Aftercare for Survivors: Developing Trauma-Informed Animal-Assisted Services for Survivor Leaders

This project explored the co-design and pilot implementation of a trauma-informed animal-assisted therapy (TI-AAT) program with survivor leaders of the Philippine Survivor Network (PSN), in partnership with the International Justice Mission (IJM). Recognizing the emotional demands placed on survivor advocates, the project aimed to develop a culturally relevant intervention that supports mental health through the human-animal bond.

Using a co-design framework, animal-assisted therapy (AAT) modules were developed collaboratively with survivor leaders, human-animal teams, and trauma-informed practitioners. A mixed-methods approach was adopted for this research project. Ethical approval was obtained from the Ateneo de Manila University Research Ethics Committee under Protocol ID: AdMUREC_23_030.

The Communitails team and PSN Consultants prepared by undergoing Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) Training and Overview. We also made sure to organize a community gathering titled “Furryship” where the team got to know each other and where we spent time playing games and having fun.

The co-design process led to the development of three modules, “Body Buddy,” which was piloted with Aggie (handler) and Rusty (therapy dog), as well as Andrew (handler) and Hermoso (therapy dog). The participants learned about interacting with dogs, dog stressors, and parallels with human stressors and body language. Participants highlighted the importance of body mindfulness in their reflections. Participants expressed their emotions and were comforted by the therapy dogs; these interactions were the highlight of the session, along with a state of full relaxation.

Another module was focused on “Safety”. It involved creating an output representing safety using paint on canvas, introducing factors outside our control in life, and putting together anchors of safety. All the participants shared that they enjoyed the experience, including the “chaos” factor of the Yugo (therapy dog) with Bettina (handler). They shared that there are many uncontrollable things in life, but chaos can also highlight our safety anchors and people we feel safe with.

The third module was “Acceptance”, a theme recommended during one of the meetings. The participants acknowledged matters that were difficult for them to accept, most of which were accompanied by heavy emotions. They reflected afterward that they were glad to be able to share, since these matters are rarely discussed. Ramen (therapy dog), with Niner (handler), supported the distribution of photo cards as affirmations and encouragement.

The project was completed in October 2024, and we ended with a celebration, "Paws of Hope: Celebrating Pawsitive Impact," of all survivors, team members, and facilitators in one big community.