The subject of pet loss has received little attention within the field of psychology, which is surprising given the millions of people who form strong attachments with their pets and experience the death of a pet at some point during their lifetime. The primary purpose of this article is to show why it is important for psychologists to understand how significant pets can be in the lives of their clients and to be sensitive to clients' grief in response to the death of a pet. We discuss special considerations related to the effect of pet loss on families, children, and the elderly. In addition, we examine how psychologists can play an important role in helping people cope with the emotional impact of pet loss through grief counseling, consultation with animal health care professionals, and outreach. BRUCE S. SHARKIN received his PhD in counseling psychology from the University of Maryland. He is an assistant professor in the Department of Counseling and Psychological Services at Kutztown University. His research interests include ethics and professional issues, anger, and college counseling. DONNA KNOX received her MA in counseling psychology from Lehigh University. She is a counselor in Kutztown University's Counseling Service and at Women's Solutions in Bethlehem, PA. Her research interests include grief counseling with children and women's issues.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.