Episode 88 Animal Assisted Therapy & Learning To Love Your Authentic Self: Interview with Annalisa Smithson

<p>What is animal-assisted therapy? How can you learn to love your authentic self through animals?</p><p><strong>MEET Annalisa Smithson</strong></p><p>Annalisa is the founder and director of Unleashed Counseling. She is a board-certified counselor licensed in the state of Pennsylvania, specializing in cognitive behavioral therapy and animal-assisted therapy. She has presented research at national mental health conferences, including the American Psychological Association, the Association for Women in Psychology, and the Pennsylvania Counseling Association.</p><p>Annalisa is the author of two books, Emotional Support Animals (2021) and Unconditional, and has published research in several peer-reviewed journals including Psychology in the Schools and the Journal of the PCA. Prior to becoming a counselor, she worked as a fundraising professional for Lehigh University. She holds a Master of Education in Counseling &amp; Human Services and a Master of Arts in the Anthropology of Development and Social Transformation.</p><p>Find out more about Annalisa at<a href="https://subtleyoga.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> </a><a href="http://www.annalisasmithson.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Animal-Assisted Therapy</a> and connect with her on <a href="http://facebook.com/unleashedcounseling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook</a></p><p><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/unconditional-annalisa-smithson/1141356809" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Unconditional: Learning to Love Your Authentic Self by Annalisa Smithson</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2>IN THIS PODCAST:</h2><ul><li>What makes it hard for people to be authentic? 3:05</li><li>Integrating animal-assisted therapy into your practice 7:25</li><li>What are the benefits of animal-assisted therapy? 14:43</li><li>How can therapists show up more authentically in their sessions? 19:27</li></ul><br/><h2>What Makes It Hard For People To Be Authentic?</h2><ul><li>Assessing the messages that we receive growing up</li><li>How