therapy – Empathic Paws

*Photo by Karolina Kaboompics on Pexels.com*

The concept of a school wellness initiative isn’t new; it has been a growing focus for many years among administrators, faculty, staff, and students as schools increasingly recognize the link between student health and academic success. For instance, in their 1991 article “Schoolsite Health Promotion: Establishing a Wellness Culture in Gwinnett County, Georgia,” David M. Hayes and Leslie F. Lambert discussed creating a wellness culture during a time when health promotion was becoming integrated into educational settings. Hayes and Lambert (1991) highlighted the importance of supporting students’ physical, mental, and emotional health to improve both well-being and academic outcomes. While this was a forward-thinking approach at the time, today’s landscape reveals that the need for such programs are even more urgent, as new challenges further reinforce the importance of comprehensive wellness initiatives in schools.

The Wellness Culture: Then and Now

In Gwinnett County, the health promotion programs aimed to build a comprehensive wellness culture focused on physical fitness, nutrition, and mental health (Hayes and Lambert, 1991). These efforts responded to concerns about childhood obesity, sedentary lifestyles, and rising stress among students (Hayes and Lambert, 1991). The goal was to create an environment where students could thrive physically and academically. While these initiatives successfully addressed student health issues at the time, the challenges highlighted in 1991 have only intensified, emphasizing the need for expanded wellness efforts.

Which brings one to wonder, if a 1991 wellness initiative was effective for the teens of Gwinnett County, wouldn’t a similar program benefit today’s teens? Absolutely! The adolescents of 1991 and 2024 face similar challenges—until they don’t. Today’s students contend with added pressures attached to increased technology use, social media, competitive academic environment, and the ongoing mental health crises exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s safe to conclude that the need for robust wellness initiatives in high schools has never been greater.

There is no harm in acknowledging the heightened need for sustained wellness programs, but to ignore the glaring evidence of its existence is a disservice to 21st-century learners. Students today face traditional adolescent stressors as well as the long-term effects of isolation and disrupted learning environments. Anxiety, depression, and other mental health concerns have surged, and schools must prioritize mental health with the same urgency as academics and athletics.

Expanding Wellness Programs to Meet Current Needs

While the program highlighted in Hayes and Lambert’s (1991) article laid the foundation for integrating physical fitness and mental health initiatives, today’s schools must adopt even more comprehensive approaches. A Wellness Day is an excellent starting point to emphasize emotional health, with the long-term goal of evolving this one-day initiative into ongoing support systems to address the whole students’ needs on the daily.

The Importance of Prioritizing Wellness in High Schools

Schools that prioritize emotional wellness send a powerful message: emotional health is just as important as academic achievement. And for high schools that have yet to implement a Wellness Day, now is the time to consider the lasting positive impact such an initiative can have on the learning environment. A day dedicated to mental health—through activities like meditation, art therapy, nature walks, or interacting with therapy dogs—offers a much-needed break from students’ regular routines.

Here’s some more good news attached to a school’s Wellness Day! A Wellness Day doesn’t have to be a standalone event. A Wellness Day can serve as a gateway to broader, ongoing wellness programs and one such program could be the inclusion of therapy dogs. Beyond the immediate benefits of stress relief and emotional support, a Wellness Day could introduce students to the long-term advantages of a therapy dog program, creating lasting improvements in their well-being.

The Impact of Therapy Dogs on Student Well-Being

The benefits of therapy dogs in schools are well-documented. Numerous studies have shown that providing students with an opportunity to interact with therapy dogs can reduce anxiety, lower stress, and improve overall mood (Maricevic, 2022). This is due in part to the therapy dogs ability to provide a calming presence, helping students feel more at ease in stressful environments, or as they manage invisible traumas (Maricevic, 2022). More good news attached to the presence of therapy dogs in the high school setting! Therapy dogs don’t just help students with specific needs—they offer support to anyone feeling overwhelmed, whether from exams, social difficulties, or other stressors, discretely and in a non-judgmental manner (Maricevic, 2022).

By incorporating therapy dogs into a Wellness Day, schools can introduce students and staff to the positive effects of animal-assisted therapy programs, potentially paving the way for a permanent addition of such support systems in schools.

Moving Toward a Wellness-Focused School Culture

For schools seeking to strengthen their commitment to student well-being, starting with a Wellness Day is a simple yet impactful first step. But it doesn’t have to stop there. By exploring the benefits of therapy dogs during a Wellness Day event, schools can build a wellness-focused culture that extends beyond a single day. A therapy dog program can offer continuous support for students, with therapy dogs available in counseling offices, classrooms, or even libraries, creating a more nurturing environment year-round.

While implementing a therapy dog program requires planning and collaboration, the potential benefits make it well worth the effort. Schools can partner with local therapy dog organizations or work with faculty and staff members who might have extensive training as a certified therapy dog handlers to ensure the program’s success.

