Therapy Birds

[Robyn]

There is no music for this man, it is him feeling off his partner, it's so beautiful to watch.

That's also not entirely true people who were born deaf can feel the music vibrating in the floor as there sense of touch is more acute than that of a hearing person. My uncle was born deaf with zero hearing. Zero hearing is actually rare most deaf people have some level of hearing though very little. Flipping lights and stomping is how we have to get his attention sometimes. If he's in a car and a song has a lot of base he will turn the radio down because he doesn't understand that just because the vibration is strong doesn't always mean the music is loud.

[kendrafitz]

My daughter always said that she thought a larger (well trained obviously) parrot would make a great animal assistant for the deaf and hard of hearing due to their natural tendencies.

Penny - I just giggled, but not at the general idea your daughter had. Just because I have lost a good amount of hearing from Rosie screaming. So not only can they help the deaf, but they can help make a person deaf as well!

[spiritbird]

We can certainly respect each others opinions on this subject. I do know and believe that birds, with the proper training, can provide love and whatever else is needed for those unfortunate humans that have both physical and psychological stresses that interfere with daily life. Birds are highly initiative to humans. Such sensitivity can be harnessed and birds, like other species, can be trained to use these abilities to help individuals with psychological or emotional disabilities. We have several organizations that do this.
Gifted Wings Ministry, a Tulsa, Oklahoma non-profit organization that facilitates visits and educational presentations with rescued birds was co-founded in 2000 by Joyce Legere and Maureen Horton-Legere. Understanding the beneficial effects of interacting with birds they began On a Wing & A Prayer, a program that brings birds into many different community facilities, including nursing homes. You can read several examples of bird assisted therapy on the internet. http://www.forparrots.com/2013/09/07...isted-therapy/

[Robyn]

Again it's not the birds that are the problem it's the people. When did it suddenly become a great idea for everyone to have a bird? Not everyone especially "broken" people can handle a bird

[mdg1109]

Idk, I think it could work in certain situations, just look at the link @spiritbird supplied. It worked in that case and I'm sure others. Dogs and cats work in most cases but so can horses and even small mammals. I don't claim to know but I do agree that there are different strokes for different folks.

I agree Alice, I use to ride horses and the barn where I boarded my horse belonged to a women who ran a therapy program for kids. The horses brought something out in the kids that helped them be able to talk about the things that had happened and also built their trust back up. It amazes me at what animals are capable of doing for humans without asking anything in return!

[mdg1109]

We cabncerntly respect each others opinions on this subject. I do know and believe that birds, with the proper training, can provide love and whatever else is needed for those unfortunate humans that have both physical and psychological stresses that interfere with daily life. Birds are highly initiative to humans. Such sensitivity can be harnessed and birds, like other species, can be trained to use these abilities to help individuals with psychological or emotional disabilities. We have several organizations that do this.
Gifted Wings Ministry, a Tulsa, Oklahoma non-profit organization that facilitates visits and educational presentations with rescued birds was co-founded in 2000 by Joyce Legere and Maureen Horton-Legere. Understanding the beneficial effects of interacting with birds they began On a Wing & A Prayer, a program that brings birds into many different community facilities, including nursing homes. You can read several examples of bird assisted therapy on the internet. http://www.forparrots.com/2013/09/07...isted-therapy/

Thank you Dianne for posting this. My general question was if there are any programs that have therapy birds. Your link and the information above showed me that there are and that birds like other animals can help people that might have gone through something traumatic.

I totally agree with Mare, birds can be empathetic. Charlie even in the short time we have had him knows when I am having a bad day, just like I can tell from his mood if he is going to have a good day or a bad day.

Robyn I do not think anyone here is saying that everyone should have a bird. There are people that do not like birds, and there are birds that do not like people because of situations that they have been put in. I was by no means saying that we should rush out and send birds to people that need therapy. I do know that if given the chance some people might be able to work through whatever their situation might be because of birds intelligence and willingness to try if given the right environment.

[Mare]

Again it's not the birds that are the problem it's the people. When did it suddenly become a great idea for everyone to have a bird? Not everyone especially "broken" people can handle a bird

Robyn, I'm guessing that the gist of this story is not "owning" a therapy bird, just having "exposure" to one.

[Sucre]

All of my animals serve as therapy for me, on many different levels. I have my own zoo - 9 birds, 4 dogs (at the moment I have a foster), and 2 cats.

Growing up, I wasn't allowed to have pets. My father was mentally ill and very cruel, and every pet I managed to bring home mysteriously disappeared. When I was old enough to realize what he was doing, I stopped acquiring them. The only thing that was safe from him were two BeBe (? spelling) parrots that were given to HIM by a friend of his - they cussed like sailors so he found them amusing. He never let them out of their cage, so I would sneak and do it after school before he came home from work. One day, they were just gone. When I was a teenager, he started working out of state, which was the best thing that ever happened to our family. He was only home on the weekends. I got my own first birds - two little budgies. I kept them in my bedroom and covered the cage when he was home so they wouldn't irritate him and disappear like everything else did.

Now, I do rescue on a very small scale because of life in general and time restraints. Some pass through my home onto a forever home, some stay. I had a rough life, a terrible childhood, and my life is stable now, so I pass on what I can to animals in need. I am sure I have PTSD, but never been diagnosed. I am soothed by many things, all are animals. For 2 seasons, I had 2 yearling deer that would come up to my yard (for cat food, no less) and walk all around me. I can watch a well planned aquarium for hours, one of the most soothing things in the world. I can pick up my little rescued terrier who was abused for 3 years before I found him and has fear aggression and bites everyone except me - I can hold him tight and we feed off of each others emotions, but at that moment, it's always peace. I love the sound of my birds. I find it very soothing every morning to wake to their chattering and singing, such as it is with conures and lovebirds. I don't cover their cage at night because I need that wake up call, it's a beautiful way to start your day. At the end of a long work day in a busy doctors' office, I love coming home to them.

So much cheaper than a psychiatrist or medication!!!

I don't think birds are for everyone. I would NEVER recommend a large parrot to anyone without large bird experience, lesson learned the hard way and it broke my heart. But, I do think that I would love to do as the person in the article did - I would love to go plop myself down for an hour a day in the middle of a bird sanctuary. They are broken, and healing together, and I think it's beautiful. I do believe they provide therapy, but as for one on one, I think it's when that bird choses a person, as always. I am not certain that you can train / force a bird to be a therapy pet.

Very interesting topic!

[Mare]

Aww..Kim, you have my heart. I'm so sorry about you having to deal with a rough childhood, thank you for sharing that.

I love your whole post. Birds are so soothing on so many levels.

[spiritbird]

Robyn I don't think the organisation gives the birds to the people in need. The birds remain in foster care or shelters.