Mourning for a Pet

Morse (1988-2000)

Pets have an important place in our heart and our lives. They keep our secrets. They provide comfort when we are sad or frustrated, and listen to our dreams and plans without judgment or prejudice. They are partners in pranks or hijinks. They “babysit” our kids and provide comfort when we don’t feel well. They teach us about responsibility, loyalty and unconditional positive regard. They are often considered part of the family, a four-legged “kid” or sibling. And, eventually but way too soon, they teach us about grief and loss.

It is natural to mourn when a pet or animal companion dies. In addition to the sorrow of losing such an important emotional bond, we also lose a self-identified role as the guardian or pet-parent. During its lifetime we provided food, water and shelter. We are willing to spend hours canvassing the neighborhood at any time of day or night and in any weather looking for our lost dog, cat, horse, etc. We decide where we will live or are willing to move depending on the pets-clause in the lease. We invest money (sometimes a lot of it) in its veterinary care and medical/liability insurance. We learn how to administer oral medications and even do insulin injections if this becomes necessary. Ultimately we often have to make that incredibly difficult decision to end our beloved animal’s suffering by ending its life.

As a fellow animal lover, I know how hard the death of a beloved pet can be. I am here to help you work through your grief and the related changes in your life that are going on right now. As a certified hypnotherapist, I offer hypnosis and/or therapeutic guided-imagery techniques that can provide the gentle, emotional healing you need right now. All of my sessions are private and confidential, and I can work with you at my office in Santa Clarita or via Skype. I am currently offering a 10 percent discount on all pet-bereavement hypnotherapy sessions, valid through March 31, 2017. (This offer may not be applied to any other offer and is not exchangeable for cash.)

To set up an appointment, please call me at (661) 433-9430 or send e-mail to calminsensehypnosis@yahoo.com.

Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. For more information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy® and to set up an appointment, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.

© 2017

Animals and Hypnotherapy House Calls

Photo courtesy of Microsoft/Bing

 

The first time I make a house-call to work with one of my hypnotherapy clients in his or her house, I always ask whether the individual has a dog or a cat in the home. The reason why I want to know this has nothing to do with my love for (which I do) or fear of (which I generally don’t) animals. Rather, I want to know this because most pets react in some way when their human goes into a trance state.

Even the most minute alteration in our breathing rhythm, speech pattern and/or movement or any number of minute physiological “tells” that are invisible to us immediately alert our animals when we are no longer in our usual alert and aware state. I have worked with many people whose dogs started to bark or whine as soon as they went into hypnosis. While these sounds don’t necessarily distract me from the hypnotherapy work I am doing, clients often get distracted and even distressed by their pet’s obvious confusion about their subtly altered state of conscious awareness. To avoid this, I usually suggest that the animal be secured in another room or outside during the hypnotherapy session; an even better solution is for another resident in the house to take the dog for a walk or to the park. That way, the client can enjoy the calm and relaxation that hypnosis provides while the pet does not have to sound the alarm about its human’s unusual behavior.

Over time and repeated home visits, pets typically get used to having me around and their owner’s unusual, uber-mellow demeanor during the hour or so that I am there. Sometimes the animals even hang out as if they are observing the session, themselves. Many even settle down for a long morning or afternoon nap beside the client. I don’t know that these pets actually become hypnotized along with their human, but they generally seem more relaxed and mellow by the time I leave.

 

 

 

Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. For more information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy® and to set up an appointment, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.

© 2015