Pets and mental health

There’s something deeply powerful about the presence of an animal. It’s not just the wagging tails or soft purring — it’s what happens inside us when we connect with them. Science, psychology, and the more spiritual side of healing all agree: pets can change lives. Sometimes, they even save them.

Whether it’s the silent comfort of a cat curling up beside you during a dark moment, the excitement in a dog’s eyes when you come home, or the gentle rhythm of a horse’s breath matching your own — animals calm the nervous system, regulate emotion, and anchor us in the now.

cute puppies can melt the hardest hearts and heal the most broken.

But this isn’t just “aww how cute.” This is biology. When we stroke a pet, oxytocin — the “bonding hormone” — is released. Cortisol, the stress hormone, drops. Heart rate slows. Breathing deepens. For those dealing with anxiety, trauma, depression, or grief, this isn't just pleasant — it’s regulating. It's healing.

 Scientific Backing:

Studies show that spending just 15 minutes with an animal can lower blood pressure and reduce anxiety. In PTSD patients, pet interaction can lower hypervigilance and panic. In fact, service animals are now being used therapeutically for trauma survivors, veterans, and neurodiverse children because of this exact co-regulation effect. It works.

Equine therapy is another remarkable example. Horses, being prey animals, are deeply attuned to human emotion. They respond honestly, without judgement, and mirror what we feel — making them powerful allies in healing trauma or developing trust.

 Dogs trained in emotional support don’t just offer comfort — they can interrupt panic attacks, create physical space in crowded places, and even detect changes in scent that indicate a dip in mood. That’s not fluff. That’s neurobiology in action.

And who can resist the purring cat curled up beside you?

Playful kittens are such fun to watch.

But it isn't just cats, dogs and horses that can heal the soul. Rabbits, lizards, birds, in fact, any animal really can calm the soul and heal the heart and mind.

Because beyond the science, there's the soul. Animals accept us without performance. They don’t need us to explain ourselves. For many of my clients, particularly those healing from trauma, that silent, unconditional presence is exactly what’s needed. A pet doesn’t ask questions. It doesn’t rush you. It just is. And when you’ve been through hell, having something that simply loves you back without agenda is often the beginning of learning to trust again.

And if you're spiritual? Consider this: animals live in the now. They don’t carry yesterday or fear tomorrow. That presence is hypnotic. It invites us to slow down. To breathe. To feel.

In hypnosis, we often talk about dropping into the body, grounding in the senses, bypassing the busy conscious mind. Animals do that for us. Their rhythms, their stillness, their responses — they bring us back to ourselves.

🧠 Therapeutically speaking, animals help with:

• Regulating emotions

• Reducing loneliness

• Creating structure (especially for those with depression or ADHD)

• Building safe attachment

• Easing social anxiety

• Stimulating feel-good hormones

• Supporting grief recovery

Even fair tales have the cute little mouse.

And spiritually? They remind us that love doesn’t have to be earned. That being held in presence is enough. That we’re not alone.

So no — your dog, cat, horse, mouse, bird or even fish, isn’t just a pet. That cat isn’t just company. They might just be your therapist with four legs and a tail. That might be me out of a job then !

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