Using Solution-Focused Brief Therapy and Animal-Assisted Therapy With Sexual Minorities: A Pilot Microanalysis Study

Abstract

Previous research reveals that sexual minorities have reported negative experiences with mental health professionals due to heteronormative practices (Platt et al., 2018). There is a need for mental health professionals to provide therapy that is more inclusive for sexual minorities. The core ideas and values of animal-assisted therapy (AAT) and solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) suggest they could promote an inclusive environment. The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate the influence of SFBT and AAT on the content of therapist-client dialogue in simulated therapy sessions with sexual minorities. Findings of this study suggest both SFBT, and SFBT with AAT facilitate positive content in therapist-client dialogue. Additionally, results indicate that after the interaction with the dog in SFBT and AAT, there is significantly greater positive content and less negative content than in SFBT interviews.