Pet Bereavement Therapy by Glebe Medow Counselling

20/08/2025

❤️When Goodbye Comes.....Walking Through Pet Bereavement

🩷As a bereavement counsellor, I have the privilege of sitting with people in some of their hardest moments and one of the areas closest to my heart is pet loss. I have made it my mission to talk about pet bereavement because, too often quite frankly it is overlooked or dismissed, brushed under the carpet, or simply not taken seriously enough. Yet for so many, the grief of losing a beloved animal can feel just as deep and complex as losing a person, and sometimes worse.

🧡Our pets are not just animals, they are family, they are companions who share in our daily routines and in the quiet moments of life, they are the ones who meet us at the door, curl up beside us when the world feels heavy, and love us unconditionally. When that love is gone, the silence it leaves behind can feel unbearable!

💛What I hear most often in my work is the guilt that surrounds pet bereavement.
People ask, Did I do enough? Did I wait too long? Did I let go too soon? These questions can be tormenting, especially when an owner has had to make the painful decision of euthanasia. I remind my clients that choosing to end a pet’s suffering is not giving up, it is the ultimate act of love. To put their comfort above our own longing to keep them is one of the bravest choices we will ever make.

💚Grief for a pet, IS real grief. It deserves time, space, and acknowledgment. It is not something you “should just get over” quickly.
Every relationship is unique, and so every loss is unique too. Some people need to talk and share stories, others find comfort in creating memorials, lighting candles, framing photographs, keeping collars or paw prints, planting trees or flowers in their pet’s name. These rituals may seem small, but they can provide a sense of grounding when everything else feels unsteady.

💙In my own life, I know how powerful that bond with an animal can be. I also know the sharp ache of saying goodbye, it’s raw and so real. That is why I tell anyone grieving a pet, your love mattered, your grief is valid, and you do not have to walk through it alone.

💜Over time, grief softens and the memories that once brought tears begin to bring warmth instead. There will still be moments, a sound, a place, a smell, that bring the sadness rushing back, however that is not weakness, that is love reminding you it was real.

🖤Our pets leave pawprints on our hearts that NO amount of time can erase, and though their lives are shorter than ours, the love they give us is simply eternal, and that love is what stays, even when the goodbye feels too heavy to bear.

🤍If you are grieving your pet right now, know this, your pain is understood, your loss is significant, and your love is forever, your grief matters!

❣️Be kind to yourself.

2025© Glebe Meadow Counselling

Pet Bereavement Therapy by Glebe Medow Counselling

08/08/2025

Grief is a sacred journey, in my humble opinion anyway, it isn't something to hide or silence, but something your soul, body and mind needs you to feel.

Somewhere along the way, you may have been told to be strong, to carry on, to hold it in, but grief doesn’t vanish when we ignore it, it simply waits, quietly, asking to be witnessed.

It rises not only in life or shattering loss, but in the quiet endings too.
The shifting of identity, the unraveling of relationships, and the version of you that no longer remains.

When we make space for grief and truly honour it, something begins to soften, something begins to open up and with that we open a door to healing that’s deeper than words.
A space where love still lives. Where meaning begins to return, and where presence becomes our prayer.

You are not broken, you are simply becoming.

Let your grief speak. It’s the language of your heart, calling you home.

Be kind 💛 and to yourself too ✨️ x

©2025 Glebe Meadow Counselling

Pet Bereavement Therapy by Glebe Medow Counselling

08/08/2025

Navigating Life After Pet Loss.

When we bring a pet into our lives, and this could be any animal, (not just the fluffy kind) we welcome more than just fur, scales, paws, claws or teeth, we invite in loyalty, comfort, and unconditional love, because that is how it feels to you. Whether it is the gentle nudge of a wet nose in the morning or the steady companionship of a tail that never stops wagging, a hiss or miaw our animals become part of our daily rhythm, part of who we are, they become family.

So when that rhythm stops, when the bowl is empty, the collar hangs quietly by the door, the cage is empty and the house feels just a bit too still, we are left with a grief that can feel overwhelming, isolating, and often misunderstood by so many.

As a bereavement counsellor, I often hear people say, “I don’t understand why I’m this upset. I knew this day would come.” But knowing something doesn’t soften the ache, because the bond between a human and their animal isn’t just emotional, it is spiritual. It is a connection that doesn’t need words. And that is what makes the silence after they are gone, so hard to bear for so many of us.

If you are grieving the loss of a pet, please know this.

💛your grief is real.
💚It matters.
💙And you don’t need to apologise for it, ever.

Why does Pet Loss Hurts So Much?

Unlike many human relationships, the bond we have with our pets is refreshingly simple. They don’t judge, they don’t hold grudges, and they don’t care what we look like, earn, or achieve, they love us unconditionally.
They love us at our worst and walk beside us through life’s messiest moments. When they leave, we don’t just lose a companion, we lose our emotional anchor, our routine, and often, a piece of our identity.

Often pet loss can be a 'silent' grief. Friends and colleagues may not fully understand why you are so affected, and often we will hide our emotions due to embarrassment. You might hear, “It was just a dog,” or “Why not get another cat?” These comments, while often well-meaning, can make you feel even more alone in your pain. That is why it is so important to find spaces where your grief is acknowledged and held with care and understanding.

