TRADUZIONE PROGETTO DI RICERCA: ONOTERAPIA E ATSC In Italy, the Pet Therapy has been recognized as official by the Decree of the President of the Council of Ministers of 28 febbraio 2003. Pet­therapy is a neologism coined by child psychiatrist Boris Levinson in 1962, it’s a contraction of two words, pet or companion animals and therapy or treatment, so the pet therapy can be defined as "affectivity therapy" (Milonis, 2010). From the initial intuition of the therapeutic value of animals many scientific studies have been conducted, that have favored the evolution not only of the methodological framework of the work with the "pet", but also the types of intervention. Currently distinction is made between: ­ Animal­assisted activities (AAA), which have the objetive to play and recreation; ­ Educational activities assisted with Animals (EAA) with a purely educational purpose of socialization; ­ Assisted therapy with animals (AAT) that have a therapeutic­rehabilitative purpose . Assisted therapy with animals requires a project defined and agreed by a multidisciplinary team (psychologist, psychiatrist, educator, etc. ..) which accompanies traditional therapies carried out in a outpatient clinic or in a hospital, as it is set up as co­therapy. It is adressed mostly to patients who suffer from personality disorders, mental disorders, anxiety disorders, stress and emotional disharmony, and even addicts, prisoners, HIV­positive, deaf and blind people, hypertensive and heart patients, persons that have motor disorders, children and old people . In general, animal­assisted therapy aims to improve the physical, social and emotional functions. It can be used for different objectives and in different areas of intervention (D'Andrea Poggioni, 2010). In cognitive­behavioral area the aims is to achieve a state of general well­being and a physical and mental relaxation through the management of aggression, impulsivity, and the improvement of attentional and mnemonic performances. In the emotional area the animal­assisted therapy improve the control of moods through the creation of an empathic relationship with the animal, the taking care of the animal also determines the growth of self­esteem and the acquisition of greater safety. In the socio­communicative area the goal is to foster the capacity to enter into relations with others and the self­confidence. In the motor area, when it is possible, animal­assisted therapy improve the perceptual and motor skills through a series of exercises. "Animal­assisted Therapy" want to be especially activities that have as a fundamental dimension the affectivity. In general, companion animals can bring out our most hidden feelings of compassion, empathy and tenderness; the relationship with the animal is basically lived by humans in emotional terms. Katcher and Beck (1983) identified four aspects that humans and animals turn on each other when they are together: security, privacy, care and constancy of the relationship. The "Animal­assisted Therapy" (AAT) work on the re­acquisition and/or construction of confidence in the ability to express emotions, feelings, to communicate, to build relationships; the purpose of the work is to make the person feel loved, important, the focus of attention (Milonis 2010). Furthermore, the use of animals in an animal­assisted therapies is closely related to the use of natural spaces such as a lawn or a park. Such environments offer colors, smells, proprioception and thoughts, and also stimulate and engage interactions, that differ from those of a classical setting. In this perspective, the therapeutic intervention becomes an integrated intervention with fun features and a great motivating power, by offering a setting less stereotyped and monotonous than that offered by traditional treatment facilities. Within the large family of pet therapy is the donkey assisted therapy understood as co­assisted therapy (pet­terapy in juxtaposition of traditional therapy) who works with a donkey mediated by the operators. The donkey is a empathetic, friendly, non­judgmental, predictable, reliable, affectionate and cuddly animal, suitable for working on the sphere of affect and emotion. It is a docile, easily and manageable animal, offering to the person the opportunity to make a very meaningful experience in terms of relationships and emotions. The donkey assisted therapy produces physical and mental health, for this should be better known, and widely recognized as "co­therapy combined with psychotherapy" (Milonis 2010). As co­terapy works as an “accelerator” of acquisitions, the effectiveness and results of other therapies (Milonis, 2010). The therapy mediated by donkey implies the healty management of the triad patient­donkey­operator (Milonis 2005, 2006, 2008) in which the animal is a "subject" active "relationship" not a simple "work tool”. This encounter operates as a container positive, with specific rules, with a significant and