Let's Talk About Snake Therapy With Shira Loa

Join us for free on Patreon! Patreon.com/letstalkherps Reach me on facebook messenger https://www.facebook.com/steven.lewis... Reach me on Instagram: https://www.facebook.com/steven.lewis... Or email me at [email protected] Huge thanks To my Patrons: OG Patrons Cait Mistral Lori Torrini Mari White Paul Duren Like Ryan McVeigh says, please don't just support USARK, become a member. https://usark.org/memberships/ USARK FL is just as important to our hobby. Support them here: https://usarkfl.wildapricot.org/join-us Music Provided by Hansila. Used with permission https://hansila.bandcamp.com/ Join Snake Therapy on Patreon: https://patreon.com/SnakeTherapywithS... Today I’m joined by Shira Loa, creator of the YouTube channel Snake Therapy. If you’ve ever held a snake and thought, ‘Wow, this animal calms my nervous system in a way people absolutely do not,’ then you may already understand the premise of her work. Shira focuses on the relationship between keepers and snakes, especially through the lens of neurodivergence. We’re going to talk about therapy, enclosures that could double as studio apartments, art, community dynamics, and what it’s like existing in reptile spaces when your brain does not come with factory default settings. Welcome Shira, how are you? Tell me, how did Snake Therapy come about? What is it? Was there a lightbulb moment where you realized this could be something you pursued? Is Snake Therapy more of an educational mission, a community, advocacy, or a little Frankenstein monster of all three Now, I hate when YouTube is used as a diagnostic tool, so that’s not what I’m looking for here, but can you jump back a little bit and just explain what neurodivergence means? What are common misconceptions you see? Do people take neurodivergence seriously? Let’s jump into that CLASSIC reptile podcast question. Why Snakes? Is there something about them that is particularly grounding or stimulating? Do you think it’s their predictability, their body language, the lack of emotional projection… Have you seen patterns in how neurodivergent people interact with snakes versus mammals When people hear ‘therapy animal,’ they picture vests, certifications both real and faked. What does therapeutic actually mean in the context of snakes? Are there any personal stories where someone felt that a snake related better than any other animal could? Let’s talk about what you do a little more. Most of your snakes I believe are in at least double what is the hobby recommended minimum standards. What’s your reasoning behind this? What benefits does this have for the keeper? You’ve spoken about being an artist on your channel. Is there a storytelling element to your enclosures? A theme? I’m a basic boy so I try to just keep plants relative to where the snakes are from in the world, but do you follow any themes? How do you envision an enclosure before putting it together? Handmade decor? Let’s talk about the reptile community itself. Because it can be wonderful, and it can also be… a lot. What challenges do neurodivergent people face when interacting with the reptile community, especially online? FIND SPACES THAT RESONATE WITH YOU How do you navigate know-it-alls, unsolicited advice, and people who mistake confidence for correctness? Do you notice gender dynamics playing a role in how your expertise is received? Reptile expos. Fluorescent lights. Crowds. Children slapping glass. The smell. The noise. The chaos. How do neurodivergent folks survive that Do you think expos could be made more accessible, or are they just inherently feral environments? What’s something new you’ve learned about snakes recently? Shira is there anything else you’d like to add? Where can people follow you? Thankyoulikeandsubscribejoinusonpatreonbenicetoyouranimalsbyeeeee