When play becomes a pathway to healing
Merchant's Academy
15/12/2025
Story
Community Dog Handler Julia and golden retriever, Georgie have been out and about in Bristol, working at a secondary school delivering sessions to students who are dealing with grief and loss. And the impact of this work has led to some powerful outcomes.
Assistant head teacher, Hannah Green shared some insight into what she feels Dogs for Good brings to the school and its students.
"Honestly, I can’t brag enough about Dogs for Good. The collaboration between the charity and Merchant's Academy has been powerful. I have so much trust in them as an organisation; they have upstanding values, they put 110 per cent into the sessions and importantly, keep our young people at the centre of everything.
"When talking about emotional trauma, we know that play is really important. Play makes every part of our brain light up and delivers a pathway to right brain – the part that deals with emotions – healing. And where you’re looking at developmental gaps, the playful aspect to what Georgie brings is really important.
"Whether the students are playing hide and seek in the library with Georgie or they're all running around together in the field, they're engaging in a collaborative, playful activity which is also focused and fluid, to further develop healing.
"This then allows organic conversation about the hard things they're experiencing to take place, which in turn, brings about processing and further recovery.
"It's amazing to see these children, who have been navigating really hard and tricky stuff, feel safe and confident enough to open up.
"It is a gift and a joy to work with a charity that's passionate about everything that we're passionate about."
"Play makes every part of our brain light up and delivers a pathway to right brain – the part that deals with emotions – healing. And where you’re looking at developmental gaps, the playful aspect to what Georgie brings is really important."
- Hannah Green, Assistant Head Teacher at Merchant's Academy
One memory will, Hannah says, stick with her forever.
"We did a session with one of our students who was facing his first Mother's Day without his mum. It was planned and structured but the adults in the room were naturally, a bit nervous and apprehensive about what was going to be a tough session, talking about hard things.
"We get to a point, where he's walking through what his day had been like and he's very vulnerable, opening up and it's really powerful. You could tell that the tone had shifted in the room.
"Georgie was on the other side of the room, getting a drink of water and she completely picked up on how things had shifted. She walked over to him and laid her head on his lap. She could tell he needed that reassurance. He needed that comfort.
"I will forever remember that moment because it's tapping into that connection, that human-dog bond. And he was then able to finish talking about his day and talking about his mum because Georgie was comforting him.
"To me, that's the power of the work that Dogs for Good does and you can't trade that for anything."
It's amazing to see these children, who have been navigating really hard and tricky stuff, feel safe and confident enough to open up.
Lots of Dogs for Good's community-based activities are created in partnership with specialist services such as young people's mental health, social care for adults who have learning disabilities, or dedicated support for people with dementia.
The support offered to each person or group of people is unique, moving at a pace and level that enables people and dogs to benefit from time spent together. And the aim is always the same: to help people get the most out of their connection with a dog.
Emma Gwynne, Bristol-based Community and Engagement Officer at Dogs for Good says: "We know that there are so many more people that could benefit from our services, and our ambition is to increase the amount of support that we offer. How time spent with a dog can help depends on the individual and the goals they want to achieve, and the beauty of the community model is that it enables us to make real tangible differences to lots of people."
"Embedding ourselves within communities will reduce burden on the public services that are so stretched currently and go on to help more people through connection with a dog."
We can’t put a price on the life-changing connection with a dog
But your support will enable more communities to benefit from the help of our dogs and their handlers.
Bringing the whole family together
Holly is a very busy mum of five, fostering children that are neurodiverse as well as children with complex needs, emotional trauma and physical disabilities.
Accessing the future with confidence
When Victoria’s daughter, Amelie, told her she ‘wished she wasn’t herself’ anymore, it was time to rethink everything.
Opening up the possibilities to thrive
Style Acre provides person-centred services for 288 adults with learning disabilities and autism across Oxfordshire. The Dogs for Good community dog team supports people there to build life skills for themselves, helping them feel independent, confident and more connected to the world.