There Is No 'Right Way' to Grieve.

Everyone mourns differently. Some people find comfort in keeping their pet’s belongings close. Others need to tuck them away. Some write letters to their pet, light candles, or plant a tree in their memory. I plant fruit trees because of the blossoms, as they represent my beautiful pets. Others feel numb for weeks, unable to cry. There is no right or wrong here, only your way. Grief isn’t a straight road. It twists and loops, and just when you think you are okay, a sound or smell can take you right back.

But here is something, you are NOT alone.

At Glebe Meadow Counselling and Hypnotherapy I offer a gentle space for you to process your grief, whether your loss was recent or years ago. Whether it was your first pet or the fifth or eleventh you had to said goodbye to, I understand the depth of this sorrow, and I’m here to walk beside you through it. We can talk about anticipatory grief, the guilt that sometimes follows euthanasia decisions, or simply sit with the silence together.

Because love, real love, doesn’t end when a heartbeat does.

So allow yourself to remember.

In time, the sting will soften. The tears will come less often, and the memories will bring more smiles than pain. You will remember the sound of paws on the floor, the joyful bark, the silent miaw, the way the scales felt when you gently stroked the snake or lizard, the way their head fit just under your hand or in your hand, they will simply always be part of your story, part of you and your life.
And the love you shared, well that never leaves you.

So be kind to yourself and don't let anyone silence your feelings and emotions, let them come through, and allow yourself to grieve.

©2025 Pet Bereavement Therapy by Glebe Medow Counselling

Glebe Meadow Counselling

25/07/2025

"Grief does not need fixing, it needs witnessing. Whether it's the loss of a person, a pet, or a piece of ourselves, we heal not by moving on, but by moving with."

© 2025 Kathy, Glebe Meadow Counselling

23/07/2025

The start of any therapy journey can feel like a slow walk through thick mist, for both the client and therapist, often so thick you can not see through it....(yet) 💚

Your client might seem shut down, avoiding eye contact, offering a quiet shrug with their shoulders, or simply meeting questions with “I don’t know" or "Fine."
Sometimes however, silence fills the space more than words can do. 🤎

You might find yourself questioning, is any of this reaching them? Are we getting anywhere at all? Do they understand? Why I'm I doing this? ❤️‍🩹

But here is the thing, there is so much bravery in that stillness, just sitting with it and for the client to own it, it is so powerful.💙

It takes courage just to turn up. To sit with a stranger and stay. 🩶To start the slow work of opening up and to build that trust, even if no one says it out loud, this to me is empowering. 💛

Progress doesn’t always look like big breakthroughs. Sometimes it’s a slight shift in body language, a second session booked, a small and tired smile at the door.💜

If you’re sitting in that quiet stage, unsure if you’re making a difference, keep going.🩵

You are... ❤️ More than you know 🩷

©2025 Glebe Meadow Counselling

Pet Bereavement Therapy by Glebe Medow Counselling

21/07/2025

Empathy often or can often grow from deep hurt, deep emotional pain. When you have been through real pain, it is easy to shut down and turn cold, but choosing to stay open, to care, to still feel for others, that to me takes real guts and real courage.

Empathy isn’t weakness, it shows a heart that has been through the worst, somehow put itself back together, and still keeps beating and feeling.
We often recognise each other’s pain because we know our own, at least that is what I'm capable of doing!

So if you come across someone who’s gentle and kind in a harsh world, know this, they have probably faced their own darkness and decided not to let it shape who they are.

Be kind always 💛

©2025 Glebe Meadow Counselling

Pet Bereavement Therapy by Glebe Medow Counselling

19/07/2025

From broken to growing. Mine, Ours and Your journey truely matters.

Some days, you feel like you’re just about keeping your head above water. Other days, you catch a glimpse of your own quiet strength, you made it through, those days are so personal to myself. Life isn’t always about big, dramatic changes. Sometimes it’s just about getting through the next moment, the next breath, the next step, whatever the hurdles you somehow muddled through it.

Maybe lately, you’ve found yourself thinking, “I’m broken and helpless.” That voice can be loud, especially when you’re tired, overwhelmed, or carrying more than anyone sees. But what if that’s not the full story? What if you could start shifting that message you know, even gently, to something new like this,
“I’m growing and healing.”

This isn’t about slapping a smile on and pretending everything is fine. You don’t need to fake strength. Real growth isn’t shiny or perfect. It’s raw, it’s messy, it’s crying in the shower and still turning up for the people you love. It’s choosing to keep going, even when you don’t know how, you are human after all you hear yourself saying right.

If you work with others, care for your family, or simply try to survive each day as they come, you’re already doing something brave. You’re showing up! Even when your hands shake, even when you feel like giving up, you are doing the work, even when no one sees it, you are there in the moment, so give yourself that bit of credit.

And you so deserve to hear this, and you deserve to say it out loud because
You’re not broken.
You’re growing.
You’re healing.

Even if it doesn’t feel like it, YET.

So next time that voice whispers “I’m broken and helpless,” maybe you can whisper something back:
“No. I’m growing and healing,"
and that is enough, give yourself allowance to move forward and feel those powerful words "I'm growing and healing."

©2025 Glebe Meadow Counselling

Kathy Ingeborg Paulsen-Russell

15/07/2025