Pet Bereavement

This programme will develop your knowledge and understanding of grief reactions within veterinary practice in response to diverse pet bereavement situations. It also introduces strategies for providing emotional support for clients and develops key counselling skills.
Case studies from veterinary practice are used to illustrate different grieving styles and practical implications for client support. The distinct category of grief arising from euthanasia ‘responsibility grief’ is introduced and explored, demonstrating how important pre-euthanasia consults can be and exploring ways of helping clients through the euthanasia decision making process through the option of nurse facilitated continuing care clinics. Implications for different developmental stages from childhood, family to later life are considered along with the specials needs arising from assistance animal relationships. Approaches for discussing after-death body care options with clients are discussed along with guidelines for developing bereavement clinics and setting up a pet loss support group in your practice. The importance of staff self-care is also highlighted providing some options aimed at preventing stress and burnout for your practice team to consider.

Specific areas to be covered

• Grieving styles and methods of providing emotional support
• Pre-euthanasia and continuing care bereavement clinics
• Special considerations for children, elderly clients and assistance animal owners
• After-death body care

Please think very carefully about booking onto this programme if you have recently experienced a significant loss in your own life.

Speaker
Dr Sue Dawson CPsychol, DCounsPsych, PhD