Grief and Bereavement

Losing a pet can be a very traumatic event. No-one fully knows your pet's personality like you do, and that can make the experience an intensely lonely one. I have even heard people say "Oh it's just a cat" or "Its just a dog", as if we are wrong to feel as strongly as we do. Perhaps they feel they are helping by trying to minimise the situation. But it doesn't work that way.

When you lose an animal, there are small reminders every day of that loss. They may have had little traits that only you knew about - the way they came to greet you when you arrived home, or the way they woke you with a paw on your face each morning. It can be difficult to share those feelings with someone else, as no-one else will fully understand, and we can feel we are boring people with the details.

Often, it just takes time for things to become easier. But sometimes the pain goes on for longer or can become almost unbearable.

There is a therapy that is becoming increasingly popular, that can help with the pain of grief. It's called EFT, which stands for Emotional Freedom Techniques, and is a mixture of psychology and acupuncture, except instead of needles, you tap with your fingers on the meridian points.

EFT doesn't take away your precious memories, nor does it interfere with the natural grieving process. However, it does work to reduce the intensity of the most painful feelings, leaving you free to remember all the happy times.

You may like to visit the website www.newmodalities.com for more information on a local therapist.