Aspects of AIT can be used directly with the animal, but as a therapy the benefits have proven significantly greater when used distantly.
If you are wondering how AIT can
Working Distantly
The loss of direct feedback when working distantly is compensated by being able to work as flexibly and persistently as possible to reach the underlying source of a problem, and help the animal at a much deeper level than otherwise would be possible.
Almost all AIT sessions will take place distantly, at least initially, and the main benefits of this include:-
It avoids distractions for animal and therapist
It bypasses conscious fears or expectations by human or animal
Sessions can take place at any time or day, without you having to be present
It saves travel time and reduces overall cost per session
It enables stress-free, non-interference treatment for animals that are wild, sick, anxious or traumatised
It allows for much deeper analytical work
It makes deeper therapeutic work possible
Working in person
Working directly with an animal occasionally has it's own benefits, the most useful in being able to get direct feedback. However as much more can be achieved distantly, and sessions in person are only necessary if:
it would be useful to see a specific problem or behaviour in person
both you and you animal need to work on related issues together
you'd like to learn some techniques to continue helping your animal yourself
the animal (or you) would benefit from a hands-on healing sesson
for any reason the animal has not responded to a distant session
I have had such moments of almost overwhelming awe
at how animals - horses especially - are able to willingly
participate in their own healing process, communicating
what are often deep and painful issues, and trusting me
to guide and support them as we re-experience together
the memories they would almost certainly rather not see.
Nothing comes close to the feeling when a client rings or
emails me to say their animal seems to have changed for
the better overnight. And those joyous occasions that I
do get to meet the animals in person, when the greatest
miracle of them all happens, and they walk up to me
and acknowledge me like an old friend.
Photo horse rolling (c) Eline Spek, dreamstime.com
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