BY ABBEY ARCHER
A 16-year-old-boy was sitting in the waiting room with his hood on, unwilling to participate in his therapy. Marti Smith, occupational therapist and co-founder of Simple Sparrow Care Farm, observed that he was downregulated, feeling hopeless and depressed. She sent a text the farm’s founder, Jamie Tanner, and told her to “get the ball python.” “The snake is a really upregulating animal,” Ms. Tanner said. She brought the snake over and sat with Ms. Smith. The whole session, they sat, talking about the snake within earshot of the boy. By the end, he was looking over at them with curiosity. Not once did they try to infringe on the boundary he was setting….
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