Clinician's Guide to Treating Companion Animal Issues - by Lori R Kogan & Christopher Blazina (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Clinician's Guide to Treating Animal Companion Issues: Addressing Human-Animal Interaction is the first of its kind--a groundbreaking resource for mental health professionals who want the knowledge, skills and awareness to successfully work with pet-owning clients. The book trains clinicians across multiple disciplines to feel more comfortable and confident addressing companion-related issues--both when those issues are the primary reason for seeking therapy or a critical component in better understanding client needs. The book uses current human-animal interactions theories as a foundation to explore pet-related issues utilizing behavioral, cognitive behavioral, family systems, humanistic and contemporary psychodynamic therapeutic orientations.

Users will find sections on the many issues that arise during the lifespan of pet owners (e.g., children, young adults, elderly), as well as issues pertinent to specific populations (e.g., men, homeless, ethnically diverse). Additional topics include the violence link, pet death and bereavement, and behavioral issues. As the first book to approach human-animal interactions (HAI) from a multi-theoretical perspective, it helps clinicians appropriately acknowledge and incorporate relevant HAI issues within therapy to achieve goals.

About the Author

Lori Kogan is a licensed psychologist and Associate Professor of Clinical Sciences for the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at Colorado State University. She is currently engaged in several research projects pertaining to the intersection of the human animal interactions, the human animal bond, and veterinary medicine. She is the editor of the Human-Animal Interaction Bulletin, an open-access, online publication supported by Division 17 (Counseling Psychology) of the American Psychological Association. She is also the founder/director of Pets Forever, a Colorado State University sponsored program and service learning course designed to help low income elderly and disabled pet owners. In addition, Dr. Kogan has years of experience providing individual and couples counseling to veterinary students, faculty and staff. She has published numerous journal articles, co-authored book chapters, and given invited presentations on topics related to human animal interactions in both psychology and veterinary medicine venues.