North Dakota State students may enjoy the second to last Pawsitive Relxation on Tuesday.
The event occurs on the second Tuesday of every month and features a visit with NDSU Counseling Center’s registered therapy dog, Watson.
The groups are limited to six participants at a time to create a casual and comfortable space for students and Watson, Amber Bach-Gorman, assistant director of the NDSU Counseling Center, said.
“Pawsitive Relaxation was developed because research indicates that interaction between humans and therapeutic animals can be a positive way to relieve stress and anxiety in individuals who may be experiencing high stress associated with academic pursuits and other life stressors,” Bach-Gorman said.
Watson is the Counseling Center’s only registered therapy dog, however, registered therapy teams in the Fargo-Moorhead community visit NDSU and hold therapy events at the Residence Halls and the Counseling Center.
“Last year the Counseling Center administered a survey to NDSU students who attended Pawsitive Relaxation and the NDSU Counseling Center open house with the therapy dogs,” Bach-Gorman said.
Fifty-three students took the survey and 73 percent said they either did not know about the Counseling Center or knew very little and had never utilized the services. Seventy percent of those surveyed said after attending one of the events with therapy canines they would be more likely to utilize the services offered at the center.
“Students who attended the Pawsitive Relaxation events and/or the NDSU Counseling Center open house events with the registered therapy dog teams indicated a 23 percent shift in perceived ability to manage and cope with their stress and anxiety levels. This is a pretty dramatic increase on a student’s perceived ability to manage stressors associated with college life,” Bach-Gorman said.
Of those surveyed, 87 percent of students said the reason they attended the events was solely to meet the registered therapy teams.
In addition to meeting and interacting with Watson, students can also talk to Bach-Gorman about stress management techniques and what students can do to help support their overall wellness during the stressful times in their lives.
“Students are more likely to attend events at the NDSU Counseling Center if education programming is conducted in collaboration with additional resources like registered therapy teams,” Bach-Gorman said.
Space is limited so students must preregister through the Counseling Center to attend the event. It will take place in 212 Ceres Hall from 5:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m.
Pawsitive Relaxation has its last meeting of the year Dec. 13 and will start back up again during the Spring 2017 semester.