LGBTs from throughout central Florida have come out to Keba. She has heard the young gay man struggle to unite his religion with his sexuality; the older woman finally come to terms with her attraction for women. Each time, Keba gives a comforting look, offers a shoulder to lean on and, every once in awhile, offers up her coat for a loving pat.
Keba is a Labrador mix canine therapy dog that works side by side with Elizabeth Hollingsworth, a mental health counselor in Orlando.
“I use her in every session,” Hollingsworth says. “She’s used in every extreme. She’s there to greet people who may be uncomfortable with therapy and we also use her for disclosure. It really helps people to practice coming out to her or even sharing traumatic events.”
Hollingsworth and Keba have worked together for nearly two years, shortly after Hollingsworth found the stray Lab outside a hospital. The two have been virtually inseparable since.
“Keba had her own traumas and issues to overcome,” Hollingsworth says. “She had never seen a television, she wasn’t comfortable around people and she was very scared. I worked with her and began bringing her to work. Now she’s a licensed canine therapy dog and my clients love her.”
Hollingsworth, who describes herself as an ally to the LGBT community, says the presence of a dog in a therapy session is calming. People react differently to dogs than they do to other people, and Keba has helped bridge communication gaps at many different levels.
“Not to stereotype, but you don’t usually picture a grown man on the floor during therapy,” Hollingsworth says. “But I’m amazed at how often men—and all of my clients—are willing to get on the floor with Keba to share their struggles or just vent issues. For children, she’s a great communicator. They can use her to describe what happened to them and I can tell Keba’s ‘stories’ to relate to what the child is going through.”
The 60-pound dog is at the Hollingsworth Center in downtown Orlando every day, but she also accompanies her “boss” to a coming out group at The Centre, where Keba is always a hit.
“I tell people that dogs are therapeutic tools,” Hollingsworth says. “Anyone who has owned a dog knows that dogs can sense your feelings and they are so accepting. Keba is non-judgmental and that is a strength when working with the LGBT community, which has had so many of its members judged and treated unfairly.”
But not everyone is a dog lover, and Hollingsworth has actually used Keba to help one client overcome her fear of dogs. Originally, Hollingsworth says the woman was extremely afraid of Keba.
“Now the two are best friends,” Hollingsworth says. “If Keba doesn’t greet her at the door, the client gets upset. They have truly bonded and helped each other.”
Currently Hollingsworth only works with one canine. She says she eventually would like to open a larger clinic that would house more animals, but for now, it is just her and Keba working side-by-side.
“Keba works about 40 hours a week and I definitely want to give her her down time,” Hollingsworth says. She’s very calm and relaxed at work. At home, she turns back into a regular Lab puppy that’s ready to play or to sleep.”
For more information on canine assisted therapy, visit HopeCanHeal.com or call 407-312-8295.
