Animal-Assisted Therapy for Adolescents & Adults

You love your kid…but they are driving you crazy!

You KNOW that parenting a teen is tough, but your kid seems to be struggling more than their friends. They are withdrawn most of the time. When they aren’t, they are really, really cranky. You feel like you are walking on eggshells because you never know when they will snap at you and walk away in a huff. They’ve tried therapy before, but they stubbornly refused to do the work. It can leave you feeling like banging your head against the wall in frustration. You love your kid, but they are driving you crazy.

I’m Heather and I would love to help your kiddo break these patterns

I have some secret weapons that seem to be pretty helpful when getting adolescents to participate. They come in the form of goats, sheep, pigs, donkeys, and cows. I do therapy at the Farmaste Animal Sanctuary. I’ve found that doing therapy in this setting gives more incentive for teens and younger adults to come to therapy and participate. It can make therapy feel more casual and less intimidating. Those animals can get through to some of the most stubborn kids.

Behaviors are used to meet a need, even if the behaviors aren’t the best way to actually meet the need. We will find out what those needs are and healthily meet them, breaking that habit of going on that pesky emotional rollercoaster. There may be tough stuff from the past that your kid needs to address, and I will be with them every step of the way. Your teen will learn skills to change unhelpful thought patterns and reframe those thoughts. They will learn how to slow down their racing thoughts. Managing stress and emotions is a big piece of what we do in therapy as well. Finally, we will review perspective-taking skills and having a self-compassionate mindset.

Ready to take the next step to more peace in your family?