Therapy Dogs and Recovery from Addiction | Colleen Anne Dell | TEDxUniversityofSaskatchewan
What if we included domesticated animals, and in particular dogs, into the recovery plans of people struggling with addictions?
Colleen Anne Dell is a Professor & Centennial Enhancement Chair in One Health and Wellness at the University of Saskatchewan in the Department of Sociology and School of Public Health. She is a Senior Research Associate with the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction.
Working alongside community and academic partners, Dr. Dells’ research focuses on healing from addictions and mental health, with attention to animal-assisted interventions. She has worked alongside several registered therapy dogs, including within and alongside federal prisons, addictions treatment clients, and war veterans.
Colleen’s commitment to sharing knowledge is recognized in her team’s production of a variety of unique products, including music videos and paintings. In 2017, Colleen was named to the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem, a part of the Canadian Honours System, in recognition of her humanitarian research and community service in the animal assisted intervention field.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx