485: Dealing With Pet Loss - Pet Loss Therapist Judith Rosen

Is losing a pet really as painful as losing a human family member? How do you know when pet grief has become something you need help dealing with—and what should you NEVER say to someone whose pet just died? Tom Kelly sits down with longtime friend Judith Eve Rosen, LCSW, a clinical social worker specializing in veterinary social work and author of Life After Pet Loss: Daily Reflections for Working Through Grief. Judith explains how an experience in a veterinary emergency room inspired her to specialize in pet loss and the human-animal bond.   📖 BOOK — Life After Pet Loss: Daily Reflections for Working Through Grief Buy Life After Pet Loss on Amazon 📸 INSTAGRAM — @mypetlosstherapist Follow My Pet Loss Therapist on Instagram 🌐 JUDITH EVE ROSEN JudithEveRosen.com   TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Pet Grief & Life After Pet Loss 00:40 Meet Pet Loss Therapist Judith Eve Rosen 01:09 Is Pet Grief Really That Serious? 02:09 How Judith Became a Pet Loss Therapist 03:05 Veterinary Social Work Is a Real Specialty 03:44 Life After Pet Loss 04:01 Why People Seek Help After Losing a Pet 04:29 The WORST Things to Say When Someone's Pet Dies 05:11 What Is Disenfranchised Grief? 06:13 Does Everyone Need a Pet Loss Therapist? 07:27 PTSD and Traumatic Pet Loss 08:15 How Do You Know When Someone Needs Help? 08:31 Is Losing a Pet Like Losing a Family Member? 09:16 When Pet Loss Becomes Compounded Grief 10:10 Losing a Pet When You Live Alone 10:33 Does Losing a Dog Hurt More Than Losing a Rabbit or Fish? 11:27 Grieving ALL Kinds of Pets 12:58 How Do You Move On After Losing a Pet? 13:22 Keeping Your Pet's Collar, Bed or Favorite Things 14:33 Ways to Memorialize and Remember Your Pet 15:04 What If Your Friends Don't Understand Your Pet Grief? 16:56 Being Patient With People Who Don't Understand 17:45 Helping a Friend Whose Pet Is Dying 19:04 Pet Loss Resources and Support Groups 19:52 How Do You Explain Pet Death to a Child? 20:39 The "Memory Jar" for Children and Families 21:34 Feeling Guilty About Getting Another Pet 22:12 A New Pet Isn't a Replacement 22:41 How Do You Know When You're Ready for Another Pet? 23:29 Life After Pet Loss & Judith's Instagram 23:56 Closing Thoughts