An Invitation -Pet Loss Support Group
A Support Group For All Who Have Lost a Beloved Pet
Submitted by Real Macaw Member, Lynn Haapa
The group meets the first Tuesday of each month, 7:30 to 9 p.m. Francine Michaels, Ph.D. is the facilitator. Meetings are held at: Cliffside Medical Center, 663 Palisades Avenue, Suite 304, Cliffside Park, NJ 07010. For reservations and information call: Francine Michaels at 1 (800) 941-FRAN or 201-941-9166. There is no charge for the sessions.
The human-animal bond has existed throughout history. When the human-animal bond is broken through the loss of a beloved pet, a period of natural mourning follows. There has been much written on loss and grief work for people. However, pet loss has not been accorded the same attention.
Our pets don't live as long as we do. It is inevitable that we will lose a pet at some point in our lives. Reactions to such loss differ depending on one's stage of live. Children attach to their pet for support, affection, and security. The loss of their pet may create intense anxiety and anger. In fact, not being allowed to mourn the loss of a family pet early in live may predispose a child to difficulty coping with future losses in adult life.
In my practice, clients report difficulty speaking of the loss of their special pet many years later. In fact, they may not have completed the mourning process. They may experience chronic depressive feelings and not know why, especially if the pet was "put to sleep" without discussion or if the family decided to give the pet away because someone was allergic or felt the pet was a nuisance.
Reactions to loss can be varied depending on the quality of the relationship one has had with their pet. To say, "It was only a dog, you can get another one" is to invalidate the owner's feelings. One may experience numbness or a lack of feelings, anxiety, feeling the pet is "around", irritability, shock, helplessness, loss of appetite, and crying. There is usually support from family and friends for the loss of a person, but little for the loss of a beloved pet.
The amount and degree of support after loss is a key factor to working through the loss. Individual counseling may be helpful. Most people respond well to group support where the grieving person's loss is treated with dignity and respect.
{Francine Michaels, Ph.D., a Board Certified Clinical Social Worker, is in private practice in Cliffside Park, NJ. She is a graduate of the Columbia School of Social Work and The Union Institute. She has a certificate in psychoanalytic psychotherapy. Her 25 years experience includes counseling and workshops on life management, aging, family-owned business, vocational rehabilitation work adjustment, and the impact of medical illness on the individual and the family. Her approach encompasses short term reality-oriented techniques and empowerment of the client. She conducts a Breast Cancer Support Group through the American Cancer Society and a Pet Loss Support Group. Dr. Michaels is President of the Fort Lee Rotary 1995-1996, and a member of the Greater Fort Lee Chamber of Commerce, Cliffside Park Chamber of Commerce, and the National Association of Social Workers.}
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