Pet loss grief support and veterinary mental health support in DC, Virginia, and Maryland

*My practice is currently full and I’m unfortunately not taking new clients.
Here you can find more info about other available support.

Your grief is valid. You are not alone.

Loss is loss, whether it’s a person or an animal.

Saying goodbye to a cherished pet or companion animal can be just as devastating as losing a human family member or friend. 

 
 

Sometimes, pet loss can be even more devastating. Your bond with your beloved animal may be one of the most significant and unconditionally loving relationships of your life. As a result, losing that bond and connection may be one of the most painful experiences of your life. As I say, if it’s life changing love, then it’s life changing loss too.

Unlike when a human friend or family member dies, society doesn’t generally recognize the time or space needed to grieve pets. Pet loss grief is real, it is serious, it is scientifically documented, and it demands space and support. Grief is not a pathology. Grief is a normal and necessary process with no timeline, and it’s different for each person who experiences it.

Hi, I’m Jessica

As a licensed psychotherapist with over 15 years of experience, I am here to help you to honor your pet, process your grief, develop new routines, and take steps towards healing.

I am also here to normalize and validate your grief, to listen deeply and support you, to give you tools to cope, and to provide empathy and understanding in a non-judgmental space. Having gone through this experience multiple times myself, I understand how incredibly painful and difficult it is, and know that pet loss is an underserved community.

I am familiar and experienced with many kinds of human-animal bonds.

Maybe you’re not sure what kind of support you need, but you know you need to process this experience with someone who has gone through it and gets it. Please feel free to contact me for a free 15 minute consultation.

My practice is mostly virtual with some in-person availability in my Glover Park office in DC.

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Pet Loss DC offers a wide variety of Services and Resources