Applied Psychology, Psychiatry and Mental Health(Venue: Crowne Plaza)

Statement of the problem: Research regarding the mutual benefits of human-animal interaction has focussed primarily on domestic pets (dogs, cats, horses etc.). Animal-assisted interventions were found to reduce stress or distress, provide comfort, provided social support, assisted with behavioural change, increased motivation, helped facilitating new skills and inspiring social interaction and could facilitate decrease of symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Human beings are however fascinated with wild animals and it was found that some animals are more tolerant of human interaction than others. The tolerance of wild animals for people is largely driven by the environment the animals live in and the body size of the animal. The group human interaction with wild animals (lions) and other wildlife are combined with the therapeutic techniques of Milton H Erickson such as waking hypnosis, seeding, metaphors and the utilization approach. A group of people is taken on a five-day safari to the African bush. During this safari, they are given the opportunity to in the morning interact with the animals and in the afternoon have a group therapy session with the psychologist. However, the psychologist in the morning when the group is interacting with the animals also utilize this time to do the therapeutic intervention with the group members, while the group is viewing or interacting with the animals. This is done by means of waking hypnosis utilizing seeding, metaphors and other Ericksonian techniques. A short video will be shown of the group interacting with lions and the intervention will be discussed.