Therapy for pet loss and animal-related grief
Your relationship with your animal matters here—and so does the grief that comes with it.
Online individual therapy for adults in Maryland & Washington, DC—with specialized support for behavioral euthanasia, animal caregiving, difficult decisions, and life after loss.
When your animal is no longer part of your life in the way they once were, everyday life can feel unfamiliar. Routines change. Home can feel different. Even the way you see yourself may shift.
Maybe you've experienced loss before, but this grief feels different. You may replay decisions and wonder if you could have done something differently, even when there isn't a clear answer.
You can know a decision was necessary and still wish you never had to make it. You may be grieving a relationship that held both beautiful and difficult moments.
There is room here for your grief and whatever it has brought with it, whether your loss is recent or something you've been carrying for years.
You didn’t know grief could feel like this.
Your animal may have been your companion, your comfort, a steady presence in your daily life, or an important part of what helped you move through each day.
They may have been part of your identity, your sense of home, or someone who helped you feel safe.
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OFFERINGS
Making space for the whole story.
Grief doesn't exist apart from the relationships we share with our animals. Our work together can make room for the love, decisions, circumstances, and experiences that are part of your story—not only what has been lost.
Specializations:
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You may have known this goodbye was coming, or perhaps your animal died suddenly or under traumatic circumstances. Whatever the circumstances, their absence may be felt in nearly every part of your day, and the depth of your grief may be difficult for others to understand.
Support may include:
Navigating the emotional impact of losing a deeply loved animal.
Making space for grief that may feel misunderstood, minimized, or unrecognized.
Adjusting to life after loss while honoring the relationship you shared.
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You may have faced a decision you never imagined making, while carrying the love, responsibility, and uncertainty that came with it. Even when you recognize why the decision was necessary, you may still find yourself questioning what happened, what was possible, and whether you did enough.
Support may include:
Processing complex emotions, including grief, fear of judgement, guilt, shame, anger, and relief.
Exploring decisions made in the context of safety, quality of life, and available options.
Remembering the fullness of your relationship beyond the circumstances of your animal's death.
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You love your animal deeply, but caring for them may look very different from what you imagined. Changes in their health, behavior, or needs may have reshaped your daily life, brought difficult decisions, or left you grieving parts of the relationship you once knew or hoped to have. Even after a decision has been made or a caregiving chapter has ended, the emotional impact of those experiences may remain.
Navigating the emotional demands of complex behavioral, medical, or age-related caregiving.
Acknowledging grief associated with changes in your relationship, daily life, or the future you imagined.
Exploring difficult decisions and their emotional impact, both during caregiving and afterward.
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Your animal may have been woven into how you understood yourself, your daily life, and your sense of connection or belonging. Without their physical presence, you may find yourself wondering how to navigate a life that feels unfamiliar while continuing to honor a relationship that remains deeply meaningful.
Support may include:
Exploring the significance of your relationship with your animal and the role they held in your life.
Navigating changes in identity, belonging, purpose, or emotional security following loss.
Finding ways to carry the meaning of your relationship forward while adjusting to life after loss.
THE PROCESS
Honoring your pace
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INITIAL CONSULTATION
We begin with a conversation to understand your unique story and what you’re carrying.
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TAILORED THERAPY PLAN
Together, we create a therapy plan shaped around your needs, goals, and the stories you bring.
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ONGOING SUPPORT
You receive ongoing support in a safe, nonjudgmental space as you navigate grief, decisions, and healing.
ABOUT ME
Hi, I’m Nicole
I come to this work also as someone who has loved and lost deeply. From my soul dog, to a foster-fail senior pitbull who taught me that grief and gratitude can coexist, to an orange kitty cat who expanded my heart in magical ways—my life has been shaped by the animals who have shared it with me. Now I have Rise, my rescue dog and love of my life, whose big emotions and even bigger reactions continue to teach me every day.
Bond and Loss Therapy is my love letter to them, and to the veterinarians and animal care professionals who hold space for both the grief and joy that come with loving animals.
Alongside my lived experience, I bring over a decade of practice as a licensed psychotherapist and hospice social worker, with a focus on attachment, trauma, and grief. I am also completing my certification in veterinary social work, furthering my commitment to supporting pet parents and animal care professionals through loss, difficult decisions, compassion fatigue and burnout, and the often-overlooked legitimacy of pet loss and grief.
In this heart-work and sometimes very hard work, I prioritize self-care to ensure I’m fully present for the clients that I serve. When I’m not practicing therapy, you can find me stargazing, enjoying a good podcast, sharing laughter with loved ones, planning my next road trip, and occasionally cleaning up something my dog destroyed. I’m a fan of coloring books, cooking competition shows, hiking trails, matcha, and love stories.
FAQS
Answering your questions
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If you’re here, you’ve already taken a meaningful step. When you’re ready, here’s what happens next:
Click the “request a free consultation” button and complete the contact form on my website. You can also email or call me, if preferred.
I’ll respond within 1–2 business days to schedule a 20-minute consultation.
If it feels aligned for both of us to move forward, we’ll schedule your first session, and I’ll send the consent and intake forms for you to complete beforehand.
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My fee is $210 per 50-minute session. I am a private-pay provider and do not bill insurance directly. I accept all major credit cards and health savings accounts (HSA/FSA).
I provide monthly superbills that you can submit to your insurance company for possible reimbursement. If cost is a concern, I’m happy to discuss options and resources to help make therapy accessible and equitable.
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You don’t have to wait for a loss. Support is appropriate at any stage of the human–animal bond — during caregiving, crisis, professional strain, or after loss. If something feels heavy, overwhelming, or unresolved, that is reason enough to reach out.
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The length of therapy varies based on your goals, your circumstances, and the support you’re seeking — whether you’re navigating the grief of losing a pet, processing difficult medical decisions, supporting a pet with ongoing behavioral challenges, or managing the emotional weight of working in animal care. Some people find brief therapy (4–6 sessions) helpful for focused support, while others continue with ongoing therapy for 3–6 months for adjustment periods, or a year or more to work through deeper grief, identity shifts, compassion fatigue, or long-standing patterns.
Sessions are typically scheduled weekly or every other week, depending on what feels most helpful for you.
In our early sessions, we’ll clarify your goals together and create a plan that feels supportive and realistic. Everyone’s process is unique, and you are always in control of the pace, frequency, and duration of therapy.
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Veterinary social work is a growing specialty within social work that addresses the emotional and social dimensions of veterinary medicine. In this work, pet parents are supported as they navigate grief, anticipatory loss, and complex caregiving, as well as veterinarians and animal care teams experiencing burnout, compassion fatigue, and moral distress. At its core, veterinary social work supports the wellbeing of both the people who love animals and those who care for them professionally.
A PLACE TO BEGIN
Would it be helpful to talk this through in a place where your grief is understood?
When you’re ready, we can explore your story with safety and compassion—whether your grief is unfolding now or long after a loss.
