AUSTRALIA Archives - Pets and People

Hi, I’m Karen. As an animal lover, I understand the bond a human has with their pets. All I wanted to be when I was young was a vet. My life has been filled with pets, ranging from those we consider everyday companion animals such as cats and dogs, birds, guppies and goldfish, to farmyard friends such as chickens, ducks, geese and turkeys. I have witnessed the miracles of nature and watched in awe as pets have given birth, and have seen baby chickens, ducks, geese and turkeys hatch and watched the parents raise their young. Of course, it also meant dealing with their death. Many times, I have had to make the difficult decision regarding euthanasia, and one occasion in particular, witnessed the traumatic death of a beloved family dog.

At high school, I completed work experience in a vet surgery and unfortunately the stars didn’t align and the dream of becoming a vet wasn’t to happen. I left high school to start working and eventually several years later, single motherhood ensued. During this time, amongst other jobs, I spent several years working in boarding kennels, making sure everyone’s pets were looked after as well as possible whilst they were staying there.

After more changes and long and successful careers first in retail, then employment services and recruitment, I now have the opportunity to work with animals and their humans again. This time, it is providing end-of-life support.

In addition to counselling, I am also a trained Animal Companion Doula and Animal Companion Celebrant ™, meaning I can provide support throughout the euthanasia journey, and services such as a funeral or celebration of life for your pet.

Counselling sessions are provided in a safe and supportive environment through either nature based Walk and Talk (no office involved) or via Telehealth in the comfort of your own surroundings. Utilising nature and its healing effects, walk and talk sessions do not have to be walking, but can be sitting in a safe, cool and comfortable, private outdoor space.

Based in Cairns, walk and talk sessions, doula, and celebrant services are available from Port Douglas through to the Cassowary Coast and Atherton Tablelands. Online sessions are available Australia wide. A range of appointment times are available to suit most schedules, with out of office hours appointments available upon request.

By providing the services I do, my hope is to provide support for others whilst they are going through the pain that I have felt so many times myself. If what I do can give someone even a small amount of comfort and knowledge that they are not alone in what they are going through, it makes my job so worth it.

No referral is required and if you are looking for someone to support you through the decision making process related to your pet, or end-of-life support, I am here to help. Please visit my website, Facebook page, or give me a call.

We lose a part of us when we lose a pet. There is never a ‘right’ time. It is heart-wrenching,
and the grief and sense of loss can be so devastating that it becomes difficult to find
enjoyment in everyday life without our pet by our side. It’s an overwhelming feeling of
emptiness that may be unintentionally invalidated by other people as they try to comfort us
using words such as “He/she had a good life”, or “Another fur baby is what you need”.
The added weight and responsibility of electing euthanasia to alleviate suffering may add
doubt, guilt, and feelings of failure to our already fragile emotional state.
As an experienced veterinarian, qualified counsellor, and dedicated pet owner I ‘get’ you.
I’ve supported many of my clients through this journey, and I’ve been there myself. I’m here
to help you find meaning in the depths of your pain, one step at a time.
I offer face-to-face chats for local Gold Coast clients plus catch ups over Zoom for those
living further away. I am flexible with times and happy to fit in with your needs, including
out of work hours and on weekends. Please email me for further information or to organise
a suitable time:

“The memories and paw print of a beloved pet remain in our heart and soul forever.”
– Unknown

When our beloved furry family member dies, we can be left with a deep sense of loss and a
feeling of emptiness in our lives. We often have such a special, unique bond with our pets,
involving unconditional love and companionship that end-of-life care and saying goodbye to
them can be heart-breaking.
Sometimes people close to us might find it difficult to understand the depth of that special
bond, which can make it difficult for us to feel supported by them when we need to talk
about and honour our loved one. Having felt the deep distress at losing my own pets, and
as a vet, having supported many pet parents through palliative care and euthanasia of their
loved one, I understand the myriad of thoughts and emotions you may be experiencing.
I am here for you at any time during the later stages of your loved one’s life and beyond, to
walk alongside you, support you to process your grief, and help make meaning from their
loss. They will always hold a special place in our hearts and memories.
Please feel comfortable to direct email me for further information. We can catch-up from
anywhere via online Zoom meetings and face-to-face meetings can be organised in the
Brisbane area. I am flexible with times and available 7 days a week.
Take care of yourself, Debbie

