Are you seeking grief counseling for pet loss?

I remember when I lost my dog, Buddy. He was my partner’s childhood pet and came into my life when we started dating. I’ll tell you; he was such a wonderful companion. He would go on hikes with me, make the loudest beagle noises you could imagine, and enjoy relaxing with me when I would go fishing.

When he passed away, I experienced pain and loss that I honestly wasn’t prepared for. My wife and I knew that his time was coming. He had a tumor, and the veterinarian shared the unbearable news.

The passing of my dog was challenging. To this day I miss him. He provided me with a type of comfort that is difficult to explain.

If you have experienced the loss of a pet, please take time to explore the questions below:

• What was your life like when your pet was with you?
• How has life changed since the passing of your pet?
• What challenges are you experiencing from the passing of your pet?

Common challenges from pet loss:

• Loss of sleep.
• Avoidance of places you used to go to with your pet.
• Low energy.
• Feeling unmotivated.
• Crying spells.
• Struggling to move forward in life.
• Feeling frustration or annoyance because no one understands what you are going through.

How counseling can help with grieving after pet loss:

The office of Santos Counseling PLLC has grief counselors that support individuals who have experienced pet loss. Working with a grief counselor gives you space to address the emotional and even physical challenges that often come with pet loss. Grief counseling for pet loss can help in the following ways:

1. Getting better sleep to help with grief counseling.

Working with a grief counselor can provide you with tools aimed to support better sleeping. One common strategy includes grounding exercises. The grounding exercise can include going to bed with a focus on positive affirmations.

2. Improving energy and motivation to help with grief counseling.

One healthy exercise that can be supportive includes going on a nature walk. During the walk, try to practice the strategy of mindfulness. You can do this by focusing on the nature around you, your sensations, and the thoughts that you experience during the walk. More supportive reads can be found here.

Common clients that seek pet loss:

To help you understand what grief counseling for pet loss is. The case study example below lets you read into a common person that would seek grief counseling for pet loss and how grief counseling can help.

Mark reached out to a grief counselor 2 weeks after losing his dog. During the first grief counseling session, Mark shared with the counselor, “I feel different. It’s like when he died, I knew it was going to happen, but I haven’t been able to get back into my routines.” The counselor learned that Mark’s father gave him his dog when he was a teenager. Mark shared “His name was Ranger. My dad gave him to me when I was in high school. It’s like it was meant to be. A year later, my father passed. If I think about it, Ranger in some ways gave me comfort after my dad died. Now I feel alone.” Over the course of the sessions, the grief counselor supported Mark with learning the connection between the passing of his father and his dog Ranger. The counselor supported Mark in learning how to go through the grief stages in a healthy way. Mark learned with the support of his grief counselor how to heal from the loss of his pet.

Are you ready to start grief counseling after pet loss?

To start grief counseling call our counseling office at 336-663-6570 or email [email protected]. The office coordinator will speak with you, learn what is taking place, and provide you with a counselor that fits your needs.