22/10/2026
Pets in the therapy room: the team have arrived. Someone has already taken my chair. 🐾
Meet Lighthouse Therapy’s unofficial welcoming committee: Lyra Belaqua, Jon Snow and Ray Skywalker, pictured awaiting their first client of the day. Excellent availability. Questionable paperwork. Firm views on seating arrangements.
Cats have been finding their way into human lives for thousands of years. One explanation for their domestication is wonderfully practical: our grain stores attracted rodents; the rodents attracted cats; the cats stayed. Looking at these three, I suspect we misunderstood who was recruiting whom.
In my therapy room, they sometimes seem to know who might appreciate their company. A quiet arrival beside someone finding words difficult. A nearby presence when feelings become overwhelming. I cannot claim they have read the referral, but their timing can be remarkably good.
For clients who enjoy animals, that companionship can offer a gentle anchor: the warmth of fur, the rhythm of stroking, or simply watching a cat settle comfortably into the present moment. Sometimes finding a little calm together makes talking feel more possible.
With younger clients especially, the cats also open up conversations that might otherwise feel rather big.
“What do you notice about her ears?”
“Does moving away mean he doesn’t like you, or that he needs some space?”
“Can you want company without wanting to be touched?”
We explore how bodies communicate, how feelings show up before words, and why someone else’s boundaries deserve respect even when we would really, really like a cuddle.
Then there is the matter of friendship.
Lyra is not friends with Jon Snow. There will be no forced reconciliation exercise.
Their relationship gives us plenty to think about: we do not have to be friends with everyone. We can share a space and still need distance. Someone wanting to be close does not mean the other person is ready. And choosing another chair can be a perfectly respectable conflict-management strategy.
Naturally, participation is optional for everyone, including the cats. Connection works best when there is choice.
I bring the psychotherapy training. They bring warmth, curiosity and an uncompromising commitment to boundaries.
Occasionally, they let me have the chair.
Lighthouse Therapy | Space to feel, connect and be yourself.
