Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/99516
Therapy Dog is Invaluable Assistant to Counselor Eileen Vickers Twenty-year teaching and counseling veteran Eileen Vickers is a middle school counselor in Newcastle who is using a non-traditional method of reaching kids. Becklyn is a trained therapy dog who has been with Eileen and the Newcastle Middle School for about three years. As one of Becklyn's friends, seventh-grader Craeston Hartmann said knowing her has been helpful. "Well, since I irst came to this school, I was a little nervous, ya know, I didn't know anybody," Hartmann said, and added, "She calmed me down every time I was mad, and when I was 'down,' she helped me feel back 'up.'" Eileen Vickers has seen that this non-traditional method of reaching kids really has its beneits and shows results. "Dogs…give you unconditional acceptance no matter what. Whether you took a shower, whether anybody else thinks you look funny, it does not matter; a dog loves you," she said. Middle School Principal Scott Shoop has also seen the advantages of using a therapy dog in the school, saying, "I've seen the extreme, where we had a student in a complete meltdown, and the calming impact of that therapy dog just entering the room - it's phenomenal." Becklyn offers kids a chance to reach out for help without the stigma of actually doing so. "Kids can come in to see me and talk about things; well, nobody knows that they're not coming in to just pet Becklyn. So it's a really good escape in that nobody gives you a hard time about seeing 'the counselor'; it's 'No, I'm going to see Becklyn,'" Vickers said. Becklyn's friends really love how she has helped them. For example, Hartmann expressed that "Becklyn – when I really got to know her, she became my companion. This dog, from top to bottom, is my friend." Becklyn is Vickers' second trained therapy dog at Newcastle Middle School, and as far as she knows, she was the irst in Wyoming to try such a technique. Now there are therapy dogs being used in the same way all over our state. For more information and to watch a video about this story, visit www.wyoea.org. Seventh-grader Craeston Hartmann visits Becklyn between classes. Counselor Eileen Vickers and Becklyn wait in the hallway to visit kids between classes. 12 WINTER 2012 Winter 2012.indd 12 | WEAnews 12/14/12 3:23 PM