Meet Finnegan, the newest member of the Personal Counseling Center team
By Jackie Kiernan MacKay
Director, Providence College Parent and Family Program
I had an opportunity recently to chat with Rosemary Fernandes Mugan, Psy.D., executive director of the Providence College Personal Counseling Center, about Finnegan, her 4-year-old Bernese Mountain dog. Finnegan has been a member of Rosemary’s family since he was eight weeks old and is a newly trained and certified pet therapy dog.
Finnegan looks forward to connecting with students in the Counseling Center. Check out the information below to learn more about this newest member of our community.
Please tell us a little about Finnegan and why you decided he would make a good therapy dog?
Finnegan absolutely loves people and wants to meet everyone that he comes across! He’s pretty large — 105 pounds, but he wants to sit on your lap or right on your feet as if he is a lap pup. He is double coated and not hypoallergenic, so people with allergies may not want to interact closely with him.
Finny started to show us he had the potential to become a therapy dog within the first month. He somehow seemed to know when someone in our family was having a tough day or had a concern. He would stay with that family member, whether me, one of my children, or my husband. He would sometimes just rest his head on our laps during those times. One day on our walk route, someone in our neighborhood who had lost a husband as well as her own dog within a short period of time told us how much she looked forward to meeting up with us when we passed by her house. She loved her time with Finnegan, and his presence made her think that she was ready to own a dog again. Finnegan also really made it clear that he loved his time with her — there were just signs everywhere that this might be part of what he is meant to do. I also knew that it seemed to make him happy to have that kind of job, so it felt like it would be as beneficial for him as it would be for those with whom he interacted.
What kind of training is required for Finnegan to be certified as a pet therapy dog?
We are certified through Windwalker’s Pet Assisted Therapy Program. I had to take a 10-week class on my own in the Fall of 2023 to learn about what Pet-Assisted Therapy is, information about the research behind its efficacy in multiple settings, and what being part of a therapy team truly entails. Finnegan passed a temperament test indicating that he had the makings of a good therapy dog in that semester.
In the spring, Finny and I participated in the next course together in person where for eight weeks we learned techniques, had time on a skilled nursing home unit each week, and had to take a midterm and a final together to show that he and I had learned to map all that was needed to engage in being a meaningful Certified Pet Assisted Therapy Team. The third component included two separate 10-hour internships, the second of which we completed at Providence College.
As a psychologist, why do you think a student would want to connect with a therapy dog and what are some of the benefits of doing so?
There is significant research around the positive effects that pets can have on our lives, including positive physiological effects on our body when petting a dog. Many will notice a decrease in some anxious symptoms and even a lowering of the heart rate. The same can happen from just a short interaction with a therapy dog in a setting such as the Personal Counseling Center. Also, sometimes our students simply miss their pets at home, which can be even more difficult for first-year students. Being able to interact with a therapy dog can assist them to feel as though there is a reminder of home.
How can students make arrangements to meet with Finnegan and what can they expect when they do?
We have been experimenting with different times for our same-day sign-up drop-in times at the Personal Counseling Center. It’s typically on Thursdays, but at different hours each week to accommodate different students’ schedules. Just give us a call to find out which times are available for that Thursday.
Sign-ups open on Thursday mornings and are first come, first serve. Students will have the opportunity to spend about 10 minutes with Finnegan in our group room. He loves to be petted, meet new people, and just sit with students. And please don’t be surprised if he gets on his back to ask for a belly rub!