My name is Fiona and I live in North West Sydney. I have owned, loved and lost animals all my life and have felt the incredible pain of grief when they’re gone.
In my experiences personally and professionally, I feel sad that few people understand the realness of what some of us feel when we no longer have our best friends by our side. Well meaning friends tell us she’s in a better place now, that we were lucky to have her and maybe we just need to get another pet. We are encouraged to move on and forget when all we want to do is stay with them and remember. We feel unheard and lonely, that we’re over reacting and there must be something ‘wrong’ with us. Our grief may become disenfranchised – or unvalidated.
As a person centred counsellor I take time to understand you. We work together to explore your relationship with your pet and your changed life since they’ve gone. By providing a safe space for you to feel your emotions around grief, together we work to integrate your loss and grow through it. Grief is Love – it happens in our heart not our head and needs to heal through connection and support.
I offer counselling by Zoom, phone or face to face

I’m Estella, a life long cat lover. It never gets easier when our animals die and I noticed within my grief counselling practice a lot of people who had unresolved grief from the loss of companion animals at earlier points in their lives, which is why I look to specialise in the area of companion animal loss grief counselling.

I run a fee for service mobile counselling business throughout Canberra and surrounds – that means I come to you! There is nothing more special than supporting someones grief in their own home and being shown the collar and/or lead from a lost pet. I am also able to provide counselling via Zoom.

The bonds we share with our companion animals are unique, fulfilling and imbued with personal meaning and connection. We are blessed with their living and loving presence, so it goes without saying that we deeply grieve when this relationship changes through loss. We may also find ourselves in the unenviable position of deciding if our companions are suffering too greatly to maintain a quality of life. Weather you have lost an animal companion or are struggling with difficult questions about compassionately euthanising a loved one in the future, I am here to support you.

I offer a safe and informed space where you can explore the difficult experiences and questions that arise, openly and honestly, allowing our grief to move forward in such a way as we can honour the memory of our beloved companion animals.

I understand that I am not only working with a unique individual, with their own story of loss, but with the memory and story of a unique animal companion. For some, a pet is an animal we share our space with. For many of us, though, a pet is a best friend, a companion, a family member, a trusted confidant, a source of love, joy, stability, and a supportive and caring figure in our lives.

Warmly

Douglas Nichols

I began my professional career in a very different industry, working with animals in a Veterinary Clinic. I found that when an emergency occurred or during the end of life process I was drawn to providing support to the families. I realized that this is where my interests lie; providing a space for families to grieve the loss of their beloved Pet.

The unexpected loss of my 3 year old cat, Artemis reaffirmed my belief of how important it is to recognize how deeply we grieve the loss of our pets. In our session I will show your grief the honor and respect that it deserves by creating a safe place for you to talk. Together we will work towards finding meaning from our losses and begin to step forward in life without our pet, though always remembering the mark they have left on our lives.

Hello there. I’m Linda, pleased to meet you. I have always had a great love of all creatures great and small and a genuine desire to help others as far back as I can remember.

I have had animals (cats, dogs, birds, fish and even a lizard or two to name a few) all my life. Sadly, in 2017, I said goodbye to one of those very special pets we meet along the way, my beautiful black Burmese rescue cat, Merlot. He was with me for 18 years. I was heartbroken, finding the absence of his presence one of the hardest things.

My journey through loss drives me to walk beside others as you find your way through your journey. My approach is gentle in nature and very much focused on you. I offer flexible counselling options (you are welcome to browse my website to learn a little more). This includes phone sessions, face to face at a mutually agreed location or home visits. I am generally available Monday to Saturday by appointment and some phone sessions may also be available Sundays and public holidays on request.

Our relationship with our pets is unique. They are such a constant in our life and the loss of that relationship is immeasurable. We face many challenges as we watch our pets age; as we support them through illness; as we prepare to say goodbye; and as we find our way after they are gone.

