Resolving Grief: Responding to Clients Navigating the Loss of a Pet

Resolving Grief: Responding to Clients Navigating the Loss of a Pet
with Michelle Crossley, PhD, LMHC, NCC

Pets play a significant role in the lives of their caregivers, taking on different roles depending on the needs of the individual. While COVID-19 has thrust society into facing death and loss at a rate that we haven't seen before, different losses in society remain stigmatized. Grieving the death of a pet continues to be disenfranchised and societal perceptions of judgment can lead individuals to grieve the loss without social support. This presentation will build upon research in the field of pet loss and human bereavement and discuss factors from the COVID-19 pandemic that have impacted human-animal attachments. A goal of the presentation is to provide counselors with perspectives to consider in their practice when working with clients who have attachments to their companion animals and to acknowledge the therapeutic benefits of working through the grief process to resolution as a way to continue the bond with a deceased pet.

Objectives:
- Describe and identify disenfranchised grief.
- Examine human-animal attachment literature.
- Review current practices to determine how the human-animal bond and culturally appropriate grief responses are assessed at intake.
- Support clients in their grief process after the loss of a companion animal.
- Reflect on their own biases and assumptions about the human-animal bond to be mindful of any countertransference.



About the Presenter:

Dr. Crossley is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Rhode Island College. She also volunteers and serves in leadership positions as both the President of RIMHCA and Vice-President at APLB (Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement).

Current AMHCA Members: $20

Non-Members: $40

AMHCA will provide 2.0 CEs for this webinar to all attendees who are registered and attend for 1 hour and 45 minutes or longer. Attendees must view the presentation using the Zoom application on their computer, tablet, or smartphone. Attendance will not be counted for those dialing in by telephone only. American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA) has been approved to provide continuing education by the National Board for Certified Counselors and the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board. More provider information can be found here. All sales are final - webinar registrations are non-refundable.