About
Get to know Ann
My work as a pet loss counselor is deeply rooted in my own experience as a loving companion to animals.
Over the years, I’ve come to understand just how wide and complex the range of emotions can be when we lose a beloved pet. But that understanding didn’t come from training alone, it began with my own loss.
As an adult, the first time I lost an animal companion, it shocked me to my core. I was unprepared for the depth of the pain I felt. Not only did I not know what to expect, I was taken aback by just how deeply I loved, and how profoundly that love could hurt.
At the time, I was certain I would never recover.
In searching for some way to make sense of my grief, I came across a little book by Moira Anderson Allen, M.Ed., Coping with Sorrow on the Loss of Your Pet. In its pages, I found something I hadn’t realized I needed: reassurance. I began to understand that I wasn’t alone, and that what I was feeling was not only real, but normal.
For the first time, I felt a sense of hope. I was going to survive.
Turning toward healing
That experience became a turning point for me. It shaped the way I hold space for others who are grieving, and it continues to inform the care and compassion I bring to this work.
Today, I offer gentle support and guidance to those mourning the loss of a beloved animal companion, as well as those preparing for an anticipated loss. My intention is to walk alongside you during this tender time — at your pace, and in your own way.
Together, we can begin to rediscover the joy your pet brought into your life, the gifts they left behind, and the love and kindness you shared as their human companion.
You don’t have to move through this alone.
My qualifications
Education
M.A. - Counseling - Central Michigan University
B.A. - Social Work - Saginaw Valley State University
License
New Mexico - Professional Mental Health Counselor (PMHC) #2373
Training and professional experience
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Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement training for on-line chat room
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Training with The Grief Center
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Ongoing continuing education credits as required for licensure
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Extensive experience in the animal welfare field
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Counseling with people with disabilities and survivors of domestic violence
