Therapy Services
Provided by Dianne Perrett-Abrahams, Director and Forensic & Health Psychologist and VOSS Director.
As well as providing the services below, Dianne Perrett-Abrahams is a specialist in the use of therapy dogs Therapy services provided, include treatment, rehabilitation and assessments:
- Drug and alcohol recovery.
- All aspects of crisis intervention, including Trauma recovery.
- Anxiety issues and disorders.
- Depression issues and disorder.
- Confidence and esteem issues including social skills building and assertiveness training.
- Workplace bullying, Workplace Stress and all aspects of WorkCover.
- Intervention, treatment and recovery.
- Pain Management and recovery from trauma injury and disability.
- Marital counselling, separation and divorce recovery.
- Clinical reports.
- Clinical assessments.
Therapy Dogs
Research shows that interventions utilising associations with therapy dogs can temporarily affect the release of various neurotransmitters in the brain; levels of oxytocin (a hormone in the brain linked with bonding and social recognition which may be involved in the formation of trust between people and the capability of generosity), and dopamine (involved in the reward-motivation system) are increased, while cortisol levels (an immunosuppressant associated with stress) are decreased.
A therapy dog can boost a patient’s mood, motivate them to socialise and interact with others and can facilitate the therapy process. The use of therapy dogs can even stimulate memory, encourage empathy and compassion and can engender self determination and self responsibility
Therapy dogs are utilised in all aspects of patient treatment in this practice and are beneficial in the therapy process of psychology treatment with patients in general, however, they are especially therapeutic in the treatment of Trauma, PTSD, and selected patients suffering Autism.
In Memoria for Teddy – our pioneering and trailblazing Therapy Dog.
TedEBear was his name, Cairn Terrier was his breeding, intelligence was his mind, strong and loving was his personality, loyal was his entire being.
Our wonderful Therapy Dog who came to us as a rescued dog at 11 years of age, who learnt his craft with skill, compassion and humour and gave his all up to the last three days of his life before he died at 17 years of age.
He loved his work and he loved his patients and they in turn loved him.
He lives on in our hearts and our memories and we miss him still.
Thank you, Teddy you are the yardstick, that all therapy dogs should be measured by.
