Snake Therapy
Education. Welfare. Mindfulness. Empowerment. Compassion. Wonder. Comfort. Empathy. Patience. Transformation.
Snake Therapy is:
The soothing sensory experience of smooth scales against our skin.
The fascination from observing and connecting with beautiful creatures that are so different from ourselves.
It’s the self-reflection and patience we must have in order to interact with them.
The cognitive development from learning about their behaviors, natural history, and habitats.
The unique experience of building trust with animals that would naturally fear us.
The empowerment that comes from overcoming our fear and bias, and the sense of purpose we get when we focus on helping them to thrive in our care.
The gentle hug they give us that slows our heart rate and calms our nervous systems. (see Deep Pressure Stimulation)
The social connections we build with others who are passionate about them.
The joy of creating beautiful natural environments for them to live in, offering us a little slice of nature in our homes (see Biophilia Hypothesis)
The empathy and compassion we cultivate for sentient creatures that have a reputation they do not deserve.
And SO much more…
The Misunderstood & Maligned Teachers of Healing and Wisdom
For thousands of years, before Christian mythology proclaimed snakes to be the ultimate symbols of evil and sin, many cultures
revered snakes as representations of
creation, protection, healing, wisdom, transformation, and rebirth.
Although mainstream media continues to villainize snakes as monsters to be feared, the reality couldn’t be farther from the truth. Despite what movies and even many nature documentaries would have us believe, they are not aggressive or “out to get” us, they do not chase us, nor do they “size us up” to eat us. In fact, wild snakes would rather have nothing to do with humans whatsoever if given the choice, and will more often choose flight over defensive measures.
Snakes have been on this planet for nearly 100 MILLION years, and are an essential part of the ecosystem: As predators, they keep rodent and insect populations in check (and therefore, help to prevent the spread of disease), support biodiversity as prey for mammals and birds, and even contribute to human health directly; their venom is used in a wide range of medicines that now save countless human lives.
Really, we should be thanking them, not hating them!
Of the nearly 4,000 different species of snakes on the planet, hundreds of those species are being bred in captivity as companion animals, and when provided with the appropriate environments and treated with care and respect, can be wonderful pets that bring joy, comfort, and a connection with nature that many would not otherwise have.
FUN FACT:
Snakes are not aggressive.
They’re more scared of humans than we are of them!
They do not seek to harm humans, and their first line of defense is to flee!
FUN FACT:
Only 15% of the ~4k species of snakes on the planet are venomous, and only about a third of those can kill or seriously injure humans.
FUN FACT:
You are at greater risk of being killed by lightning strike or bee sting than you are from a snakebite.
Your odds of being bitten are approximately 40,965… to 1.
FUN FACT:
Fear of snakes is not inherent- it’s learned. So if we teach our children to respect them instead of fear them, we can reduce unnecessary phobia, and encourage empathy and conservation instead.
Snake Therapy Founder: Shira Loa
Like many others, Shira used to be TERRIFIED of snakes!
But after a single encounter with a friend’s pet python, her world was utterly changed. She realized that everything she’d thought she knew about these animals was wrong!
She was amazed at how CALM they made her feel, and was instantly overtaken with awe, wonder, and appreciation for these incredible animals.
From that moment on, she made it her mission to try to dispel myths and encourage empathy towards snakes by sharing what she now knew to be true with others. Her first snake, a common boa named Uja, not only provided emotional support for her, but became the first snake therapy ambassador- bringing delight and wonder to all who met him. He helped many others get over their fears of snakes in the decades he spent with Shira.
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Shira started volunteering with a nonprofit animal therapy organization The Little Zoo in 2020. She brought her snakes on visits to educate and bring comfort to people from all walks of life, including children with disabilities, elders in care facilities and people with complex needs. Once again, her world was changed. What she witnessed during those visits was nothing short of magical; time and again she saw fear turn to wonder and delight, hesitation turn to passion and joy. She was so inspired that she became a board member of the organization, and has dedicated countless hours to helping it succeed in its mission of bringing healing and heartfelt connection through therapeutic visits with a unique array of animals.
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After what she witnessed with The Little Zoo, Shira realized she wanted to take things a step further and promote the particular therapeutic experience of working with snakes to a wider audience- and thus was born the Snake Therapy YouTube channel. It started simply: dispelling common myths about snakes, encouraging more empathy towards them, recognizing their sentience and unique personalities, and discussing how being “mindful of snakes” can support our mental and emotional well-being. Shira was pleasantly surprised by how many people related to her message of compassion, empathy and connection with snakes. To her delight, people responded by sharing their stories with her of the kinship they felt with their reptiles, and how much snakes comforted them through depression, anxiety, and trauma.
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The deeper Shira dove into Herpetoculture (the keeping of live reptiles and amphibians in captivity) and the community around it, the more she was dismayed at how low the standards for captive welfare seemed to be. She knew she had a lot to learn as well, so her videos shared a journey of improving the lives of her own snakes through critical thinking, natural history research, exploring ethics, and promoted more empathetic methods caretaking and interaction. It was obvious that Snake Therapy wasn’t just about how it felt to physically hold snakes, but how the act of caring for them had the power to increase happiness, confidence and overall mental health in and of itself.
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Shira has ADHD, and when she recognized how many other reptile lovers were, like her, neurodivergent, she began researching the connection between and particular benefits that reptiles have for people with Neurodivergence. Once again, her life was changed and she gathered and began to highlight incredible stories of healing from the neurodivergent community. Find out more about her research here, or through the many videos in her playlist on the subject. She has and will continue to explore and give lectures on the topic, as it has the opportunity to not only benefit people, but snakes and conservation as well.
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Shira has been an artist all of her life, spending decades as a metalworker and fabricator. She’s connected her love of snakes with metalworking through snake shed jewelry design. When major spinal surgery caused her to put welding and fabrication on pause, she redirected her skills towards building naturalistic habitats for her snakes- offering her a creative outlet while simultaneously enriching their lives. Yet another aspect to Snake Therapy was made clear: CREATIVITY in Caretaking! She began making DIY tutorial videosof some of her projects to inspire others to reap the benefits of Art Therapy for Herpetoculture. Partnering with enclosure company Apex Reptile, she has built elaborate naturalistic backgrounds and enriched environments for her snakes. She now offers personalized consultations for those who seek to learn from her techniques, sells handmade realistic rock hides, and takes commissions for one-of-a-kind custom designs as well.
