Animal Assisted Therapy at Insight Therapy Group
Insight practitioner, Jen Pearson, with Fidget the dog and Fidgie’s favorite toy.
From Edinburgh to Iowa:
How One Therapist’s Unconventional Path Created a Unique Practice at Insight Therapy Group
Most people do not stumble into their life’s work because of a quiet moment in a friend’s living room. But that is exactly how Jennifer Pearson LISW, practitioner at Insight Therapy Group, found hers.
In the early 2000s, Jen was visiting a friend. His brother, a quadriplegic with limited mobility, was there. Jen had brought her dog, a small Pekingese x Pomeranian mix named Phoebe she had gotten from a Pennysaver ad. She had no formal training in animal assisted work at the time. She certainly wasn’t thinking about a session.
But Phoebe had other ideas.
The dog carefully navigated her way over catheter lines and medication ports. She settled herself perfectly on the man’s lap. He began to pet her and burst into tears. It was the first time since his accident that he had been able to pet a dog without being scratched or injured. His own dogs were too rowdy. Phoebe just knew. Jen stood there dumbfounded. She watched her dog do this work completely organically, from a place of pure instinct. And she thought, I have to research this.
That single moment set her on a path that would eventually lead her to become one of the most uniquely qualified
therapists in the region.
Within three months, she had reached out to the University of Denver, which housed the only Graduate School of Social Work at the time with a program in animal assisted work. She transferred schools immediately. Phoebe went with her. They started at the ground level, volunteering at hospitals. Jen would pick up her small dog and place her on patient beds, learning the traditional foundations of animal assisted interventions.
But Jen didn’t stop there. She went on to work at Green Chimneys in Brewster, New York. It is widely considered the seminal institution for animal assisted therapy and nature-based treatment in the country. She learned how to integrate animals into clinical work for adolescents with complex behavioral issues. Still, she felt something was missing. She had the human service credentials. She wanted the academic credentials to match her understanding of the animals themselves. So she looked across the ocean.
Jen discovered the University of Edinburgh’s Royal Dick School for Veterinary Studies. They offered a Master of Science in Applied Animal Behavior and Animal Welfare. She applied. She went overseas. She earned the degree.
Today, Jen holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Denver with a certificate in Animal Assisted Social Work. She also holds a Master of Science in Applied Animal Behavior from the University of Edinburgh. She has trained dogs professionally for over three decades. She is a K9 Good Citizen Evaluator. She teaches for the Institute for Human-Animal Connection, helping other practitioners learn how to do this work.
And now, she practices right here in Cedar Rapids, IA, at Insight Therapy Group.
Her path was not linear. It was a winding road that started with a dog who knew what a man needed before his human did. That intersection of skills is exceedingly rare. It is what makes her approach so different. Because Jen’s expertise doesn’t stop with Fidget, her three-pound long-haired Chihuahua who often accompanies sessions. Jen offers something you will not find at many other practices.
At Insight Therapy Group, clients who have a suitable animal can bring their own dog to sessions.
If you struggle with depression, Jen can help you see how caring for your pet counts as a win for your own daily living. If you struggle with boundaries, she can watch how you interact with your dog and offer gentle, in-the-moment feedback that feels less intimidating than a direct confrontation about your childhood. If you have a history of trauma, she can help you understand the difference between a healthy boundary and an authoritarian one, all in the context of a training exercise.
She sits in both worlds. She reads the human and she reads the dog. And because of that, she can see the patterns that others might miss. Jen is creating the blueprint for this work as she goes. There is no manual for what she does. There is only decades of experience, two master’s degrees, and a deep belief that our relationships with animals mirror our relationships with ourselves.
For those in Cedar Rapids looking for something different, something that combines real clinical expertise with a genuine love for the creatures we share our lives with, the door is open. And yes, the coffee is always on.
If you’re interested in Animal-Assisted Therapy, or have any other questions, click the link below and connect with us!