The Need Remains

Ultimately, creating space for emotional wellness in high schools is not just a trend—it’s an investment in students’ futures. The article by Hayes and Lambert (1991) reflected a critical moment in the promotion of school wellness, but the need for wellness programs has only grown since the early 1990s. Today’s students face more complex mental health challenges, and schools must continue to prioritize student wellness by expanding programs to include initiatives like therapy dogs and sustained emotional support. The wellness culture envisioned in the 90s must now evolve to meet current needs, ensuring that schools remain spaces where students’ mental, emotional, and physical health are valued as much as academic success. By fostering an innovative wellness culture that prioritizes holistic health, schools can create a supportive environment where high school students are equipped to face both academic and personal challenges with resilience and confidence.

Kudos to those high schools making it happen.

*Photo by Carlos Santiago on Pexels.com*

In the bustling halls of high schools across the country, amidst the chatter of students and the ringing of bells, a new kind of support system is quietly at work. It doesn’t come in the form of a teacher, counselor, or peer, but rather, on four paws, with a wagging tail and a pair of soulful eyes.

Therapy dogs are becoming a fixture in high schools, offering a unique form of emotional support that aligns with the principles outlined in Dr. Marc Brackett’s “Permission to Feel.” Brackett, a professor at Yale University and the founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, advocates for the recognition, understanding, labeling, expressing, and regulating of emotions as essential components of emotional well-being.

A Moment of Inspiration

The idea to explore this intersection between therapy dogs and emotional education came to me while scrolling through the social media platform “X.” Yesterday, Brackett posted a poignant reflection following a talk he gave at Yale reunion weekend. In his post, he shared, “I gave a talk today at @Yale reunion weekend. I shared how only 40% of us had someone in our childhood who gave us #PermissionToFeel. At the end of my talk, a man approached me and shared how he didn’t get an emotion education from his parents. But he did from his two daughters. I was moved that he shared this with me and by the fact that our children can be our teachers. This man felt blessed to have children that gave him permission to feel. Puts tears in my eyes just writing this. Tears of joy, of course.”

Brackett’s words resonated deeply with me, particularly the notion that emotional education can come from unexpected places, even from those younger than us. It prompted me to think about how therapy dogs in high schools grant teens the permission to feel, much like the daughters did for their father.

A Calming Presence

For many students, the school environment can be a source of significant stress and anxiety. Academic pressures, social dynamics, and personal challenges can create a cocktail of emotions that can be overwhelming (Maricevic, 2022). Therapy dogs offer a calming presence that helps students recognize their own emotional states. Many students report that seeing the therapy dog helps them feel a sense of calm, allowing the stress to melt away and enabling them to think more clearly about their feelings.

This initial recognition is a crucial first step. Therapy dogs help students become more aware of their emotions, which is often the most challenging part of emotional intelligence (Maricevic, 2022).

Understanding and Reflecting

Interacting with therapy dogs also encourages students to understand the sources and reasons behind their feelings. The non-verbal communication and unconditional affection from a dog can prompt introspection and self-reflection. Students often find that spending time with the therapy dog helps them think more deeply about why they are feeling stressed or anxious, aiding them in understanding their emotions better.

Finding the Words

One of the most significant challenges in emotional development is the ability to accurately label emotions. Therapy dogs act as a bridge, making it easier for students to discuss their feelings with counselors or peers. The comfort provided by the dog can facilitate conversations that might otherwise be difficult. School counselors observe that students often find it easier to open up about their feelings when they’re with the dog, as the dog’s presence provides a sense of safety and acceptance.

Expressing and Managing Emotions

Expressing emotions is another critical component of Brackett’s framework. Therapy dogs provide a non-judgmental outlet for students to express their feelings (Maricevic, 2022). Students often feel that they can tell the dog anything, without fear of being judged or misunderstood (Maricevic, 2022).

Moreover, the presence of a therapy dog can help students develop strategies to regulate their emotions. Research has shown that interacting with dogs can reduce levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, and increase levels of oxytocin, a hormone associated with bonding and stress relief (Petersson et al., 2017). This physiological response can help students feel more balanced and in control. Many students report that the therapy dog helps them calm down when they’re feeling overwhelmed, serving as a furry therapist (Maricevic, 2022).

A Growing Trend

As more schools recognize the benefits of therapy dogs, their presence is becoming more common. Programs are being established across the country, bringing these gentle companions into the lives of students who need them most. School administrators note that the impact is profound, with noticeable improvements in students’ emotional well-being since introducing the therapy dog program (Maricevic, 2022).

In a world where teens are often bombarded with pressures and expectations, therapy dogs are providing a much-needed respite. They are giving students the permission to feel—fully, deeply, and without judgment. And in doing so, they are helping to foster a generation of emotionally intelligent and resilient young adults.