Mental Health Awareness week is here! Taking care of our mental health is no different than taking care of our physical health. Mental Health Awareness Week is happening between 9 to 15 May 2022 and the official theme this year is ‘loneliness’. Loneliness affects many of us at one time or another.
Making new friends can be very difficult especially for children with learning difficulties or autism. Our Therapy assistance dogs can help boost confidence and reduce the feelings of loneliness and anxiety - allowing a child to have focused interaction with others and engage better in conversations, as well as better focus on everything around them. The young person makes a friend, and the dog will start to fill the void or feelings of loneliness without judging the child allowing them to trust the dog and feel more confident in themselves.
Studies have shown that petting a dog for 15 minutes can lower blood pressure by 10%, can help lower feelings of stress, depression, and combat loneliness. They truly can be superheroes!