13 - The role of animals in mental health practice

Psych Attack

This episode focuses on Dr Abigail Alfrey’s research and practice on the ways animals can be involved in mental health practice. We discuss: (1) the significance of pets for people experiencing psychosis, (2) including dogs in cognitive assessment to improve testing experiences and outcomes for child clients, and (3) reducing practitioner burnout by promoting animals in the workplace. We touch super briefly on other creative methods, like poetry, in therapy.

Dr Abigail Alfrey is Senior Clinical Psychologist at KMPT Early Intervention in Psychosis Service in England, and Sessional Lecturer at Canterbury Christ Church University. If you want to keep up to date with Abi, you can reach out on LinkedIn.

Research papers discussed in this episode

Alfrey, A. (2021). The influence of dogs’ presence on children’s performance on cognitive tests: Implications for clinical practice. Human-Animal Interaction Bulletin.

Alfrey, A., Church, S., Christodoulou, N., & Harding, E. (2022). “Why should the fish feel safe? I don’t feel safe!”: An Audit of Pet Ownership within an NHS Service for Adults with Severe Mental Illness, with Lessons for Service Improvement. People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice, 5(1).

Alfrey, A., Field, V., Xenophontes, I., Springham, N., & Holttum, S. (2022). Identifying the Mechanisms of Poetry Therapy and Perceived Effects on Participants: A Synthesised Replication Case Study. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 78, 101882.

More info about other stuff mentioned in this episode

The International Association of Human-Animal Interaction Organizations (IAHAIO) is the global association of organizations that engage in practice, research and/or education in animal assisted activity, animal assisted therapy, and service animal training.

A short news article about Canterbury Christ Church University work with justice dogs.

A short article about the global trend of pets in the workplace.

Sensitive content warning

This episode refers to suicidal ideation in the context of mental health practice with clients who experience psychosis. However, suicide is not the focus of the episode and lived experiences are not discussed in detail. Please take care while listening and if you are feeling discomfort and think you would benefit from some support, please reach out to your GP or contact a service like Lifeline.

Cite this episode

MacDonald, J. B & Alfred, A. (2022, December 30). The role of animals in mental health practice (No. 13) [Audio podcast episode]. In Psych Attack. www.psychattack.com

Audio edit

The audio for this episode was completed by Amy Edwards. Dr Jasmine B. MacDonald did a final edit for content.