Dolphin-assisted therapy

Domain XV · Nature, philosophy, social & rites of passage · David Nathanson · 1970 · United States

What it is

Dolphin-assisted therapy (DAT) means swimming or interacting with dolphins, usually captive dolphins in tanks, pools or sea pens, offered as a treatment for illness, disability and psychopathology, most often to children with developmental disabilities and their families. It is not a psychotherapy…

Format

• Formats. Poolside interactions with a swim as a reward; swimming in tanks or sea pens; dorsal-fin rides; structured in-water sessions; and "looking after" the dolphin through feeding. "Wild DAT" is usually less structured swimming with free-ranging dolphins.
• Nathanson's model. A child works on a set task (Marino and Lilienfeld give the example of placing a ring on a peg) and, when the child does what the therapist asks, a trainer directs the dolphin to interact with the child as a reward; programmes ran as one- or two-week blocks, and the 1997 study…

Who practises it, and how they are trained or regulated

• Staff. WDCS reports no prerequisite for trained staff. Under IAHAIO definitions, animal-assisted therapy proper requires a formally trained, licensed health, education or human-service professional, planned goals and documented progress; most DAT offers do not meet that description as reviewers describe them.
• Dolphin-assisted therapy (DAT) means swimming or interacting with dolphins, usually captive dolphins in tanks, pools or sea pens, offered as a treatment for illness, disability and psychopathology, most often to children with developmental disabilities and their families. It is not a psychotherapy and has no recognised standards body: the WDCS report states there is no industry standard defining DAT and no…

Evidence status, as the guide reports it

• Informed-decision conversation. Goal: the family knows the evidence, the costs, the injury and infection risks and the welfare concerns, as Marino and Lilienfeld recommend telling parents. Move on when they can state the main points back in their own words.

Questions to explore with your client

• What drew you to it, and what are you hoping it will change?
• Is there physical contact? Was it explained beforehand, and do you feel free to say no or stop at any point?
• Does it use a device, heat, cold, water or a physical procedure? Has a medical professional checked that it is safe for you?
• Who runs it, and what training or registration do they hold?
• What actually happens in a session or meeting, and how often?
• What does it cost, and is there pressure to commit to more?
• How do you feel afterwards, in the hours and days that follow?
• Does it fit with, or clash with, the work we do here?

What practitioners of it watch for

• abandonment of essential medical care. Working if: the child's essential care continues.
• the family hiding plans from the team; mixed messages. Working if: the team and family share one plan.
• spending as escape; a wish for a single cure. Working if: valued activities increase and mood improves.
• stopping existing therapy to fund the trip. Working if: the plan is written and existing therapy continues.
• providers that do not ask for medical information. Working if: written medical clearance or a decision not to go.

When to involve someone else

• New or worsening physical symptoms, or advice to stop or change prescribed medication: involve the client's doctor or prescriber.
• Signs of coercion, isolation from family and friends, escalating costs or secrecy: discuss openly and consider safeguarding.
• A crisis or thoughts of suicide: follow your crisis protocol. In the US, call or text 988; in the UK and Ireland, Samaritans on 116 123.

Drawn automatically from the guide's own sections. Stay curious: neither endorse nor dismiss what the client values, and check anything that matters against the full guide and its sources. Not medical advice.