Therapy turtle helps young people in need

ABC NEWS (Australia)

You've probably heard of the widespread benefits of therapy dogs or even cats or horses. But in a groundbreaking approach to mental health care, another unique form of therapy is making waves.

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00:00This northern long-necked turtle may not look that comforting or cuddly, but at a Darwin

00:07Children's Clinic, Timmy has taken on the role of therapy turtle, and he's helping

00:12hundreds of young people.

00:14Hey Jas, would you like to see Timmy today?

00:21Jasmine is living with rheumatoid arthritis.

00:24They've been coming here for about three years with her very complex medical condition

00:30that she has, and yeah, Timmy's great because he's an alternative sort of therapy animal

00:39I guess.

00:40His unusually calming presence makes clinic visits a much less stressful affair.

00:46When they don't know what's going on, they don't necessarily understand what mum and

00:50dad or their carers and the doctors are talking about or what's going on with their body,

00:54so yeah, that does make it a much nicer experience.

00:58They're no longer focusing on their pain, they're no longer focusing on why they're

01:02at the doctor, and it really makes such a massive difference.

01:08Timmy was abandoned by a local law firm years ago.

01:12When he first arrived, I noticed that he was always at the tank wanting to interact with

01:17the kids, and so I started taking him out and taking him outside for walks.

01:22He's been helping children like Jasmine ever since.

01:26Older adults often have rheumatoid arthritis, but when you have it as a child, it's often

01:31much more severe, so Jasmine battles with pain every day, and being able to hold Timmy

01:40and cuddle Timmy, as you saw, it can be really helpful for her pain and certainly for her anxiety.

01:50A therapy turtle helping young people feel comfortable in their shells.

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