Many thanks to Trine Bargmann from the association Trinitas for a fantastic lecture. You deserve SO much respect for your work. Thank you to those of you who participated in this event.
Most people probably know the term 'service dog', and perhaps most associate it with a dog that assists a physically disabled person. A psychiatric service dog helps and assists a mentally vulnerable person who has a psychiatric diagnosis. It does this by reading its owner's mental state, warning of incipient seizures or episodes and helping him / her through them.
The psychiatric service dog supports people with such disorders and provides mental support in the home and when its owner moves out into the community. Does the owner have a psychiatric diagnosis such as anxiety, it can be difficult to make everyday life function.
The psychiatric service dog supports the owner with daily activities so that the owner:
Gets up in the morning
Gets outside
Attends necessary treatments or medical check-ups
Is social and enters into social relationships with other people
Maintains a job or completes an education
Dog behavior therapist and trainer Trine Bargmann from the association Trinitas told about psychiatric service dogs. She also presented the purpose of the association and provided examples of its results.
Trine also told about therapy dogs that are trained to be able to help their owner help mentally vulnerable people. It can be as an icebreaker with a psychologist, as a mascot in a daycare center, as a school dog among autistic children, or as a support dog for a caseworker.
We gained insight into what a psychiatric service dog is and how they help people with mental challenges get through everyday life. In addition, we got to know the association Trinitas and its work.
Speaker
Trine Bargmann is a trained dog behavior therapist and trainer, and has worked with the training of psychiatric service dogs for almost 6 years. She is also a coordinator at the association Trinitas, which works to make Danish society recognize the value of dogs with social, educational and therapeutic purposes.
