Healing Companions: Ordinary Dogs and Their Extraordinary Power to Transform Lives [Paperback]

Jane Miller (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2010

""Animals are more complete than people. They are wonderful teachers, therapists and role models for us all. Read Healing Companions and learn about their ability to guide and heal us all."--Bernie Siegel, MD, author of Smudge Bunny

As the more than 65 million dog owners in America will attest, there's something about the presence of a dog that inspires confidence, nurtures emotional well-being, and brings out the best in ourselves. But for some people, the presence of a dog can do even more.

Written by the leading expert in an emerging new field of therapy, Healing Companions is the first book to detail how dogs are increasingly benefiting those who suffer from a range of emotional ills, from eating disorders and anxiety to agoraphobia, depression, and post-traumatic stress.

Healing Companions will teach you:

* What criteria to consider when choosing the right dog for you.

* What kind of training service dogs require.

* What to expect and how to respond when you take a service dog out in public.

* How a dog can compliment other forms of therapy.

* How to navigate the procedural regulations that apply to a service dog.

* How to recognize the dog's needs and provide it with proper care.

* And much more.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jane Miller, LISW, CDBC, works in private practice as a clinical psychotherapist and licensed independent social worker, with a particular interest in holistic healing. She has lectured in a wide variety of settings, including many national and local organizations, schools, and dog-training facilities. More recently, Miller has consulted with NEADS (National Education for Assistance Dog Services), the Canines for Combat Veterans program for soldiers returning from combat in Iraq with post-traumatic stress, as well as other veterans organizations. She has appeared in the PBS program "Health Visions: Animals As Healers" and other local and national media. Miller lives in Oberlin, Ohio, with her two Golden Retrievers.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: New Page Books (January 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 160163093X
• ISBN-13: 978-1601630933
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #77,082 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Book, January 13, 2010

By 

Kathy Donaldson (KENT, WA, US) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Healing Companions: Ordinary Dogs and Their Extraordinary Power to Transform Lives (Paperback)

I recently teamed up with my service dog Rocky. Rocky is a Shih Tzu and he has been trained to support my Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Depression. Rocky is very young and is still a work in progress so while he develops and learns more skills I am also developing and learning skills.

I was not prepared for this process and I had so much to learn once I decided to have my dog trained to be my service dog. I ran into new lessons daily and I wanted to write a book about my experience to help others with the process. I was thrilled to read this book and to see the book I thought I needed to write was already written with much more experience, skill and knowledge than I could have ever provided.

I am very grateful to have found this book and am recommending it to all of the people who stop and ask me about my service dog.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Canine and Human Lives Intertwined in a Special Book, January 7, 2010

By 

Diana S. Burgwyn "author and music critic" (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Healing Companions: Ordinary Dogs and Their Extraordinary Power to Transform Lives (Paperback)

Most of us have encountered service dogs for the blind and even for hearing-disabled people, but I, for one, had no idea that there was such a thing as psychiatric service dogs until I read Jane Miller's deeply touching and highly informative book Healing Companions. Miller is in a unique position to write on this subject, being a clinical psychotherapist and social worker as well as a leading authority on this emerging new field. What makes her book so special is that she combines her own personal story (especially the beautiful relationship she developed with her dog Umaya over many years) with insightful vignettes of her clients,plus imortant information that anyone considering such a dog will want to know.

Dogs often have an almost mystical sense of what we humans feel, think, and need, and I cannot imagine any more fulfilling relationship than that between a dog and a person whose emotional problems had previously left him or her feeling alone, unwanted and hopeless.

Thanks to Jane Miller for opening our eyes to this special bond.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Any general or pet-oriented collection will find this a key pick, April 19, 2010

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Healing Companions: Ordinary Dogs and Their Extraordinary Power to Transform Lives (Paperback)

HEALING COMPANIONS: ORDINARY DOGS AND THEIR EXTRAORDINARY POWER TO TRANSFORM LIVES is the first book to show how dogs benefit those who suffer from emotional issues. It shows how to choose a companion dog with healing in mind, how to understand the requirements of a service dog, and how to provide the dog with proper care. Any general or pet-oriented collection will find this a key pick.