Pet Grief Social Worker

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Hamilton, ON
Pet Grief Social Worker

Rhiannon Jones M.S.W., R.S.W. specializes in providing pet bereavement & grief services.

06/13/2025

It’s undeniable that the relationship we have with a pet is beyond surface level attachment. That relationship literally encodes itself on the brain. It is also possible that when we experience a life-changing event when we have this relationship (such as a trauma), this only deepens that encoding, making grieving and the yearning for that relationship even stronger.

11/09/2024

Earlier in my career, I became fascinated by the human animal connection. I have been lucky enough to be witness to the healing nature of that bond both personally and professionally. They can create smiles from frowns, decrease isolation, provide a sense of purpose, be social lubricants, calm the anxious mind, just to name just a few. They are the true healers of the human psyche without any effort. They are what we need from those around us, non-judgement positive unconditional love.

I felt disheartened by recent world events, reminding me that as a healer myself, we take on the injustice, inequality and the pain of the world. Can you imagine for one moment, if the world embraced their inner canine? Imagine a world free from judgement and that you are truly loved for who you are? Imagine a world where the simple things can make you happy, you live in the moment and that loyalty and devolution is second nature. Can you imagine?

The complexity of the human mind is what creates both wonderment and turmoil. Amongst the negatively and chaos, there are those that embrace their inner canine and become healers, advocates, supporters, teachers, role models and leaders. It may not come as easy to us like our furry friends but I boop to those that continue to strive for a better world.

10/16/2024

🐾❤️Remember our pets are part of our family ❤️ 🐾 It is normal and natural to have waves of anxiety or sadness when we fear losing them. Many pet parents experience these waves throughout the life-time of their pet. These waves can become stronger and more frequent when we have a pet who is unwell or palliative. This is called anticipatory grief and you are not alone with these feelings. Need extra support? Give us a call to book your consult call.

08/06/2024

I love this quote for so many reason. It speaks to how powerful our own stories have over us. When it comes to grief, we all have a story we tell ourselves and it has been built over time through experiences both in and out of our awareness. Our story of what grief means to us comes from our family, our community, our culture and our experiences. Grief is complicated because it is never as simple as a loss of a life but what the loss means and how I am allowed grieve for that loss. It is the story we tell ourselves. My grief story tells me, "I just need to move forward." It comes from how my culture views of death and my internal dialogue for survival. Being aware of your grief story can help you with your healing journey. Take a moment and ask yourself what is your grief story?

06/12/2024

On the second Tuesday of June, we observe World Pet Memorial Day. Today, we encourage acts of honouring a pet that has passed away. It is also a day to show support to people who have just lost their pet.

There are so many ways to honour your pet’s memory.
🌈 paint a memorial stone
🌈 plant a tree in their memory
🌈 post a photo
🌈 donate to a local rescue in their name

How have you memorialized your pet?

05/10/2024

Just like we can’t replace people, we also cannot replace our beloved pets after they have passed. Though a common sentiment from those around you may ask when you are getting another one. Those that are uncomfortable with your grief experience might make you feel rushed into getting new pet, feeling this may solve your sadness and loneliness. However, during the grieving process, the thought of welcoming a new pet into your heart can feel like betrayal. Bringing a new pet home too soon might create resentment and a struggle to form an attachment. So when will you be ready?

There’s no clear answer as everyone’s readiness will be different. For some, it will be quick, as a home without a pet might be too painful to bear. For others, there may never be another, due the loss being so profound. The most important thing you can do is listen to your gut and to be honest with your feelings. Here are some other thoughts to consider;
🐾 Don’t replace your pet by trying to find a replica. Honour your pet by recognizing their individuality. This will also help you reach resolution from the loss.
🐾 Respect your boundaries by not allowing someone else to push you sooner than when you are ready. They may have the best intentions but you need to be in the right emotional space in fairness to you and your new pet.
🐾 Listen to all members of your family, as they all have different timelines. Being on the same page helps create stronger bonds for the future.
🐾 Remember, listen to your gut! Be honest with yourself and trust that you will make the right decision when the time is right!

04/18/2024

However long your grief experience takes, it is important to be patient with yourself as you move through your grieving process. Grief doesn’t necessarily go away but instead the way we express & manage it changes. In fact, residual grief can help form our future life choices, relationships and how we respond to later loss.

04/17/2024

Which is why pet grief can be complicated. We are bombarded by messages telling us that pet grief should be short and have little impact on our lives. That we should move on. So why can we feel the loss sometimes more intensely than even our loved ones?

For many people, any strong attachment is a reason to grieve deeply. Pets create meaning in our lives. We develop routines around their dependency on us. They are our confidant and a source of unconditional love and affection. They have helped us in our time of need and don’t judge us even on our very worst days. They have been better to us than some humans have.

Yes, it’s complicated but it shouldn’t be. Sometimes those bonds are forged deeper than human relationships. So grieve the way anyone would when you lose such an impactful relationship in your life.

08/09/2023

Free initial consults are an important function within Therapy to ensure there’s a good fit between the therapist & client. However, it can be difficult to get what everyone needs out of those moments. Therefore, we developed the C.A.R.E.S model for pet bereavement.

This model of initial consultation provides the client a more immediate session when needed rather than waiting. There is more time to establish connections and develop goals to determine next steps.

However, these sessions are sometimes all someone needs to help them move through their healthy bereavement journey.

By only charging half the normal cost, this initial session attempts to be more accessible for those that may not be able to afford more regular sessions.

💙🌈 Want to know more? Send us a message or check out our services further.

07/27/2023

Know that you are not alone in your feelings of grief.

📱Check out our services tab to learn more

07/26/2023

I am so excited to move into the next phase of my journey as a Therapist by finding a way to combine my passion & training within the human & pet relationship and offer a much needed specialized service within Pet Grief & Loss.

I invite you on the journey with me as we normalize our strong bonds with our pets and give ourselves permission to grieve in the way these deep relationships deserve.

📱 For more details, check out the services we have to offer!

Address

Hamilton, ON

Telephone

+19057415848

Website

https://msha.ke/petgriefsocialworker

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