Pet Loss Counselling
The loss of a beloved animal companion can be profoundly painful.
Animal companions often walk beside us through daily routines, major life transitions, and quiet moments that shape our sense of safety and connection.
When a pet dies, their absence can be felt everywhere: in the home, in the body, and in the rhythms of everyday life. The grief that follows can feel overwhelming, tender, and deeply personal.
Pet loss counselling offers a compassionate space to honour that bond and to explore what this loss means for you.
Sessions are available in person in Victoria and online across British Columbia.
Pet Loss Counselling Honours a Meaningful Bond
Grief after pet loss is often misunderstood or minimized by others.
You may hear comments that unintentionally dismiss the depth of your pain, or feel pressure to move on quickly.
Yet for many people, a pet is family, a source of unconditional presence, and a steady companion through life’s changes.
In this space, your relationship with your animal companion is treated with respect.
Your grief is acknowledged as real, valid, and worthy of care.
Understanding Pet Loss
Grief Takes
Many Forms
Grief following the loss of an animal companion can take many forms.
You may feel sadness, longing, guilt, anger, numbness, or a quiet sense of disorientation. If your pet was unwell, you might also notice moments of relief alongside grief, which can feel confusing or even uncomfortable to hold.
It can be a lot to carry, especially when these feelings shift from one moment to the next.
The Absence
Is Felt
in Daily Life
Animal companions are often part of the rhythm of everyday life.
Their absence can be felt in small, ordinary moments — a quiet house, an empty space, a routine that is no longer there. Grief can show up in these moments, sometimes more strongly than you expect.
For many people, the bond with an animal companion runs deep, even if others don’t always fully understand it.
There Is
No Timeline
for Pet Loss
Pet loss does not follow a set timeline.
Grief may come and go, sometimes easing and sometimes returning, even long after your pet has died.
You do not need to compare your grief to other losses or explain why it matters. Your relationship was real, and so is your grief.
How Pet Loss Counselling Can Support You
Pet loss counselling is not about moving past your grief or replacing what was lost.
Instead, it offers a steady and collaborative space where your relationship with your pet and your experience of loss are honoured.
In our work together, we may explore memories, emotions, and the changes you are navigating since your pet’s death.
This can include adjusting to new routines, sitting with the quiet absence in your home, or reflecting on complex feelings such as guilt or self-blame.
We move at a pace that feels right for you, guided by what feels most present and meaningful.
For some people, pet loss connects to other experiences of grief, including earlier losses or periods of transition. If this feels relevant, we can gently explore how these layers intersect, without pressure to make sense of everything at once.
My approach is grounded in compassion, collaboration, and respect for your bond with your animal companion.
There is no expectation to reach closure or to grieve in a particular way.
We walk alongside your grief, allowing space for both love and loss to coexist.
What to Expect in Sessions
A Calm and
Non-Judgmental Space
Sessions offer a compassionate, non-judgmental space where your experience is welcomed as it is.
We move at a pace that feels right for you, allowing room for feelings, reflection, and silence.
Guided by
What Feels Important
Our conversations are shaped by what feels most important to you.
Some sessions may focus on memories or moments with your companion. Others may explore how their absence is being felt in your day-to-day life.
Walking Alongside
Your Grief
The loss of an animal companion can leave a quiet but lasting presence in your life.
Counselling offers a place where that loss can be held with care, while gently supporting you as you find your own way of living with it.
When you’re ready,
I’m here to support you.
