Wellness Wednesday: Animal Assisted Counseling of Indiana
š§ Wellness Wednesday: Finding the Emotional Wellness Support You Deserve
Letās be honest: life can be heavy sometimes. Whether you’re juggling responsibilities at work, trying to stay present with your kids, or simply getting through the day, your emotional well-being matters.
At Animal Assisted Counseling of Indiana, we believe that emotional wellness support should feel accessible, comforting, and tailored to you. Thatās what Wellness Wednesday is all aboutāsharing ways to feel more grounded and connected to yourself and the world around you.
š What Is Emotional Wellness Support?
Emotional wellness isnāt about being happy all the time. Itās about:
Being able to notice and name your feelings
Having safe ways to express and process emotions
Feeling supported in your relationships
Knowing how to care for your mental health
Emotional wellness support helps you build the skills, routines, and self-awareness to manage life’s ups and downs. At AACI, we do this through a compassionate blend of talk therapy and animal-assisted counseling.
š¾ How Therapy Dogs Support Emotional Wellness
One of the most unique ways we support clients at AACI is through our therapy dogs. Whether youāre a teen working through anxiety or an adult healing from trauma, the presence of a therapy dog can create a sense of:
Safety
Connection
Regulation
Comfort
Therapy dogs help clients slow down and tune into their body and emotions. We often hear things like:
š āI didnāt even realize how tense I was until I sat with her.ā
š āItās easier to talk when the dog is in the room.ā
They offer nonjudgmental presenceāand sometimes thatās exactly what healing needs.
Animal-Assisted Therapy Research ā UCLA Health
Explores how petting animals triggers relaxation responses, boosts mood-related hormones like serotonin and oxytocin, reduces anxiety, and acts as a catalyst in therapy.
šæ Gentle Ways to Care for Your Emotional Wellness Today
If you’re looking for a place to start, here are a few gentle practices you can try today:
1. Name One Emotion You’re Feeling
Pause. Close your eyes. What are you feeling right now? Sad? Tired? Hopeful? Naming emotions is a powerful first step to processing them.
2. Check In With Your Body
Are your shoulders tight? Is your jaw clenched? Where are you holding stress? A quick scan can help you reconnect to your body.
3. Reach Out to Someone Safe
Text a friend. Hug your dog. Make eye contact with a loved one. Connection helps calm the nervous system.
4. Do One Small Nourishing Thing
This could be stretching, drinking water, lighting a candle, or stepping outside for 5 minutes. Small steps matter.
Ā
š± Emotional Wellness in Relationships
We often forget that emotional wellness doesnāt just affect usāit influences how we show up in our relationships.
Whether you’re parenting, in a partnership, or navigating friendships, emotional wellness helps you:
Respond rather than react
Set healthy boundaries
Offer empathy without burning out
Stay connected even during conflict
At AACI, we work with families, couples, teens, and individuals to explore how emotional wellness plays out at home and in relationships.
š Explore our family and relationship counseling services
ā Wellness Wednesday Task: Check In With Yourself
Take 2ā5 minutes today to ask yourself:
What emotion am I carrying today?
What do I need to feel supported?
Whatās one small step I can take right now?
You deserve to be supportedānot just in crisis, but in everyday life.
š¾ When You're Ready for Support, We're Here
If you’re feeling emotionally exhausted, stuck in stress, or just not like yourself lately, you donāt have to figure it all out alone.
Our team at AACI offers a warm, supportive space for healingāand sometimes a wagging tail to make it a little easier to breathe.
š Located in Munster, Indiana
š¾ Serving teens, adults, couples, and families
šļø Contact usĀ today