Shared Comfort w/ Kate Leaver

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Opening The Door To A World of How Dogs Help Us Cope

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About The Episode

While adolescence can be a hard time for all, Kate Leaver found herself struggling with her mental health before she even became a teen. Depression became part of her life and it has been a consistent battle ever since – including an inability to fully feel emotions, her body feeling constantly tired, and more.

Over that time since (now into her 30s), Kate has found ways of coping. This includes a strong support system of friends, family, and her partner. However, since people also have other obligations with work or otherwise, she had the thought to get a dog and made it her mission.

While browsing the website of Battersea, a well-known rescue in the UK, a puppy popped up that looked grumpy but sweet - a perfect combination in Kate’s eyes. That dog was a shih tzu who they named Bert (or other variations like Bertie, depending on the occasion).

The timing of welcoming a dog into their home ended up being particularly crucial. Just after, they moved addresses and Kate, unfortunately, was unable to stay on the same antidepressant medicine she had been using, due to regulations. It was a stressful and unpleasant transition. Her partner helped significantly, but also had to go to work during certain hours, where it really helped Kate to have Bert around when he was gone. A dog helped her to get out of the house, which can be hard to get yourself to do when your depression is keeping you at home, and even at home Bert would somehow know when Kate was feeling down and would glue himself to her. He would even lie against her chest when Kate was distressed, which she later learned is something they usually teach to therapy dogs.

A few years ago, Kate wrote a book about friendship (The Friendship Cure: Reconnecting in the Modern World). When she was deciding what she wanted to focus on writing about next, she jokingly said to her partner that Bert would be a good subject. It didn't take long for her to realize that, actually, it would be a good idea. That led her down the path to create her new book, Good Dog: Celebrating Dogs Who Change, And Sometimes Even Save, Our Lives, which looks at positive dog stories like her own and then combines that with scientific/factual analysis to back them up. Other stories featured include a young boy with autism, how dogs can be great court-companion dogs, and more. Through this process, it only enforced for Kate how important dogs can be to helping us cope with the hardships life throws at us.

About The Guest - Kate Leaver

Kate Leaver is an Australian-born, London-based journalist, book author, speaker and branded content specialist. As a journalist, Kate writes for The Guardian, The Independent, The Telegraph, and more. She also regularly appears on TV and radio. Her first book, The Friendship Cure, released in 2018 about the art and science of friendship. Her new book, Good Dog, draws on science, research and real-life examples to show how much a dog can improve our mental and physical health.

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InterviewJack SommerAuthors, Mental Health