When Words Fail

Sigmund Freud famously referred to psychoanalysis as “the talking cure.” For many people and most of the time, what’s spoken  about in therapy can heal. Often people say they need to see a therapist so they can understand why their lives seem stuck in an endless loop of dissastisfaction. Different forms of psychotherapy, including psychoanalysis can offer patients deep understanding of their internal and relational struggles. Gaining intellectual insight into how unfortunate patterns formed in childhood and have gotten played out in adult life can be extremely helpful. However, most patients at some point, realize that all the understanding in the world fails to bring about the change they seek. When words fail, other forms of treatment can be transformative.

When my dog, Garfield, was a puppy, he spent his time in my office, getting to know my patients. Before long, I noticed that he had become very important to some of them. The relationships took different forms. For some, Garfield was very soothing. In fact, somebody renamed him “Soothe.” Someone else called him “Buddha.” For another person who felt very lonely and unloved, Garfield lifted her spirits when he excitedly welcomed her each session. Garfield and other therapy dogs are able to provide a nonverbal presence that is uniquely therapeutic. And for me and others – including Sigmund Freud – our dogs’ presence help us be even better therapists to our patients.