Animal Assisted Therapy

At David Hoy & Associates, we offer animal-assisted therapy as a supportive and engaging option for individuals, families, and children seeking emotional connection and healing.

This therapeutic approach involves working with a certified therapy animal as part of a structured counseling plan, under the guidance of a trained mental health professional.

Animal assisted therapy is more than simply spending time with an animal. It is a goal-oriented, evidence-based intervention that can help reduce anxiety, increase trust, and improve communication.

Many clients find that the presence of a therapy animal helps create a sense of calm and safety, making it easier to open up and engage in the therapeutic process.

Our clinicians are trained and hold animal assisted therapy certification, ensuring that the services provided meet the highest standards of professional care.

Certified therapy animals are carefully selected and integrated into sessions to support a variety of mental health goals including emotional regulation, trauma recovery, and relationship-building.

Whether you are navigating life transitions, managing symptoms of anxiety, or seeking a new approach to therapy that feels more approachable, animal assisted therapy may be the right fit for you or your child.

We offer this service in our Golden Valley clinic, where our welcoming space and therapy animals help create a calming and supportive environment. We will work with you to determine if animal assisted therapy is appropriate for your needs and how it can best support your goals.

If you are interested in exploring how animal assisted therapy can support your emotional well-being, contact our team today to schedule a consultation.

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Kristina Boylan- Vanhauer, MA, LMFT – Clinical Supervisor

Kristina is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with 15 years of experience providing systems based therapy. Her passion is helping children, adolescents, teenagers and…

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Bonnie Theis, MS, LPCC

Are you struggling? Are aspects of their life overwhelming and you don’t know how to deal with it? Are you feeling stuck and don’t know…

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Annie Theis

Annie is a registered therapy dog through Pet Partners. She has done a lot of training to make sure that she is a “good girl”…

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Retired: Sullivan P. VanHauer aka “Sully”

After almost 7 years of excited greetings and therapy couch naps, due to some mobility difficulties, Sully has decided to retire from the therapy business.…

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