Dimitris, a child on the autism spectrum, had no functional speech until he was three and a half years old. He communicated only through echolalia. After just a few sessions of animal-assisted therapy (zootherapy) at the “Warm Embrace” early intervention center, however, he spoke his first word – or rather, his first name: “Koi.”
Koi, a black-and-white long-haired Border Collie, helped Dimitris synchronize, speak, make eye contact, and play. “For us, these kinds of behavioral changes in a child are part of everyday life,” says Evgenia Karazioti, a special education teacher at Warm Embrace and a certified zootherapist. Her dog, Koi, she explains, “has an innate tendency and willingness to work with children on the autism spectrum or those facing other developmental challenges.”
A valuable partner
But this was far from the only time Koi, working alongside Karazioti and her team, helped “unlock” a child. For nearly eight years, he has appeared in the classroom twice a week, serving as one of her most important collaborators.
How can the presence of an animal help a child with autism—or an elderly person?
According to François Beiger, founder of the French Institute of Zootherapy, animals act as mediators that make no distinctions.
“They can serve many roles for patients: a source of motivation, a mirror, a behavioral model, an ally,” he tells TO VIMA. “The qualities an animal brings make it an invaluable partner. It can communicate in multiple direct ways that go far beyond language, which is both valuable and liberating.”
Karazioti shares the same belief. She recalls the case of Vasiliki, an elderly woman living with dementia who had lost her desire to engage with life. Hoping to motivate her—and having noticed that she admired dogs during their walks—Vasiliki’s daughter suggested zootherapy.
One day, Koi arrived at her home.
“I will never forget that session,” Karazioti says. “We brushed Koi, and she suddenly felt the need to brush her own hair. I mentioned that he was thirsty, and she got up to bring him water, even though she rarely walked. She had almost stopped eating, yet she said she would cook something for Koi so they could eat together. As I told her his story, she began recalling moments from her own past. She bent down, pet him, moved around. It was remarkable.”
Nelly Georgoudi, a clinical psychologist and scientific director of the Greek Institute of Zootherapy, had long searched for ways to access the human psyche when words alone proved insufficient.
“Through a psychoanalytic perspective, I often observed in clinical practice—especially among children, adolescents, and adults with traumatic experiences—that verbal processing was not always immediately available,” she says.
That is where the importance of an animal’s presence emerged. Animals do not judge or intrude. Instead, they offer a direct physical and emotional connection capable of unlocking areas that are otherwise difficult to access—as happened with young Dimitris.
During this search, Georgoudi came into contact with the French Institute of Zootherapy, founded and directed by François Beiger. In France, animal-assisted therapy has already been integrated into clinical and educational settings.
“But animal-assisted therapy is not a magical intervention,” Georgoudi emphasizes. “It is an evidence-based therapeutic mediation integrated into a broader treatment framework. It is not simply the pleasant presence of an animal. It is a structured, individualized process with clear goals, evaluation, and methodology. The animal functions as a co-therapist within a three-way relationship: therapist, patient, and animal.”
In other words, the animal—whether a dog, donkey, or another species—does not heal on its own. It becomes part of a therapeutic framework designed by the therapist, helping regulate emotions, build attachment, process anxiety, encourage projection, and create an intermediate space in which the patient can engage.
Animal-assisted therapy in Greece
In Greece, professional training in zootherapy remains limited, and there is often confusion between a scientific therapeutic intervention and simple contact with animals.
The establishment of the Greek Institute of Zootherapy as the official representative of the French institute was an effort to clarify that distinction through professional education. To date, 80 people have been certified, including psychiatrists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, kindergarten teachers, educators, psychologists, and dentists.
The journey toward introducing and gaining recognition for animal-assisted therapy in Greece has gone through many stages. First came the challenge of acknowledging that relationships with non-human beings can carry meaning and therapeutic value. Then came the need to explain what animal-assisted therapy is—and perhaps even more importantly, what it is not.
The effort began in 2016 under the auspices of the Scientific Association for the Care of Children and Adolescents in Thessaloniki, led by Grigoris Abatzoglou, Professor Emeritus of Child Psychiatry at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Through conferences, partnerships, and the training of professionals in healthcare, mental health, education, and special education, the foundations were laid.
“Gradually, a community of professionals sharing a common language and ethical framework emerged,” says Georgoudi. “Each applies the methods of animal-assisted therapy within their own scientific field.”
“Since then, we have introduced animal-assisted therapy into therapeutic settings ranging from early intervention classrooms to hospitals, as well as programs in schools, institutions, and mental health organizations, with many benefits becoming evident in practice.”
Workshops and educational seminars have also been organized nationwide.
Today, zootherapy in Greece can be described as being in a stage of emerging acceptance. Public interest has grown significantly, and increasing numbers of professionals are seeking specialized training. Nevertheless, there remains a need for institutional recognition, scientific documentation, and clear regulation of professional practices.
For centuries, Western thought remained influenced by René Descartes’ view that animals lacked thought, language, will, and sensitivity, that, unlike humans, who possess a soul, consciousness, and reason, animals were merely material, mechanical bodies.
Modern research in ethology and neuroscience suggests otherwise.
So does Koi.
So does young Dimitris.
So does Vasiliki.
