Healing Through Paws and Presence: The Human-Animal Connection with Dr. Genie Joseph
Episode 11: Show Notes
When you think about healing, do you picture a wagging tail, a soft nuzzle, or even the gentle presence of a donkey? In this episode, I had the joy of sitting down with Dr. Genie Joseph, therapy dog trainer, author, and executive director of The Human-Animal Connection. Her nonprofit brings therapy animals into schools, hospitals, and communities to help people reduce stress, reconnect with themselves, and build empathy.
From teaching soldiers with PTSD how to soften through a dog’s gaze to showing teens how therapy dogs mirror their stress levels, Genie reminds us that animals are not just companions. They are powerful partners in healing.
📖 Download the Extended Show Notes & Transcript of the Om WOW Podcast Episode #11 here (PDF)
Listen to the full episode:
Watch the full episode:
Dogs as Natural Healers
Genie’s journey began while working with soldiers recovering from PTSD. She noticed something extraordinary. When a therapy dog named Oscar joined her group, his quiet presence could break through where traditional methods stalled.
Oscar, a dog with his own history of trauma, had an uncanny ability to sense when a soldier was in deep distress. He would simply sit in front of them, gaze steadily, and wait. That gentle attention often led the soldier to melt into connection, something weeks of structured therapy couldn’t always accomplish.
This was the beginning of Genie’s life purpose: helping humans heal by reconnecting with animals.
How Dogs Read Us So Well
We all know our pets can sense when something’s off. But Genie explained how therapy dogs take this intuition to another level. Dogs are natural readers of human energy and emotion. About 20% of dogs, she says, show this ability strongly enough to work as therapy dogs.
These dogs don’t just read their own families. They can sense the moods of strangers. They notice if we are calm, stressed, or emotionally closed off, and their behavior shifts in response. Sometimes they respond subtly, sometimes more directly. When we learn to notice their cues, they become mirrors for our own emotional state.
Teaching Teens Emotional Awareness
One of Genie’s favorite projects is a high school program called Canines Teach Compassion. Therapy dogs enter the classroom, and students practice reading the dogs’ emotions on a stress scale from 1 to 10. The fascinating part? Students quickly see that when they calm themselves, the dogs calm too.
This gentle lesson teaches teens that emotions are contagious, and that they can positively influence not only their pets but also their peers and themselves. It also helps them see that everyone learns and reacts differently, just like the dogs who choose to jump through a hoop or simply walk around it.
Donkey Time: Learning to Just Be
In addition to dogs, Genie also works with donkeys, who she describes as teachers of stillness and safety. Her workshop Doing Nothing with Donkeys invites people to sit quietly in a circle while donkeys move freely among them.
The goal? To practice letting go of expectations and allowing the donkeys to lead. In doing so, participants drop from “human doing” into “human being.” Donkeys remind us that boundaries, presence, and calmness are not luxuries. They are essential to wellbeing.
The Circle of Good and the Power of Play
Two other themes Genie shared were the importance of positivity and play.
The Circle of Good is what happens when you share affirming energy with your animal by saying “good dog” or offering affectionate attention. That good feeling bounces back and forth, nourishing both human and animal.
Play is essential for growth and healing, not just for kids but for adults too. Animals invite us to lighten up, be creative, and rediscover flexibility. In a world where many of us are over-scheduled and serious, play is one of the most underused wellness tools we have.
Nourishing Our Pets with Real Food
Genie also encourages dog owners to rethink what we feed our companions. She wrote a thorough book on this topic, Wholesome Canine Cuisine! She explained that even the best commercial kibble is heavily processed and loses nutritional value.
Her advice? Start small. Add whole, fresh foods like a little scrambled egg, cooked chicken, or vegetables into your dog’s diet. Even replacing 10% of kibble with homemade food can make a difference in a dog’s health, especially as they age.
Building Our Own Resilience
Beyond her work with animals, Genie also spoke about her personal wellness practices. She draws on 33 principles from The Human-Animal Connection method, all designed to shorten moments of stress and bring us back to balance.
By modeling animals’ natural ability to be grounded, present, and calm, she reminds us that relief often comes not from overthinking but from reconnecting with our bodies, senses, and environment. As Genie put it, sometimes we just need to do nothing.
Reflection and Journaling Questions
Whether it’s a dog who sits patiently until we soften, a donkey who models stillness, or even the playful nudge of a pet asking for attention, animals have a way of calling us back to ourselves.
This episode is a reminder that healing doesn’t always require effort. It often begins with presence, connection, and the wisdom of our animal companions.
Where in your life could you invite more presence and less productivity?
How does your pet (or another animal you know) reflect your energy back to you?
What would it look like to practice “donkey time” for five minutes today… doing nothing, just being?
Meet Our Guest: Dr. Genie Joseph
Dr. Genie Joseph is a therapy dog trainer, author, and Executive Director of The Human-Animal Connection— a nonprofit dedicated to reducing stress and building empathy through the healing power of animals. Her organization brings therapy dogs to those in high-stress service roles and helps people connect more deeply with animals and themselves. Genie’s Canines Teach Compassion program teaches social and emotional skills to high schoolers through animal interaction. She has worked with over 4,000 Service Members and their families, earning her the President’s Volunteer Service Award from President Obama.
Connect with Genie here:
Website | YouTube | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram
The Human-Animal Connection Podcast
Genie’s books we mentioned:
Wholesome Canine Cuisine Homemade Healthy Dog Food and Treats by Genie Joseph PhD
The Human Animal Connection by Genie Joseph PhD
Meet Our Host: Jennifer Robin O’Keefe
Jennifer Robin serves as a relatable, down-to-earth, REAL Wellness & Success Coach. She’s not a fancy, perfect makeup, airbrushed kind of woman. She’s been told many times, in a variety of environments, that she’s easy to talk to, and makes others feel welcome and comfortable. Her mission in life is both simple and profound: to make others feel worthy.
Professionally, Jennifer holds several wellness certifications including Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) Tapping, Thought Field Therapy (TFT) Tapping, Reiki, and more. She continuously expands her knowledge in the fields of Qi Gong, Xien Gong, Vibration/Energy Wellness and Natural Health. She also studied extensively with Jack Canfield, and serves as a Certified Canfield Trainer, authorized to teach "The Success Principles."
She’s an active reader and researcher who loves to learn, and one of her biggest joys is teaching and sharing what she’s discovered with others.
