It must be a relief to come to see someone that listens without judgement, where you can bare your soul and feel safe. As a therapy dog I feel sad that there is still so much stigma in society about going to get help for mental health concerns or to enter recovery. I know first hand the courage it takes to walk through the door and ask for help.
I notice that the first time a new patient walks into Doc’s office they are trying to figure out if they are going to be judged or not and if they will be safe to talk about the things they feel most ashamed about. After all why would Doc by any different than some of the others in their lives that have told them they are weak and just need to suck it up and get better without help. Oy Vey! News Flash! Everyone needs help sometimes, even me.
My task is to help people feel more comfortable, that is the work of a therapy dog. I will accept you unconditionally, no matter what your journey has entailed. I open the door to help the patient feel at ease, so Doc can walk though and help to guide the person to believing that they can get better. What a great job I have. I get to help people every day, staff included and get love and doggy treats as well.