therapeutic project (Reinger Cantiello 2009). In the activities take place essentially group relational phenomena: communicative and relational proposals of operator intersect with those proposed by the users and by the same animals. Cultivate relationshio means to recognize each other and begin to deal with the other. In this way every encounter­confrontation, also the one with the animal mediated by the operator, brings growth and change. The activities take place under the guidance of the operator, which on the behavioral and experiential side, ensures that every patient experiences emotions and developes interactive skills with animals in a progressive and personalized manner. On a cognitive level, the operator executes narratives and introduces logical that are taken up by users. Meantime relates himself with donkeys as a "pack leader". The main benefits of the donkey assisted therapy, found in different work experience with donkey, can be summarized as follow (Milonis 2010; Salerno Aristei 2010; Reinger Cantiello 2009). In the relationship with the donkey, mediated by the operator, the person make different and intense experiences in a emotional­relational, cognitive and sensory­motor levels. Through grooming, petting, brushing the donkey, or through physical contact, the person derives pleasure from the relationship with the animal and in turn procures it to the donkey, thus experiencing a sense of intimacy and an emotional contact with itself and with another. In addition, the joy of the encounter and the knowledge of the animal contribute to creating a emotional relationship satisfatyng and stable, which is necessary for the formation of own interior security and integrity. The donkey facilitates a warmth communicative and person’s openness, allowing to express his curiosity and acquiring healthy sensations with related enrichment of gestural, verbal and tactile communication, In addition, the physical contact with the donkey allows the construction of the body’s boundaries and also the psychological boundaries, necessary for the identity formation and for a real awareness to exist. The person learns not only to enjoy the donkey but also to take care of him: taking charge of his welfare, the person learns to respect his times and needs, and to accept it for what it is. The activity with the donkey educates the will through the exercise of microdecisions (caressing, calling, cleaning, etc.). In this way the person learns to experience the sense of duty and responsibility in a pleasant way. The person do new experiences generating new confirmations in self evaluation, self­esteem, autonomy, confidence in oneself and in others, all of which develop a basic security. The patient makes a positive experience to feel safe, effective and competent in animal handling. INTRODUCTION Starting from the premise’s considerations, the aim of the research here presented is to observe whether there is a correlation between the donkey assisted therapy and the activation of Ego States typical of psychological well­being: high values ​
on the quadruplet of well­being Free Adult (FA), Free Child (FC), Protective Child (PC) and Protective Adult (PA), accompanied by higher average values ​
of Free Parent (FP) and Protective Parent (PP), and low values ​
on the remaining Ego States (Scilligo, Bianchini 2009). The relation with the donkey, mediated by the operator, stimulates the patients to recognize and affirm their own needs and thoughts with respect for others and to recognize and respect the other‘s needs (for example, comply with "the times of the donkey" and his slowness). In this way it work on self and other recognition, on identification, separation­autonomy and reciprocity. These dimensions are found within the Ego State Free Parent (FP). In the relation with the donkey, the person experiences unconditional acceptance, learning so to be self­aware and to accepte oneself. Experience also his emotional feelings through physical contact in the here and now. The relationship with the animal imply a form of clear and direct communication based on mutual acceptance and respect. Several communication exchanges (caresses, games, etc..) creates a deep empathic connection. These dimensions emerge when a Ego State Free Adult (FA) is active. Due to physical (softness, long­haired, round tonnage, funny walk, long ears, etc..) and temperamental (sweetness, calmness, curiosity, affection, etc..) characteristics of the donkey the person, interacting with the animal, experiments feelings of calm, acceptance, fun and playfulness. Through the acquisition of new competences (relationing, approaching, guiding the donkey, etc.) the person develops his self­esteem. We find these dimensions of affection, playfulness and warmth in the Ego State Free Child (FC). The person learns to accept and seek the proximity of the animal and to derive satisfaction and pleasure from this relationship. Learn to take