Genie Joseph, PhD, is the Executive Director of The Human-Animal Connection, a 501c3 organization dedicated to changing the way humanity relates to animals. We bring therapy animals and people together for the benefit of both. The Human-Animal Connection offers free therapy dog visits to veterans, Active Duty, Health Care Providers, and anyone experiencing stress in the field of Service to Others. We also offer educational classes and zoom consultations to help people deepen their connection to animals, increase empathy, and facilitate cross- species communication. Canines Teach Compassion is the HAC High School program that combines social skills and resilience training with animal interaction.

Genie is an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and creator of The Act Resilient Method and author of the book by that same name. Act Resilient, which works with Therapy Animals, has been presented to over 4,000 Service Members and their families, and for this work, she was given President Obama’s Volunteer Service Award. And her team at Tripler Army Medical Center was given a National Award for Workplace Resilience from the American Psychological Association.
She is a dog trainer and consultant on relationships between people and animals. Genie volunteers at various animal shelters and shares her life with her rescue dog, Sophia, who has brought smiles to many humans. Her book The Human- Animal Connection – Deepening Relationships with Animals and Ourselves is available on Amazon

We had the opportunity of sitting down and talking with Genie to discuss her inspiration, animal therapy and her new book “The Human Animal Connection”:

Can you share the inspiration behind founding The Human-Animal Connection?

I was volunteering at an animal shelter, and seeing how the dogs and cats were doing just made me cry every day. I thought there must be a better way, even in overcrowded shelters. There must be some way to reduce the level of suffering. So, I created a systematic method to connect with animals in a way that helped them to quickly feel safe and loved.

What motivated you to dedicate your efforts to changing the way humanity relates to animals?
Throughout history, animals have given so much to humans. We owe a debt to the animal kingdom. We can begin to make amends by recognizing that we are all animals. And then by respecting the unique and deep wisdom of non-human animals. Once we recognize that animals have feelings, desires, needs, and opinions, it is impossible to ignore their sentience and inner lives.

How do therapy animals contribute to the well-being of both humans and animals?
Trained Therapy animals reach people in a way that is beyond words. They see our essence – and they know it is good. They touch us in ways we long for – with absolute acceptance. We all need to be regarded with affection and love. For the 20% of dogs for whom this is their mission and purpose in life – to bring comfort and connection to humans – they live out their purpose and find deep joy in this activity.

What specific populations benefit from your organization’s services?
Anyone in need of comfort can benefit. The Human-Animal Connection has worked with veterans, active duty, — and anyone experiencing stress in the line of duty – and prisoners, people in hospitals and hospice, and with young kids.
But one group we focus on is teens.
They are really facing tremendous stress, anxiety, and confusion. The teen years are pivotal in terms of life’s trajectory, and positive interventions at this stage are very powerful.

The Canines Teach Compassion program is intriguing. Could you elaborate on how this high school program combines social skills and resilience training with animal interaction? What positive outcomes have you observed from students participating in Canines Teach Compassion?

Our program combines all the joy of petting sweet dogs with learning about stress and how to manage their own nervous systems through learning about stress in dogs. We teach students to evaluate stress levels in dogs on a scale of 1-10. Then, they learn that the same system works for them.
Many students who were very withdrawn and non-communicative at first come out of their shells and interact with others after a few sessions.
We have over a dozen interactive activities, such as learning how it feels to lead each other on a leash – to experience what dogs feel when humans are unaware of their feelings. In one game, we will line up five very different dogs – different sizes, shapes, breeds, colors – and ask the students to point out what is different in each. Then we ask what is the same. “Well, they are all dogs!” they reply. And we point out how that is the same for us – we have ways in which we are unique and different from others – but in the end, we are all the same – we are all human-animals. Students learn how to read dog body language and how to use those same skills in their interactions with humans. And we will ask them to evaluate potential candidates for therapy dog work, and we find they are very accurate in their assessments, and this is rewarding for them and for us. We ask them to rate their stress levels when they first walk into the class and again at the end of our one-hour session. The average is a fifty percent drop in stress levels.

As the creator of The Act Resilient Method, could you provide insights into how this method works with therapy animals?

The Act Resilient Method has been presented to 4,000 Service Members and their families. It utilizes Improv Comedy, Laughter Therapy, Expressive Arts, and Creative Expression. It was very effective at reducing the effects of Post Traumatic Stress. For this work, we were given President Obama’s Volunteer Service Award. I began bringing a therapy dog to class; his name was Oscar. He had escaped from a very abusive situation and had scars all over his body and missing teeth. The soldiers could relate to his story of survival. But what was most amazing was how Oscar could read human emotions with great empathy. With a group of soldiers sitting in a circle, he would greet each one. But he would stop and “alert,” sitting right in front of the one who was in the darkest place. Oscar would softly look them in the eye, raise a paw – and melt through all their armor.

As an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker, how has your background in filmmaking influenced your work in the field of human-animal connection and therapy animals?

A great movie is all about connecting to viewers on an emotional level. We see a horror film because we enjoy being scared, an action film to get our adrenalin pumped, and a love story to feel hopeful about love. The styles are all different, but they all have the same goal – to touch viewers in the ways they want to be touched. It is the same with animals. In the Human-Animal Connection, we spend a lot of time observing the ways that animals want to touch and connect – or, if not, how to respect their wishes.

Your book, “The Human-Animal Connection – Deepening Relationships with Animals and Ourselves,” is available on Amazon. What key messages or insights do you share in the book, and who is your target audience?

The Human-Animal Connection philosophy is based on 33 Principles. The book teaches how people can apply these principles in all their relationships with animals and human-animals. We show how all emotions are contagious, so why not spread peace, love, and kindness? We believe that animals have hearts and minds and souls. We teach people how to listen to and respect the opinions of animals.

How can individuals benefit from deepening their relationships with animals, and what lessons can be applied to their relationships with fellow humans?

When you apply our principles everything between humans and animals gets better because there is greater understanding, respect, and compassion. You learn to see the world through your dog’s eyes, or your horse’s, ears, or your rabbit’s sense of space. Anybody who loves the animal who shares their life wants a deeper understanding of their needs and desires, their moods and responses to what is going on. When we respect each other as equal beings, everything changes, and we can enter their world.

You share your life with Sophia, a rescue dog. How has Sophia brought smiles to many humans, and what lessons has she taught you about the human-animal connection?

When Sophia adopted me, she had been at several shelters. She could be sweet and adorable at 20 pounds, but when something frightened her, she would turn into Godzilla and scare grown men. They would cross the street when they saw us coming. When the maintenance man came to the house, she had to be strapped to my waist. And it was loud! She would be the scariest one in dog training classes! Very embarrassing when other big dogs tried to approach. They learned fast to stay far away. But I worked with her every day using the Human-Animal Connection methods – and she became a sweet therapy dog who brings joy to everyone who meets her. This taught me that we are not at the mercy of our past if we have effective methods to heal.

What advice do you have for individuals considering adopting a rescue animal?

 My two best therapy dogs, Oscar and Sophia, were both rescues who came from very adverse circumstances. Rescue dogs can make the best therapy dogs and companion animals because they are very resilient. Some shelter dogs need more healing than the average person is prepared to give, so you want to both understand your own capacity and how to evaluate the dog in front of you. If the dog is reasonably calm and interested in connecting to you – this is a dog worthy of your love. The one who gets “saved” will be you.

Connect with Genie by visiting TheHumanAnimalConnection.org