Healing Wisdom for Pet Loss

Whether you recently lost your cherished pet or know you soon will, this book is for you.

Healing Wisdom for Pet Loss is designed to help readers understand the bond they have with their pets and why losing them is uniquely painful; aid them in understanding the grief they experience in the aftermath of that loss; and teach them the skills they need to process this loss. In these pages, licensed mental health counselor Anne Marie Farage-Smith offers detailed explanations of the types of grief that one may encounter upon the loss or impending loss of a pet and provides validation for the emotions experienced in relation to that loss. She also reminds readers that help is available, and gives actionable criteria for the reader to determine when professional assistance is needed and how to find it.

Containing a variety of deliberately open-ended writing exercises Farage-Smith has seen help others to understand and heal their grief, as well as suggestions for a variety of ways to honor and remember one’s pet, Healing Wisdom for Pet Loss is the loving, supportive grief journey companion every bereaved pet parent needs.

Author: Anne Marie Farrage-Smith
Publication Date:June 4, 2024

Categories: Non-fiction, Spring 2024

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About the Author

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2024 Best Book Awards Winner in Animals/Pets: General
2024 Nonfiction Book Awards Gold Winner

“The author—an educator, mental health counselor, and founder of the Rochester Center for Pet Grief and Loss—describes the myriad faces of this kind of loss and outlines strategies and mindsets that may help . . . . Readers who have experienced the trauma of pet loss will deeply appreciate the valuable wisdom in these pages.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“As someone who deals with grief and loss of pets on a daily basis, I am eager to share this book with clients as an invaluable resource for helping them through the hardest part of pet ownership. Anne Marie provides wonderful insight to the dynamic challenges of pet loss and the grief that accompanies it in an inclusive and accepting way. Her exercises and writing prompts are so helpful for learning to cope before, during, and after the loss of a beloved pet.”
—Dr. Isabel Wylie, VMD

“Losing a pet is among the most painful and transformational experiences that a person can have. . . . Healing Wisdom For Pet Loss is an important and eloquently written book that presents valuable knowledge for pet owners and their mental health providers. I will keep one in my clinical office to loan to clients who have recently lost a pet and at my academic office for students to borrow”
—Robert H. Rice, Jr., PhD, LMHC, Professor, Mental Health Counseling Program Chair, St. John Fisher University

“Written with sensitivity and understanding, Healing Wisdom for Pet Loss offers a unique look at our grief reactions related to our pets. . . . I particularly liked this volume’s focus on the diverse reactions that people experience, and how working through grief is an individual process that might be different from the reactions of others. I am pleased to recommend this book for all who live with companion animals as well as those who work alongside them. It is a thoughtful and very useful addition to the literature.”
—Risë VanFleet, PhD, RPT-S, CDBC, CAEBC-I, founder and president of International Institute for Animal Assisted Play Therapy® and coauthor of Animal Assisted Play Therapy

“Healing Wisdom for Pet Loss is an essential guide for anybody who has loved and lost their faithful, cherished pet. Her compassionate support affirms the ache in a grieving heart and provides tools and resources needed to navigate the grief path. This is a comforting and practical must-read!”
—Lena Kieliszak LMHC NCC, Rochester NY

“Grief leaves a hole in our hearts that surfaces and never quite goes away completely. Finding ways to diminish the sharp cut of loss is so necessary to continue on. Healing Wisdom for Pet Loss is a labor of love and hopefully will ease the painful loss of a pet for every reader.”
—Catherine Romaine Brown, author of The Courageous Companion the Jack Russell Terrier and A Guide to the Happy Healthy Pet the Jack Russell Terrier

About the Author

Anne Marie Farage Smith is a lifelong animal lover and an advocate for all animals. She holds a master of science degree in mental health counseling from St. John Fisher University and a master of science degree in education from Nazareth University, and is a Pet Loss Grief Counseling Trained Professional. As a licensed mental health counselor and educator in private practice, she has offered clinical guidance to many individuals and groups experiencing grief and loss. She currently resides in Rochester, NY, where she enjoys spending time with her family, visiting local parks with her dog, Jazzy, traveling, and pursuing creative activities.