Mara Katsoules’s new reading partner Darcie has a dogged determination to help her read better by exuding patience and calm.

She also has four paws.

Darcie, a five-year-old golden retriever, visited Southworth Library Monday July 15 as part of a series of sessions with the therapy dog providing a non-judgmental presence to young readers.

“It was fun, just reading with her,’’ Mara said after she completed her session.

Darcie was accompanied by her human companion Kathleen DeCampos, a Dartmouth resident and retired occupational therapist with the Dartmouh schools. DeCampos has been pairing with therapy dogs “for years’’ to bring comfort and support to people in challenging situations.

She first teamed up with a therapy dog when she was attending graduate school for occupational therapy. She also brought along a dog to comfort patients in a rehabilitation center.

More recently, she has stayed closer to home with her pooch pal. With support of the Dartmouth School Committee, she has utilized a support dog at Cushman School and more recently, Darcie makes weekly visits to Dartmouth Middle School.

Darcie is certified through the Alliance of Therapy Dogs.

She provides a range of support. In her reading role, she provides a calming presence that DeCampos said can help readers bolster their skills.

Her company “just boosts their self-esteem and their confidence, especially if they have stress and anxiety,’’ DeCampos said.

She will even rest right on top of the young reader to provide a canine weighted blanket of sorts.

“She seems to know what the kids need,’’ she said.