In-depth counseling services are provided to pet owners during their animal’s illness or elder years, after pet loss from death or euthanasia, need for placement outside of home, divorce situations, or when pets wander off and are not recovered.
An eclectic blend of transformational therapies (detailed in the paragraph following this information) provides each client with a personalized course of therapy to address the issues that may arise from the loss of a pet including:
- coping with feelings
- depression and sadness
- guilt over death, euthanasia, lost animal or accidents
- loneliness and despair
- memories of other past losses and past unresolved grief
- somatic components:
- sleeplessness
- irritability
- pain or other unexplained symptoms
- issues of personal growth and development
- anticipatory loss stirred by pet loss concerning:
- elderly parents
- children leaving home
- other elderly or ill pets
- illness of family member or close friend
- one’s own mortality and health status
- impending divorce
- infertility issues for couples – current or past
- inner child feelings and issues:
- unresolved developmental needs
- never felt as loved as by this pet
The following therapies utilize dynamic interventions to gently support yet effectively facilitate the client’s:
- emotional expression
- insight
- ability to cope with change
- awareness and employment of spiritual, religious or philosophical
values
- inner guidance and wisdom
Mind/body therapy addressing inner child feelings and memories. Old negative patterning addressed by emotional remapping – first mapping out current experience (negative voices that denigrate or limit client) and then remapping new choices and possibilities where formerly such options felt impossible. Psychomotor therapy can be particularly helpful if memories of past losses or difficult childhood memories surface as a result of pet loss. For more information about PBSP Therapy see http://www.pbsp.org .
Highly effective modality for trauma that may have been incurred through seeing the death, accident or prolonged illness and suffering of pet. Rapid eye movements and other alternate brain stimuli such as alternating left and right audiotones or music (as in David Grand’s Biolateral work – see www.biolateral.com) or alternate hand taps are utilized to help stimulate the brain’s integration of traumatic experiences and associated memories. EMDR is very helpful in addressing symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) – where intrusive images and disturbing symptoms (nightmares, flashbacks, or pre-occupation with the trauma) make optimal daily functioning difficult. For more information about EMDR see http://www.emdr.org
Therapy done in trance state (deep relaxation) is particularly effective for issues that surface in therapy that have been difficult to resolve in traditional talk therapy. Client begins with a “target” situation and finds historical antecedents to current problems, bringing to consciousness old negative patterns and ways of thinking and behaving that no longer serve them. Emotional release work in grief therapy is particularly effective in hypnotherapy – releasing suppressed emotions in a supportive environment.
