PRESS RELEASE: Bruce D. Perry, M.D., Ph.D., World-Renowned Clinician and Researcher, Joins Forces with SoulPaws Recovery Project Team

In a powerful partnership, Dr. Perry will support SoulPaws as an advisor to amplify the neurological benefits of human-animal connection.

SAN DIEGO, CA – SoulPaws Recovery Project (SoulPaws), an accredited nonprofit organization that supports those with mental health challenges, welcomes Dr. Bruce Perry, Principal of the Neurosequential Network and co-author with Oprah Winfrey on the 2021 bestseller What Happened to You? Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing, to the team. 

Founded in 2016, SoulPaws was founded to unleash the benefits of the human-animal connection, blending animal-assisted interventions with clinician-led support. In California, Texas and Pennsylvania, SoulPaws has provided signature “Healing Circles,” free, structured therapeutic sessions led by trained clinical facilitators using a neurobiologically-informed approach with therapy animals. Groups are open to adults struggling with regulatory disorders such as eating and substance use disorders, and often involve a variety of animals including miniature horses, dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs, and even rats. Facilitators guide participants through the three pillars of SoulPaws: Calm, Connect, Heal.

As the Principal of the Neurosequential Network, Dr. Perry brings a wealth of expertise gained over three decades in children's mental health and neuroscience. With a focus on the impact of abuse, neglect, and trauma on the developing brain, Dr. Perry's influence extends globally, shaping clinical practice, programs, and policies. His extensive body of work includes bestselling books like The Boy Who Was Raised As A Dog, along with the recent What Happened to You? Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing co-authored with Oprah Winfrey in 2021.

Founder and Executive Director of SoulPaws Recovery Project, Shannon Kopp, says: “The opportunity to learn from Dr. Perry and his colleagues at the Neurosequential Network is invaluable. SoulPaws was built by clinicians, researchers, and people with lived experience in eating disorder recovery, and we are fortunate to collaborate with Dr. Perry and his team to expand our impact and create more awareness about the proven benefits of the human-animal connection.”

“It is gratifying to see the great work of SoulPaws. Their work exemplifies the wisdom of integrating core concepts of the neurobiology underlying regulation, resilience and healing into a practical, effective intervention approach. I know the whole Neurosequential Network community looks forward to working with the SoulPaws team.”

Dr. Patricia-Flaherty Fischette, SoulPaws Board President, adds: “I have been a strong advocate for adding a neurobiological substrate to our work with animal-assisted interventions (AAI) and eating disorders (ED). Dr. Perry’s Neurosequential model provides an opportunity to ground our work in brain science while also offering an accessible paradigm through which we can offer our SoulPaws pioneering efforts.  Dr. Perry’s insights about the non-pathologizing power of SoulPaws efforts indicates his understanding of our model. With the partnership of Dr. Perry and the Neurosequent Network, SoulPaws will be able to expand opportunities for healing.”

Dr. Flaherty-Fischette’s research was the first to explore both canine-assisted and equine-assisted forms of AAI in ED treatment. To better understand the relational and affective impact of AAI, Dr. Flaherty-Fischette’s qualitative study explored how women diagnosed with ED experienced AAI in their ED treatment through 38 semi-structured interviews with 20 women diagnosed with ED. Findings from the study suggest that AAI facilitated safe affect regulation practice and opportunities for connection and relational comfort. 

To learn more about SoulPaws, visit their website or find them on Instagram and Facebook. For more on Dr. Bruce Perry and the Neurosequential Network, visit the website. 

About SoulPaws Recovery Project

SoulPaws® provides free, evidence-based support for children and adults facing mental health challenges. We unleash the healing power of the human-animal connection by blending trauma-aware, clinician-led support with animal-assisted interventions. Through educational initiatives and community-based programming, we explore, demonstrate and research how animals can be key co-regulators of emotion and partners in healing, particularly for those with regulatory disorders (eating disorders, substance use disorders, anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, and more). 

About the Neurosequential Network

The Neurosequential Network develops and disseminates innovative programs and practices to improve life for children, families and communities. The Neurosequential Model is a developmentally sensitive, neurobiology-informed approach to clinical problem solving. The model, developed by Bruce D. Perry, MD, PhD, is not a specific therapeutic technique or intervention. It is an approach that integrates core principles of neurodevelopment and traumatology to inform work with children, families and the communities in which they live. 

For media inquiry, reach out to Shannon Kopp at 310-487-0365.