted Therapy

Therapy dogs in schools help students manage anxiety, develop empathy, and improve behaviour. We provide templates, risk assessments, and guides to help schools implement wellbeing dog programs with confidence. We work with initiatives like Miracle Paws and Story Dogs to promote therapy dog visits in communities, offering reading support, mental health outreach, and comfort through emotional support animals.

Differences Between Therapy Dogs and Other Roles

Therapy Dogs vs. Emotional Support Animals

Therapy dogs are trained to work with groups and individuals in public settings. emotional assistance  animals offer comfort to their owners but are not trained or certified for public engagement.

Therapy Dogs vs. Assistance Dogs

Assistance dogs are trained to help a person with a disability by performing specific tasks, such as guiding or alerting. Therapy dogs are not considered service animals and do not have public access rights but provide support in controlled settings.

The Role of Companion Animals

Companion animals provide love and loyalty at home. They are not trained to assist with mental health in structured programs. Therapy animals undergo specific training for interaction in public or therapeutic environments.

The Power of the Human-Animal Bond – Psychological Benefits of Animal Interaction

Interaction with therapy dogs triggers oxytocin release, reducing anxiety and stress. This bond supports cognitive and emotional health, particularly in people who experience trauma, anxiety, or depression.

Our therapy dog teams have helped individuals gain confidence, overcome social barriers, and reduce loneliness. These transformations speak to the deep psychological benefits of therapy dogs in improving quality of life.

Become an emotional wellbeing dog Handler 

Whether you’re looking to certify your dog for community visits, schools, or wellbeing programs, Paws For Support can help. We offer a free pre-assessment to determine your dog’s suitability and provide access to our structured paid certification program. This ensures your dog is fully prepared to offer emotional support in a safe, effective, and recognised way.

View our range of Therapy Dog Certification Programs

Our Therapy Dog Team Programs are designed for individuals and organisations who want to make a meaningful impact in the lives of others through animal-assisted support. With the support of expert trainers, access to group sessions, online workshops, and guided certification, it’s easy to get started by booking your free pre-assessment (Tuesdays and Thursdays) 7pm – to find out if your dog is a good fit.