University of Mississippi eGrove Electronic Theses and Dissertations Graduate School 2017 Understanding Child-Centered Canine Assisted Play Therapy: A Qualitative Collective Case Study Jennifer Austin-Main University of Mississippi Follow this and additional works at: https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd Part of the Education Commons Recommended Citation Austin-Main, Jennifer, "Understanding Child-Centered Canine Assisted Play Therapy: A Qualitative Collective Case Study" (2017). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 502. https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/502 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at eGrove. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of eGrove. For more information, please contact [email protected]. UNDERSTANDING CHILD-CENTERED CANINE ASSISTED PLAY THERAPY: A QUALITATIVE COLLECTIVE CASE STUDY A Dissertation presented in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Leadership and Counselor Education The University of Mississippi By Jennifer Austin Main August 2017 Copyright © by Jennifer Austin Main 2017 All rights reserved ABSTRACT Children are often referred to counseling for a multitude of reasons (e.g. divorce, trauma, abuse, etc.). Given these challenges faced by so many children, counselors are charged with using evidence based forms of counseling to appropriately help children and their families address these issues. One highly researched and effective therapeutic intervention to working with children is play therapy, more specifically child-centered play therapy (CCPT). A recent trend in play therapy is the incorporation of animals into the play therapy process to facilitate healing and growth (Chandler, 2012; Parish-Plass, 2013; Thompson, 2009), in particular the use of canines in CCPT, known as child-centered canine assisted play therapy (CC-CAPT). Much of the foundational literature regarding CC-CAPT is anecdotal and/or conceptual in nature. In particular, the effectiveness of and guidelines for CC-CAPT has not been established through empirical research. More research is needed to identify the proper education, training, and competencies needed for play therapists to use CC-CAPT. This qualitative collective case study explored through one on one interviews and non- confidential documents registered play therapist and registered play therapist supervisor’s experiences and perspectives of using a canine in child-centered play therapy in a play therapy room with children under the age of 12. Results of this study revealed two major themes: Planning, Preparing, and Mitigating CC-CAPT; and Therapeutic Dynamics: “It’s Not a Therapeutic Dyad Anymore.” The results of this study reveal the importance of the intentional selection, training, and certification of a canine for therapy dog work. Results revealed ways in which participants mitigated risks associated with CC-CAPT. Participants used clinical ii judgment, screening forms, and assessments to determine the goodness of fit between therapy dog and child. Results of this study articulated the importance of understanding canine communication as it relates to the therapist responding appropriately to the canine and the child during a CC-CAPT session. Results of this study revealed that incorporating a therapy dog into the therapeutic process changes the dynamics within the playroom. Thus, requiring the play therapist be responsible for ensuring the session remains therapeutic while also navigating and safeguarding the varying components. The relationship that exists between the child, the therapist, and the dog is critical. The presence and interactions the dog brings to the playroom are necessary because the child and the dog can interact in ways that the therapist and the child may not. Participants offered elaborated descriptions of CC-CAPT sessions, indicating that when all of the critical pieces are in place, CC-CAPT can have successful outcomes. iii DEDICATION To my beloved therapy dogs, Uno, Tonka, and Rook, who motivated and inspired me to devote my life and career to play therapy and canine assisted play therapy. To Uno and Tonka, it is impossible to forget the two of you because you taught me so much and gave me so much to remember. Uno, Tonka, and Rook your devoted companionship and unique personalities expanded my heart and opened my eyes to the love and understanding a person can have with a canine. Because of the three of you I will be forever grateful and my life will forever be changed. “The dog was created especially for children. He is the god of frolic” – Henry Ward Beecher. To the many children who one day may experience the compassion, silent understanding, companionship, and love of a therapy dog. iv LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AKC American Kennel Club AAPT Animal Assisted Play Therapy AAT Animal Assisted Therapy AAT-C Animal Assisted Therapy in Counseling CAPT Canine Assisted Play Therapy CGC Canine Good Citizen CCPT Child Centered Play Therapy CC-CAPT Child Centered Canine Assisted Play Therapy RPT Registered Play Therapist RPT-S Registered Play Therapist Supervisor RPT/S Registered Play Therapist and Registered Play Therapist Supervisor TDI Therapy Dogs International v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First, I want thank God for giving me the strength and courage throughout this journey. To my beloved husband who has offered me support, guidance, wisdom, and love. You have been with me throughout this journey and always offered hope when I did not have any left. You have never given up on me and have always shown endless understanding and compassion. Thank you for your patience and kindness throughout the doctoral journey. Thank you for always believing in me and loving me. To my beloved parents who always encouraged me, pushed me, and let me fail, because of this I learned perseverance and strength. Thank you for always being there for me, supporting me, nurturing me, and loving me, because of this I learned compassion, empathy, and acceptance. I would not be the woman or play therapist I am today without the two of you. Thank you to my big brother, Daniel, for believing in me, helping me, and being tough when I couldn’t. I love you all dearly. Thank you, Dr. Mary Rottier for introducing me to the world of play therapy and CAPT. I will forever cherish our connection and will always hold Uno close to my heart. Thank you to my extended family and friends for your patience and understanding over the past three years. I would like to thank my fellow doctoral students for the friendships and countless memories we made. You all will always hold a special place in my heart. Next, I would like to thank my dissertation committee chair, Dr. Suzanne Dugger. I owe you a tremendous amount of gratitude for believing in me, supporting me, and offering me guidance throughout the past two years. Throughout our work together you have pushed me vi outside of my comfort zone and helped me to be stronger and more confident in who I am and my abilities as a counselor educator, supervisor, play therapist, researcher, writer, and scholar. Thank you for the countless opportunities you have bestowed upon me as I have gained a wealth of knowledge, experience, and skills. Thank you for always taking the time to meet with me and talk things out, I would not have been able to navigate this journey without you. Thank you for believing in me and pushing me to not give up on my dream of offering CC-CAPT. If it was not for your dedication to Rook and I, I would have never had the opportunity to learn so much about myself as well as the opportunity to research CC-CAPT. Thank you for showing such support and genuine interest in CC-CAPT, and for allowing a woman you did not know two years ago to bring her dog to your presentation. That moment will always be instrumental to me and the relationship we now share. Rook and I will be forever grateful. I would also like to thank Dr. Amy Wells Dolan for the knowledge you have shared with me. Throughout this dissertation journey you continuously offered support and guidance, demonstrating a dedication to your students and the academia. I am forever grateful for the opportunity you offered Rook and I when we first came to Ole Miss. Thank you for sticking with me throughout this process and believing in the value of the human-animal bond. I am happy that we started and now have finished this journey together at Ole Miss. I would like to offer a heartfelt thank you to Dr. Marc Showalter for the countless hours of guidance, support, and supervision you have given me. I cannot thank you enough for always being willing to talk with me and help me understand myself and life. The dedication to your students is mirrored in every aspect of your life and I will forever value the compassion, respect, and empathy you bestow to others. Thank you for your guidance, the countless words of encouragement, and always believing in me when I didn’t. You helped reignite my passion for vii counseling and opened my eyes to the wonderful world of supervision as well as helped me gain confidence in myself and my abilities. I will forever value our work together at COPE and want to thank you for trusting me and imparting confidence in me and my abilities. Thank you for your kindness and gentleness you gave to Rook. He will always value his time with you and will truly miss his supervision sessions. I want to acknowledge the IRB for working with me to understand CC-CAPT and how this innovative treatment modality can help countless children. Thank you to the members of the IRB for meeting with Dr. Marc Showalter and I, and giving me an opportunity to share CC- CAPT with you.