Blog: An Ode to a Colleague

Miss Caryn is our Social, Emotional and Mental Health Specialist and Education Consultant. In this blog, An Ode to a Colleague, she writes about our school dog, Fin.

This is Fin. She’s a school dog; the Headmaster thinks she’s his, and she does live with him, but the children (plus some staff and I) believe she’s ours.

I wanted to share how much Fin has helped my therapeutic practice.

I have always believed therapeutic sessions should be as fun and motivating as possible. I believe the relationship between myself and the children I work with is of utmost importance in our time together. I truly believe I have the best ‘job’ in the world.

Whilst my sessions utilise established evidence-based interventions and therapeutic techniques to address specific concerns, I try to make the sessions as less clinical as possible using meaningful, purposeful and functional games, creative activities and natural environment tools. But most of my sessions take place in schools. It’s been hard not to feel slightly clinical… until Fin joined me at Finton House.

In my sessions, she serves as a compassionate and comforting presence, offering support and companionship to children undergoing various life experiences. Her simple presence can alleviate anxiety and stress, helping children to relax and open up during their therapy sessions.

She’s become an integral part of the therapeutic process, forming a bond with the children that goes beyond words. She provides a source of comedy, comfort and emotional connection, particularly for individuals who struggle with trust or communicating their feelings.

She’s involved in various activities to facilitate learning about collaboration, healing and growth. In group sessions, the children have trained her to perform specific tasks and have an overwhelming sense of achievement. I have seen communication, problem-solving, teamwork development, resilience and self-esteem that I cannot do easily in a more clinical setting. One of my social groups is six months ahead of where I’d planned for them to be because they’ve had her in the sessions. Six months!!!!

I am a dog lover anyway, but I will be furever grateful to her. I owe this bundle of fluff a lot.

To follow Fin on Instagram, visit @finatfinton

To read more about our commitment to pastoral care in all its forms, click here