care of the donkey enjoying the attention and affection that the animal returns (for example during cleaning operations where the animal leaves to brush him). Within relationship operator­donkey­person the patient learn to develop and experiment a mutual trust, built through repeated exchanges of affection and caring. These dimensions are dominant within the Ego State Protective Child (PC). The person interacts with the donkey in a responsible and protective way for himself, learn to know his characteristics and needs, to takes care of him, anticipating his needs. Acquires and implements new competencies and skills (such as leading a donkey) that the person internalize and that become personal assets. The sense of competence and self­efficacy, related to dimension of the protection and care, are typical of the Ego State Adult Protective (PA). The person becomes responsible for the animal, committing to keeping and carrying out the care’s tasks taked (donkey and donkey’s space cleaning). Internalizes inner rules and obligations to be observed with regard to himself and to the donkey, as a result of mutual commitment and respect. This sense of responsibility to keep commitments and obligations, together with the ability to govern the donkey fall within the Ego State Parent Protective (PP). RESEARCH HYPOTHESES We hypothesized that the person introjects in his self the benefits derived from the relationship with the donkey, experimenting it also in different areas of life. Our hypothesis is that the donkey assisted therapy, consisting of a series of repeated sessions, where the person experience a particular relation within a new context and monitored by a professional, promote the introjection of those particular kinds of relationship with oneself and with others, expression of a profile of well­being, given high scores in the of Ego states of well­being quadruplet and on average score of PL and PP. SAMPLE 20 people who start a short term Social­Cognitive Transactional Analysis psychoterapy (20 sessions) flanked by a donkey assisted therapy. We exclude adults with cognitive impairment (eg, psychotic disorders, mental retardation, etc.). The gender is not relevant. The age is between 18 and 60 years. METHODOLOGY The donkey assisted therapy, is structured and personalized on the person and his problems. The planning, management and monitoring of pet terapy are the responsibility of a multidisciplinary team (eg, psychiatrist, psychologist, educator, etc.). Each session lasts about an hour and there are two operators: one focused on the animal and one focused on the person. The session will take place mostly in a group or in a individual sessions, depending on the user's characteristics and the therapeutic targets planned. At the beginning and at the end of the donkey assisted therapy will be given to each user the Anint­A36, a self­descriptive questionnaire with which the person describes herself as it is in his own daily experience and relationships. In addition, at the end of each session, the conductors will fill out an observation grids of the activity carried out with the donkey. Specifically, we will look at the relational, cognitive, behavioral and emotional dimensions, recorded for each user in the session. A final report will be drawn up for each individual user, based on results of Anint administered and on observations of conductors. EXPECTED RESULTS We expect to observe in the sample the activation and/or potentiation of quadruplet of Ego states of well­being, detected through Anint and observations; or that a short­term psychotherapy Social­Cognitive Transactional Analysis joined by a donkey assisted therapy, encourages greater activation and development of Ego states of well­being quadruplet (AF, CF, CP, AP) and on average score of PL and PP. This result is given by the possibility that the person introjects in his self the benefits derived from the relationship with the donkey, experiencing it also in different areas of life. Finally, as accessory but not least result, we expect to convey donkey assisted therapy as pet terapy, stimulating the curiosity and the interest in this particular co­therapy. CONCLUSIONS If data will show activation and/or potentiation of quadruplet of Ego states of well­being, detected through Anint’results and observation of behavior’s patients in the pet terapy context,will be possible to hypothesize that the donkey assisted therapy, as co­therapeutic intervention, can have the function of "accelerator" of results and the efficacy of therapeutic work in Social­Cognitive Transactional Analysis psychotherapy and be used alongside the SCTA psychotherapy. This research, exploratory and preliminary in nature, lays the groundwork for future studies to further deepen the interrelationship between Social­Cognitive Transactional Analysis psychotherapy and donkey assisted therapy. BIBLIOGRAFIA ●
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