Coping With Pet Loss Grief: What You Can Do

Anyone who has spent time with a pet and considered it a part of the family knows all too well the pain that comes when said pet dies. In truth, suffering from pet loss grief is not as unusual or trivial as other people may think. And understanding that you are not being over dramatic for hurting so much is the first step towards recovering from pet loss grief. You need to understand that what you are feeling is normal and you are not being overly sentimental. It is understandable for other people to not understand how you feel and why you're heartbroken over losing your pet. But you should never allow anyone to dictate what you should feel and what you need to do. The only way you can fully recover from your grief is to acknowledge its presence and deal with it. Denying and ignoring the pain won't amount to much. In this case, you need to seek out people that understand what you are going through and can help you identify your emotions. Identifying your emotions is the best way to find solutions to deal and recover from it. If you are feeling confused about what you are feeling, be sure to talk about this with your therapist or counselor so he or she can help ease the confusion and suggest ways you can recover from it.

It is advisable to seek the help of a therapist or a counselor immediately after your pet dies or before you agree to have them euthanized (depending on your vet's recommendation, of course). As an owner who

has spent years with the pet, it is indeed shocking and confusing to make these decisions. Working with a pet loss grief counselor or someone who has trained in Christian counseling can help you sort through the

storm of emotions and ease your confusion. It is important to talk to someone who understands your grief and also can help you understand the need to make these difficult decisions. If you do not have a

therapist or a counselor you regularly talk to, you can check out your local community centers or hospitals or even ask recommendations from your family doctor. This way, you can be certain that you are going to make the best decision for your sick pet and yourself. The counselor also works to help you decide what you should do with your pet's remains. Oftentimes, this is the most difficult part of dealing

with the loss for most pet owners and having a counselor to guide and support you throughout the process is very helpful. A lot lies with choosing the right counselor to talk to and it is important that you

end up working with someone that can truly help you.

In this case, there are a number of things you must look for in the counselor you are going to work with.

First among them is experience. It is important to talk to a pet loss grief counselor that has been working with pet owners for a long time. You would want to work with a counselor that knows what he or she is

doing. You also need to look for a counselor that has received training from reputable organizations. This is most important if you end up with a counselor that has received training online. Be certain that they

have been certified by reputable online training organizations such as http://www.aihcp.org. The reason is simple; these organizations that have been around a long time are reliable when it comes to providing quality training and education. The counselors that pass their training and certification are guaranteed

to provide the level of services a grief-stricken pet owner needs. It will help if you can ask around sympathetic friends or relatives if they know of a counselor or a therapist you can consult.

Recommendations are often better since they provide you with firsthand information on the counselor and the service you can expect from them. Carefully study all the information you can gather about these counselors you are interested in before you decide to hire their services. This way, you can be certain that

the person you are going to spend hours talking to can really help you recover from the grief of losing your pet.