by Debbie Shepard - Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) | Sep 14, 2026 | Emotional Support Animal
What Is Therapy Dogs International? Have you ever visited a hospital, school, or even a nursing home only to be welcomed with a wagging tail and a four-legged friend? This is one way you would have encountered a therapy dog. Some of the most prestigious organizations...
by Debbie Shepard - Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) | Sep 7, 2026 | Emotional Support Animal
In silence, dogs have been helping humans in hospitals, retirement homes, and schools for many years by providing comfort. The most important thing to know when thinking about dogs in such settings is the Alliance of Therapy Dogs, which plays an essential role in all...
by Debbie Shepard - Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) | Sep 7, 2026 | Emotional Support Animal
An emotional support animal in the mind’s eye is typically a dog curled up on the couch or a cat in someone’s lap. What about a betta fish swimming in its tank or a school of guppies moving by the plant in the tank? Believe it or not, it’s definitely possible for a...
by Debbie Shepard - Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) | Sep 4, 2026 | Emotional Support Animal
Panic disorder tends to transform everyday occurrences into life-threatening situations: rapid heartbeat, difficulty breathing, or a sense of dread that something terrible is going to happen without any apparent cause. In the case of people who suffer from panic...
by Debbie Shepard - Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) | Sep 4, 2026 | Emotional Support Animal
Having OCD entails being entangled in a vicious cycle of obsessive thoughts and resulting behaviors which, by nature, takes up more time and energy than one might think. Amongst other things such as therapy, there are individuals living with OCD who have turned to an...
by Debbie Shepard - Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) | Sep 4, 2026 | Emotional Support Animal
A depressed individual may find that everything from getting out of bed to adhering to their daily routine or having any motivation to do once-easy activities becomes exhausting. For many individuals, in addition to counseling or treatment options, an ESA will be an...
