Four Paws to the Future: Animal-Assisted Supervision Using the Discrimination Model

ABSTRACT

Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) has become well known over the last few years. It has even been applied within counseling and is called animal-assisted therapy in counseling (AAT-C). It is believed by researchers that the known therapeutic benefits of AAT-C can be transferred to the supervision process. When AAS is combined with the discrimination model for supervision, the combination can enhance counselor development. The author of this manuscript examines and discusses the integration of AAT-C in counseling supervision and reviews the combination of AAT-C and the discrimination model. The author will then propose a conceptual model for the combination of animal-assisted supervision (AAS) and the discrimination model. The implications for practice, ethical considerations, and future research directions are also explicated.

KEYWORDS:

• AAT-C
• supervision
• discrimination model
• counseling
• animal therapy
• creativity in counseling