5 Tips from a Therapist on Dealing with the Loss of a Pet

Many people seek the services of a therapist when they lose a pet. It’s a devastating experience and sometimes, people need help getting through it. Therapists help people grieving in many different ways because each person is different. Their individual needs must be considered in therapy sessions. The following are some of the ways therapists help people dealing with the loss of a pet, and they may help you.

#1: Take Time to Grieve

Many people will try to avoid the grief they feel for their pet. They may start working more, and it’s only times when they are still that they start to cry and deal with the loss. This can become a problem because depriving yourself the time to grieve can end up causing you to have strong emotions for other situations in life. It can lead to relationship, work, and many other problems.

#2: Celebrate Life

A funeral or memorial for a pet is common, but instead of focusing on the passing of your pet, consider celebrating his or her life. This can be a time to remember special times you’ve spent with your pet and bring up some photos and videos of some of those times. Being able to look back on all of the precious memories can help you grieve and realize that you may not have your pet physically with you, but you will always have the memories.

#3: Find a Way to Keep your Pet Close

With cremation and pet urns, you can now keep the remains of your pet close to you. After cremation, you will have your pet’s ashes to store or spread them. Some people decide to spread them near a favorite place, while others would rather have them stored securely in a pet urn. These pet urns can be displayed in your home or out in your yard if you choose to have a memorial set up for him or her.

#4: Speak to Family and Friends When You Need It

Venting is important when you’re mourning the loss of a pet. Keeping all of that misery inside of you can cause you to feel depressed, which can negatively affect the rest of your life. Your family and friends care about you at difficult times in your life. Let them in to comfort you and help you get through this time in your life.

#5: Journal

Journaling is an excellent way to process what is going on around you. It may not seem like it is helping you because as you’re doing it, you may find yourself feeling sadder. However, it is helpful because it’s allowing yourself to let go and come to conclusion that you wouldn’t have if you didn’t take the time to process. Journaling should be something you do regularly for many of life’s events because it truly can make a difference on your mental health.

Try these ways to help yourself as you are grieving the loss of your pet. If you’re finding it difficult to live, you may want to seek help from a therapist. He or she will be able to assess your current state and then provide you help that is much more individualized and effective.