medicine M a n’s best
Holistic practices aim to heal whole person By Brian Wudkwych | Photos by Molly Mathis
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Greenville: Life In The East
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tudents know Susan Willson Lally as a clinical instructor at the East Carolina University College of Nursing. Patients, however, often times know her simply as Murphy and Kaitlyn’s mom. This is because when the 37-year-old nurse is not busy teaching students the theory, methods and techniques behind holistic psychiatric nursing, she is usually practicing it, most often alongside her trusted, four-legged pals, who are licensed therapy dogs. Whether it is students readying for a final exam — Lally and Murphy can be seen roaming campus around this time helping students relax before a big test — or patients dealing with a chronic and mental illness, the benefits of animal therapy can crossover to many different scenarios. In fact, studies have shown that therapy animals can help decrease heart rate and blood pressure, all factors in a person’s anxiety level. Summer 2018
