The Full Plate Podcast with Abbie Attwood, MS

Can Dogs Heal What Therapy Alone Cannot? On Recovery, Mental Health, and the Human-Animal Bond with Shannon Kopp

Apr 6, 2026

Shannon Kopp, founder of SoulPaws Recovery Project and author of Pound for Pound, shares how relationships with shelter dogs helped shift her from despair to recovery. She discusses animals’ role in nervous system regulation, creating safety for connection, and the SoulPaws Healing Circles. Short, humane stories about Buster and Bella illustrate how animal bonds can bridge the gap between knowing and doing in healing.

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ANECDOTE

Dog In A Shelter Sparked A Turning Point

Shannon Kopp describes arriving at the San Diego Humane Society while deep in bulimia and suicidal ideation and meeting Buster, a neglected shepherd who nudged her and shifted her hopelessness into clarity.
That single physical, nonjudgmental interaction helped her decide to pursue recovery steps she’d resisted, including medication and continued treatment.

ANECDOTE

Emotional Support Dog Sustained Long Term Recovery

Shannon explains adopting Bella, her emotional support dog for 15 years, who she says 'saved' her and supported ongoing recovery.
Bella provided everyday regulation and psychological safety that allowed Shannon to be honest and open in ways therapy alone hadn't enabled.

INSIGHT

Calm Connect Heal Explains How Animals Help

SoulPaws frames animal-assisted healing through Bruce Perry’s neurosequential model: regulate, relate, reason, simplified as calm, connect, heal.
Animals first help physiologically regulate nervous systems, then bridge psychological safety so clinicians and clients can reach higher-order processing.

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Abbie is joined by Shannon Kopp, founder of SoulPaws Recovery Project, to explore the role of the human-animal connection in recovery from eating disorders, substance use, trauma, and mental health challenges.

Shannon shares her personal experience with bulimia, depression, and loss—and how her relationships with animals became a turning point in her healing. They also talk about the science behind why animals can help regulate the nervous system and support emotional healing in ways that traditional approaches sometimes can’t.

This conversation is a deeper look at connection, safety, and what it actually takes to access healing.

Tune in for more on:

- Shannon’s recovery from bulimia and depression—and how animals became a turning point- Why shame keeps people stuck (even when they’re in therapy)- The frustrating gap between knowing what to do and being able to do it- How animals help regulate the nervous system and create a sense of safety- Why healing requires connection—not just behavior change or control- Powerful moments with Buster and Bella, and what they reveal about healing- How animals interrupt panic, dissociation, and harmful coping patterns- The neuroscience behind calm → connect → heal and why it matters- What SoulPaws Healing Circles are and how they support recovery- How the human-animal bond can build trust, connection, and access to healing- Simple ways to incorporate your own animal into grounding and recovery

About Shannon: Shannon Kopp (she/her) is the founder and Executive Director of SoulPaws® Recovery Project, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that unleashes the healing power of the human-animal connection to support individuals recovering from eating disorders, substance use disorders, and other regulatory challenges.

She is also the best-selling author of Pound for Pound: A Story of One Woman’s Recovery and the Shelter Dogs Who Loved Her Back to Life and a national speaker on mental health, eating disorders, and animal-assisted healing. Her work has been featured in PEOPLE, NPR, CNN, Women’s Health, and Psychology Today.

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