[Stacey]

Dogs are used for therapeutic purposes in a variety of settings - long-term care homes, hospitals, hospices, and yes with children as well. More and more therapists and health care professionals are opting to bring their dogs into their workplaces as well (obviously with patient consent) as the benefits of pets are well documented.

If this is something you think will benefit you, I highly recommend doing more research to see if you can find something local to you. Check with hospitals, mental health organizations, etc. In many cases, they have programs where therapy dogs go into particular places or have "meetings" that you may be able to get involved in.

If that doesn't end up working out due to availability, you may find that volunteering at a shelter or animal sanctuary helpful. Helping others and working with animals can be very therapeutic whether or not it's lead by a therapist or in a particular setting.