MBE in Clinical Practice Session 11 Discussion

Session 11: Nature as Healer


11.1 Animal Assisted Healing

For this exercise you will need an animal assistant. You may use your own pet for the exercise. If you do not have a pet, you may wish to borrow one from a friend or neighbor, or visit a petting zoo if there is one near you. Don’t attempt this exercise with a wild animal. If you have allergies, select an animal you’re not allergic to, if possible.
To engage in the Animal Assisted Healing exercise, complete the following steps, then go on to answer the questions on the next page.
1.Find a space, preferably outdoors, where you and your animal assistant may be undisturbed for the duration of the exercise.
2.Begin by taking your pulse. Write down your heart rate on the worksheet on the next page, or just make a mental note of it for now.
3.Ask your animal assistant for its permission and help in completing this exercise, and wait for a reply. Read the animal assistant’s body language for signs that permission has been granted. If it has not, or if the animal seems uneasy in any way, postpone the activity until another time.
4.Once permission has been granted, thank your animal assistant by giving him or her a treat of some sort.
5.Bond with your animal assistant by grooming or petting it.
6.When you feel a bond has been established, think of a situation in which you need healing help. If you do not have such a situation, just enjoy the experience of being with your animal assistant.
7.Play with your animal assistant in some way. If your animal assistant is a dog, you may toss a ball or a stick. If a cat, you may offer it a bit of string. If some other animal, find a way to engage in a playful activity with it.
8.When you have finished playing with the animal assistant, thank it once again and express your gratitude by offering it another treat.
9.Take your pulse again.
10.Dismiss your animal assistant in a kind and gentle way.

When you have completed all 10 steps above, go to the worksheet on the next page and answer the questions.

RESTING HEART RATE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE EXERCISE: ___70____ beats per minute

How did your animal assistant grant you permission to do the exercise?


She gave me eye contact and I felt she was ok with it.



How did choose to bond with your animal assistant? How did he/she respond?


Petting and giving verbal affirmations. Also, playing tug with a toy.


Before playing with your animal assistant, did you think of a situation in which you needed help? Did playing with your animal assistant change the way you thought about the situation? How?


She helped me by sharing a sense of playfulness as well as being present - which is not an approach I have not taken with the situation I was thinking of.


Did you notice any change in your thoughts, feelings, or overall mood after the exercise? If so, what?

I was already relaxed because I was with my dog and outside, which are two of my most relaxing spaces to be. But I felt much more present and in tune with my dog after this exercise. I also noticed being more contemplative.


How might animal assisted healing help you to live more fully in your True Self?

Being more present and connected, which is what I have been working on.


RESTING HEART RATE AT THE END OF THE EXERCISE: ____69__ beats per minute

Did your resting heart rate increase or decrease during the exercise (circle one)? INCREASE | DECREASE

Decrease slightly


11.3 Anxiety from Material Possessions


Go back to your Things That Cause Me Stress from Session 2.1. How many of those things have to do with material possessions? That is, on your list of things that cause you stressful or depressing thoughts, how many of them have to do with the purchase, rental, or ownership of material goods? For purposes of this exercise, “material goods” may also include intangible goods such as stocks, bonds, insurance policies, medical bills, rental and lease fees, etc.

Once you have identified these items from your Things That Cause Me Stress list, write them below:

1.Debt from student loans, house payment, car payment and paying off travel expenses.
2. car repairs
3. malls
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Now go back again to Session 1 and look at your list of Top Ten Things That Keep Me from Feeling Connected. How many of those things have to do with material possessions or the worries they cause? List those in the exercise on the next page.

Look at your list of Things That Keep Me from Feeling Connected from Session 7.1. How many of those things have to do with material possessions or the worries they cause? List them below:

None of the things on my list had to do with material possessions.
1.
2.
3
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.


Now find your list of Ways I’d Like to Feel Connected from Session 7.3. How many of those have to do with material possessions? List those in the exercise on the next page.

Material Possessions as Aids to Connection
In Session 7.3, find your list of Ways I’d Like to Feel Connected. How many of those have to do with material possessions? In other words, you are looking for items on the list in Session 7.3 that are material possessions that help you to feel a spiritual, divine, or numinous connection to nature, to your loved ones, and to yourself. When you have identified those items, list them below.

1. Trip to Ocean (material would include $$ for flight/trip)
2.
3
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

What did you learn about yourself from doing these lists? What did you learn about your relationship to material goods?

I learned that what I find stressful, I do not notice that it gets in the way of connecting. I think I have an inner barrier that gets in the way of connecting that is trying to protect me, but not allowing me to fully trust anything.