"It has been scientifically proven that animals are able to relieve stress," the psychologist explains in the material.
Everyone you see in these photos (people, animals) in one way or another felt what a full-scale war is like, its horrors and consequences... They stood their ground and found the strength to help themselves and restore others.
The participants of the "Right to be happy" project visited the Spirit Center, located on the territory of the Kyiv Hippodrome.
The animals live in the stables of the racetrack and have the skills to interact with people. For visitors, they are more than friends, because they give us a sense of peace, harmony and joy of life. They reciprocate our love for them and sincerely demonstrate their feelings, subtly sense our moods.
Project trainer, psychologist Olga Pletka explains:
"Animals heal body and soul. It has been scientifically proven that animals are able to relieve stress, communication with them can lower blood pressure, alleviate conditions in many diseases. This type of treatment is called animal therapy. And some of its species were named after the animals involved in it. For example, canister therapy (with the help of dogs) or hippotherapy (with the help of horses). Experts note that different types of animals help and treat in different ways, but the effects of such interaction are long-lasting. For example, working with horses is effective and useful, it allows you to reduce stress, relax (a horse's body temperature is higher than a human's, a slightly warmer body promotes relaxation), gives an opportunity to communicate with those who have certain difficulties when communicating with people, switches attention from potentially traumatic events on the feeling of being in contact with reality here and now. Feeding and caring for animals also contributes to the socialization of the child. In general, the effects of this form of treatment are noticeable, because the animal therapist accepts each person as he is, allows himself to be stroked, thereby encouraging him to accept the defects of his body and try to get to know him. Taking into account the current situation, we can say that the project participants not only enjoyed communicating with animals, but were also able to overcome some fears, cope with signs of anxiety, and distract themselves from the manifestations of war, being in relatively calm territories."
This is another step towards happiness, which every Ukrainian family has the right to. Happy families create happy and sustainable communities. And in the project "The right to be happy" we are supported in this by the European Union in Ukraine and the International Renaissance Foundation.
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