A horse does not know what you talked about in therapy last week. A dog is not concerned about whether you are giving the “right” answer. Animals simply respond to what is happening around them. That can be useful in counseling.
At Fields for Growth Therapy, Animal-Assisted Therapy brings animals into the therapeutic process in ways that encourage clients to participate rather than only talk. A session might involve walking, observing an animal, completing an activity, or having a conversation while brushing a horse. Horses are part of the work, but they are not the only animals involved.
Depending on the session, clients may encounter donkeys, dogs, cats, bunnies, lambs, pigs, and other animals. If you are curious about how this works, call (630) 675-3944 for a free 15-minute consultation. You can ask questions and learn whether Animal-Assisted Therapy in Geneva makes sense for you, your child, or your family.
Why Bring Animal-Assisted Therapy into the Counseling Modalities?
People communicate in more ways than they realize. Imagine a teenager who gives short answers whenever a parent asks what is wrong. Sitting down for an hour specifically to discuss feelings may make that teenager even quieter.
Give the same teen something to do with an animal, and there is suddenly another focus in the room. The conversation does not have to begin with, “Tell me how you feel.”
- Maybe it begins with the horse refusing to follow.
- Why do you think it stopped?
- What could you try differently?
- Are you getting frustrated?
This is one reason Animal-Assisted Therapy in Geneva can feel quite different from conventional talk therapy. There is something happening in front of the client and therapist that they can experience and discuss together.
Dr. Kakacek Has Been Doing Animal-Assisted Therapy in Illinois Since 1999
Dr. Sandra Lee Kakacek, LCPC, began formally incorporating animals into counseling in 1999.
An early experience involved a child whose parent had died two years before therapy. The child was expressing anger surrounding the loss, but had difficulty expressing other emotions. During an equine-assisted session, the child brushed a horse while talking about the parent. Sadness began to surface. The child cried.
It was not the result of an elaborate exercise. The child was brushing a horse and talking. That experience became an important part of Dr. Kakacek’s continued work with animals in counseling. Her unique approach still recognizes that sometimes changing the setting and activity changes how a person participates in therapy.
Ready to begin your healing journey? Call us today at (630) 675-3944 to schedule your free 15-minute consultation and discover how we can support you.
A Pasture Gives You Different Information Than an Office
Working around animals involves sights, sounds, movement, textures, smells, and plenty of distractions. A client may hear a horse approaching before seeing it. Someone may feel perfectly comfortable holding a bunny but tense up when standing near a donkey.
Another person might become irritated when an animal walks away during an activity. These are real reactions happening during the session. They matter. Instead of spending the entire appointment remembering how you responded to something days ago, Animal-Assisted Therapy can give the therapist and client an opportunity to notice reactions as they occur.
There Is Still a Purpose Behind the Activity
Animal-assisted therapy is not recreational time with farm animals. Activities are aligned with counseling goals, and clients receive guidance on safety and appropriate interactions before working with an animal. Sometimes an exercise is surprisingly simple.
A client might create an obstacle with props. The obstacle represents something that currently feels difficult in life. The client then works with an animal to navigate it. The animal may cooperate. It may not. Now what?
Perhaps the client keeps repeating an approach that clearly is not working. Maybe they become uncomfortable taking the lead. Someone else may get frustrated almost immediately. There is plenty to discuss because the client actually experienced the situation instead of answering a hypothetical question about it.
If this sounds like an approach you would like to understand better, call (630) 675-3944 for your free 15-minute consultation. Fields for Growth Therapy can explain how Animal-Assisted Therapy in Geneva may fit into counseling.
Sometimes a Pig, Dog, or Horse Becomes a Metaphor
Dr. Kakacek also uses open-ended questions and metaphors during sessions. A client might comment that a horse looks scared. That could lead to a straightforward question: “What are you afraid of right now?”
A dog wearing a collar might start an unexpected conversation about rules, limitations, safety, or control. Or consider a pig that does not come when called. How do you respond when someone expects you to do something? There is no answer the client is supposed to give.
The point is to use what naturally happens during Animal-Assisted Therapy in Geneva to explore topics that matter to that particular person. Those conversations might involve grief, anxiety, depression, trauma, relationships, communication, trust, frustration, or boundaries. Sometimes the metaphor goes somewhere useful. Sometimes it does not. Therapy can move on.
During Animal Assisted Therapy, the Animal You Avoid Can Be Interesting Too
Not everyone walks into a farm environment and immediately wants to hug a horse. Some clients are cautious. Some prefer smaller animals. Someone may walk directly toward a dog but keep several feet between themselves and a horse. Dr. Kakacek pays attention to those choices without assuming there is one explanation for them.
- Why that animal?
- Why not this one?
- How did you know when you felt comfortable enough to move closer?
Animal-Assisted Therapy allows those small decisions and reactions to become part of the therapeutic conversation when they are relevant. Animals also bring their own behavior into the session. They move, make noise, become distracted, approach people, and sometimes simply walk away. You cannot completely script what an animal will do. That is part of the point.
Therapy With Dr. Sandra Lee Kakacek
Dr. Sandra Lee Kakacek is an LCPC, animal-assisted therapist, trainer, and certification facilitator with decades of experience incorporating animals into counseling. At Fields for Growth Therapy, Animal-Assisted Therapy near Geneva can include traditional conversation, animals, movement, observation, sensory experiences, metaphors, and structured therapeutic activities.
What happens depends on the client. There is no requirement to arrive with a polished explanation of what is wrong. Maybe you know exactly what you want to discuss. Maybe you don’t. Either is a place to start. Call (630) 675-3944 today for a free 15-minute consultation to ask about Animal-Assisted Therapy and whether it may be appropriate for your situation. Sometimes therapy starts with a difficult conversation. Sometimes it starts with brushing a horse.