Upon returning home from war, many soldiers suffer with PTSD- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and the relief a dog can provide them with is immeasurable.
At the Embedded Behavioral Health Clinic on Hunter Army Airfield in Georgia, a dog named Zoey who is a licensed therapy dog is there to help calm soldiers. Zoey’s owner, Dr. Tim Fortney, is a clinical psychologist who practices at the clinic, and Zoey participates in animal assisted therapy.
Zoey offers an empathetic paw and welcome distraction when soldiers open up about painful feelings and memories.
“When you think about PTSD two of the issues people struggle with are trust and safety,” Fortney said. Having a relationship and forming a relationship with an animal is all about trust. Zoey picks up on that. So as a soldier develops the trusting relationship with her it facilitates the trusting relationship in therapy in general.”
In one session, a soldier was struggling to relive a difficult memory and Zoey walked over and put her head on the soldier’s knee.
It was like she sensed his pain, and the soldier immediately started petting Zoey.
“It was the first time the soldier ever got all the way through their trauma memory,” Fortney told a military reporter. “It was one of the coolest moments I have ever seen. I don’t know if the soldier would have been able to get through it if Zoey wasn’t there. She provided just that extra little bit of comfort that allowed them to deal with that memory.”
As Dr. Fortney says of Zoey, “She makes it a lot easier for people to come in. She breaks a lot of stigmas.”
In the military, expressions of vulnerability may be discouraged, but in therapy, soldiers can feel comfortable and Zoey helps them do that.
We are so grateful for the dogs that are there for the soldiers that serve our great country.
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[Featured Image Credit: Sgt. William Begley: DVIDS]
Therapy Dogs Are Helping Soldiers Open Up About Their PTSD is an article from: LifeDaily