Meet Onnie: How a therapy dog is helping survivors of violence in Mexico City

[Judi Lynn]

MSF provides animal-assisted psychotherapy as part of a comprehensive care program

March 10, 2023



Alicia de la Rosa is a psychologist specializing in animal-assisted psychotherapy. She works alongside Onnie, a four-year-old Labrador Retriever, to provide mental health support to victims of torture and extreme violence at the Comprehensive Care Center in Mexico City. The center has been managed by the international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) since 2017. Here, MSF’s team of doctors, psychologists, social workers, psychiatrists, and physiotherapists provides comprehensive—and often long-term—care for people who have experienced horrific journeys along migration routes through the Americas or extreme violence in the countries they fled.

Onnie is trained to provide therapeutic support to children, adolescents, the elderly, and people living with disabilities. The support that Onnie and de la Rosa provide at the center is just one component of the psychosocial care that MSF's patients receive.



Onnie, a four-year-old Labrador Retriever, provides mental health support to victims of torture and extreme violence at the Comprehensive Care Center in Mexico City.
Mexico 2023 © MSF

“Some of the people who have experienced traumatic situations of extreme violence or torture find it difficult to express their emotions and find trust again in others and in their environment,” said de la Rosa.

“Working with Onnie gives them a chance to break down barriers so that they can open up to therapists and feel confident to talk about the difficult situations they have experienced. The patients at this center have been victims of kidnappings, torture, forced prostitution, threats, mutilation, sexual violence, forced recruitment by organized crime gangs, or have even witnessed the murder of a family member.”

More:
https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/latest/meet-onnie-how-therapy-dog-helping-survivors-violence-mexico-city

[Judi Lynn]

1. Speaking of therapy:

[Skittles]

2. I love that movie

over the top ridiculous but so freaking entertaining

[Duppers]

4. Harvey Korman and Mel Brooks

Who doesn't love Mel Brooks!!

Would you believe that he went to VMI? What's a nice Jewish boy doing in such a place?

[Judi Lynn]

5. Whoa! Who knew? It might explain his need to wear uniforms in films!

Went to google to look for him in a military uniform:







(Please stand up if you're going to be shooting me!)















Poor Mel, being molested by Anne Bancroft again!

[Duppers]

6. Wow! You're right.

Excellent!

[Duppers]

3. Heartwarming! 💕