Wherever you are in your journey, please reach out, I’m here.

My thoughts are with you. Linda.

Relationships are the key to life. For many of us, animals make up a huge part of those relationships we have. I have lived with and loved animals throughout my life. I grew up surrounded by dogs, ducks, geese, cats, birds of every kind, pet mice, rabbits, fish and I had horses – an animal loving family! Now as an adult I absolutely understand the significance animals play in our lives, the devotion they can have to us, the deep bonds we have with them and of course the searing loss when they pass.

I worked as a Couple and Family Relationship Therapist meeting with individuals, couples, families and children for a leading national family and relationship organisation for over a decade. I provided therapeutic support to many people regarding the relationships they have with the animals and fur babies in their lives. Now in my own private practice I am able to take that even further and offer: Animal Inclusive Therapy, where your animal companion is welcome to join you in the counselling sessions (without having to be a registered assistance animal) and Walk and Talk Therapy, enabling being outdoors while receiving counselling assistance. I also offer online therapy (via video link up through ZOOM or Skype) and phone counselling.

The animals for whom we feel deeply, may at this time be unwell; may have disappeared or been stolen; you may have had to make a very difficult decision to part with because of moving; they may be a wild animal; the companion to someone else or a memory from a long time ago. Whether the animal be feathered, fured, scaled, on two legs, four or swim; your grief, worry or distress is your own, you have a right to feel it, express it and be heard.

Please feel very welcome to contact me with any questions or to make an appointment. See my website for information and fees.

“Until one has loved an animal a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.”
Anatole France.

Hi. I’m Lesley and I have been a grief counsellor for over 20 years working with hundreds of people going through many different kinds of losses. If you are going through the loss of your beloved pet – as I have done recently – and resonate with my story and approach, I would love to work with you.

As a counsellor/psychotherapist, yoga teacher and long term Buddhist practitioner, I can’t help but incorporate a ‘bigger picture’ approach when working with clients who are grieving. ie. an understanding of the impermanence of life, the great mystery of our brief, finite physical existence and whether that continues in some other way beyond physical death. I find dwelling in this mystery with others is one of the most profound things we can do together as human beings. I have encountered many, many people who are overwhelmed by their grief, and often don’t have safe places or people with whom they can share these feelings. Many of these feel their beloved one around them, and even have experiences of contact beyond death, but these experiences are difficult both to share with others and to understand for ourselves.

I recently lost my beloved cat, Asha. ‘Asha’ means ‘hope’ in Hindi and he indeed brought hope and joy into my life. He was a spirited and loving daily companion and was with me for 16 years. I miss the relationship between us every day. I miss the essence of him, the physical comfort of his presence, his quirky ways, and the very real expressions of affection and love between us. He made my house a home and it feels empty without him. He was often my co- therapist, sitting beside many of my clients in their sadness, and (usually!) available for cuddles. I spent most of his life trying to keep him alive and happy and well, from his days as a wild and wayward kitten right up to becoming an elderly cat with arthritis, kidney disease and lymphoma. The sudden end to all that loving care and attention can be overwhelming. It has struck me that the expression “grief is just love with nowhere to go” is very true.

In working through my own loss, I have been reflecting on how unacknowledged losing a pet often is in our society, and hence here I am wanting to help others going through this experience. In our world, there are some precious people who “get” how enormous our grief for our animals is. Unfortunately there are many who don’t, and this can add significantly to the loneliness and isolation that can sometimes come with grieving our beloved companions.

Occasionally, losing a pet comes as a sudden and traumatic event which adds an enormous dimension to the depth of our grieving process. All the latest research on working with trauma – known as poly-vagal theory – points to working with physical therapies alongside counselling to help change arousal patterns in the body and mind. I have been using somatic (physical) approaches with my clients who have suffered trauma with much success, such as tapping (Emotional Freedom Technique) and many of the traditional yogic breathing and deep relaxation practices, and have found these to be very successful in conjunction with deeply empathetic counselling.

I’d love to talk to you if you are going through a difficult time over the loss of your beloved one.