BIXBY, Okla. — At Anchored in Hope in Bixby you'll find a wide range of counseling services and two sloths.
"Shiloh is mom, and Simon is our baby," says Anchored in Hope owner Ashley Beers.
The sloths are social media stars and the talk of the town.
"There are animal therapies, dogs, cats, rabbits, but sloths are the first to my knowledge," said Beers.
She adopted them and brought them to Bixby in November 2023.
"They were confiscated from a non-permitted breeder. I have a friend who works in exotic rehabilitation, and through creative thinking, I wrote a proposal to make them Ambassadors of Mental Health, and it took off from there," said Beers.
Slowly, the sloths became part of the practice.
"When we got our USDA inspection and permits, we then trained the therapists on how to read their body language, how to approach them, and how to teach our clients to approach them," said Beers.
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Now, clients can opt to spend a few supervised minutes with them.
"I like them! They're cute and pretty!" said 8-year-old Tillie Irwin. Her brother Dawson told 2 News that Simon was his favorite sloth. The Irwin family has seen results firsthand.
Mom Rachel Irwin said, "We decided to come here and quickly found out they had sloths available, which my son loves. They have a very calming effect on him when he comes up here, and he is able to pet them and feed them."
Anchored in Hope Clinical Lead Heather Land witnessed special moments, too.
"I had a client come up here afterward to try about 10 minutes with a sloth after a trauma session. She came in crying, and our sloth, Shiloh, climbed out on the ropes. She was just bawling, and Shiloh just put her head against my client's head, and Shiloh just stayed."
Anchored in Hope also offers private encounters and sloth education groups. Proceeds benefit Beer's nonprofit Enduring Hope.
"That helps many families that can't afford mental health care so they can help those families in need," explained Irwin.
Beers also writes children's books starring the sloths.
"The first one is called 'Simon Says it's OK to go Slow.' It's all about teaching the central nervous system, regulation, and coping skills moving slowly and the benefits of it," said Beers.
This Oklahoma chapter is a new adventure for Shiloh and Simon, who are happy just to hang out.
"They are very much a part of our team, of our family. Their ability to connect with us and then bring us in a mindful and interactive way has been really awesome to experience," said Beers.
To learn more about Anchored in Hope and the sloths, click here.
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