Why I became a Pet Bereavement Counsellor

I have been a qualified counsellor and psychotherapist since 2014, seeing clients with different problems and challenges from trauma to relationship issues, anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues. I love my job, especially witnessing those profound moments with my clients.

I also love animals, having had dogs for most of my life, as well as other pets. Over the years, I have considered combining my work as a therapist with working with pets, but I wasn’t sure how to make that work until a few years ago. 

My journey into pet bereavement counselling began with a profound and very hard personal experience. Bruce, my Kerry Blue Terrier, was in his senior years when I started to feel anxious about his age and health. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was experiencing anticipatory grief, a form of grief that begins before the loss. I tried to ignore it, but the feelings grew stronger, and eventually I reached out for support, contacting a therapist who specialised in pet bereavement. I’d had therapy before, but not for anything like this.

Over the weeks and months, I began to process my thoughts and feelings, making connections to other areas of life that were linked in my experience. When I ended therapy, Bruce was still with us, and he lived a further year.

When the time came to say goodbye, I was devastated, but I also felt somewhat prepared because of the counselling I had previously received.

After that, I knew I wanted to help others too, so I found a course specialising in pet bereavement. I trained because I wanted to bring both personal understanding and professional guidance to those who are struggling.

I have seen many clients over the past few years for pet bereavement, and my goal when I meet them is simple: to offer comfort, support, validation and relief from trauma symptoms.

Through this work, I have had the honour of witnessing the depth of the human-animal connection in its purest form, and I have learned that grief is as unique as the love it grows from.

My other goal is to contribute to breaking the stigma surrounding pet loss by sharing my experiences. Therefore, if you are reading this and it resonates, please know that your grief matters, and you are not silly or overly emotional! You are simply honouring the beautiful bond and connection that means the world to you. Just know that you don’t need to do that alone or in silence. I’m here to listen.