Pet Loss and Disenfranchised Grief: Implications for Mental Health Counseling Practice

Abstract

Counselors who acknowledge and validate the implications of pet loss will help to re-enfranchise an undervalued grief. In the article, pet loss is conceptualized using both a traditional model of grief, Kubler-Ross’s stages of grief, and two contemporary models of loss adaptation, the dual process model and adaptive grieving. General grief reactions to pet loss are discussed, along with the negative impact of disenfranchised grief for pet bereavement. Finally, I address the use of grief counseling, self-help, and community resources for bereaved pet owners.