Always Consistent w/ Prairie Conlon

You can listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all the other podcast platforms. New episodes post on Tuesdays.

The Way A Mental Health Therapist and Military Wife Finds Dogs To Be Grounding And Comforting

PrairieThumb2b.jpg

About The Episode

Prairie Conlon grew up in Kansas on a cattle ranch, surrounded by animals in her childhood and adolescence. She also worked at a vet clinic in high school, which led to her desire to study towards that in college. However, once she got there, she ended up also migrating her focus within that to psychology – getting an Associate Degree in Animal Science, a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology, and two Masters Degrees for Professional Counseling and Military Behavioral Health, respectively.

While at college in her freshman year, she also went from living on a farm with all these animals to a responsibility-free space. While most people would cherish that, and embrace their freedom (particularly during college), Prairie missed having the structure she was used to. She got a dog, a schnauzer named Asher, and found an apartment to allow a dog. He gave her the structure she needed and helped find the right balance again in life, which got her through school in the right consistent mindset. She would also take Asher to nursing homes and other places and realized her career didn’t have to be “in an office” (at least for the whole time).

That connection of her dogs to her personal life structure and her professional work kept going into her adult life after finishing school.

She has been a military wife for years now. That required a lot of moving around for her family, as well as the anxiety of moving on a moment’s notice and not being able to make true connections in each place. On top of that, her husband was away. But Asher and her dogs were always there during that time and became a reliable constant in her life – as well as a way to bridge the gap for her and her husband, as well as the kids and their dad after he’d be gone for long periods of time. Currently, they live in Wisconsin and have three dogs (all schnauzer’s of different sizes).

About The Guest - Prairie Conlon

Prairie Conlon is a mental health therapist who specializes in bringing animals (particularly dogs) into her practice, love and connection which comes from growing up on a cattle farm in Kansas with plenty of animals around. She has also been a military wife, whose own dogs have given her a sense of stability, comfort, and a common bond with her family over the years – even throughout difficult and uncertain times.

Featured Links

InterviewJack SommerFamily