SeaGlass Clinical’s Animal Assisted Therapy

[Written by Shay-Dawn Burgess]

I have been an Educational Therapist with the Ministry of Education for the past 15 years. There have been some challenging times, and I am always on the lookout for new methods to assist me in my never-ending endeavor to help my students make better choices.

Enter: The Henagulph Team. Consisting of Dr Sebastian Henagulph, a practicing psychiatrist, and Dr. Laura Henagulph, a trained psychologist from the United Kingdom; they currently have a thriving practice that goes by the name of SeaGlass Clinical Consulting.

They cater to many current disorders that are becoming quite common in our community, and I was immediately drawn to their enthusiasm, and – particularly – to their use of Animal Assisted Therapy, commonly known by the initials AAT.

First off, how are we defining Animal Assisted Therapy? According to Dr Laura, AAT entails working with individuals to facilitate engagement in therapeutic contact and trust-building.

I wanted to know who would specifically benefit from this type of program. Dr Laura informed me that AAT can be beneficial for clients who are non-verbal, or find traditional talking therapies too intimidating; for whatever reason.

Clients with relational and social issues also find AAT beneficial. Accordingly, there is evidence that AAT benefits persons with addiction issues, persons with eating disorders, and individuals who have suffered traumatic experiences.

I was familiar with dogs being utilized in this process, but what other animals can, and have been used? Dr. Henagulph and her team have invoked the use of horses, cats, and birds [see photos] – just to name a few.

Animal Assisted Therapy is a relatively new practice, so, what are some of the physical and psychological benefits of AAT? Interestingly enough, Eileen Thorne, who works with the SeaGlass Clinical Consulting, and is a trained behaviorist who works with animals to get them ready to work with existing clientele, stated that animals have shown that they can lower anxieties and help individuals to generally relax. Animals have also been known to provide comfort and reduce loneliness.

It should be noted that AAT can be provided in a variety of settings, and may be given individually, or facilitated for groups.

While it is difficult to get data on the success rate of Animal Assisted Therapy, it should be noted that 74% of pet owners have reported mental health improvements from pet ownership. This is according to a 2021 Survey conducted by the Human Animal Bond Research Institute [HABRI], which is located in Washington D.C., U.S.A.

If you would like to contact Dr. Laura Henagulph and her team, they can be contacted at laura@seaglass.bm, or by calling [441] 747-7778.

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