The Grief Recovery Handbook for Pet Loss

by Russell Friedman, Cole James, John W. James

Overview

If you’ve found yourself almost inconsolable after your pet died, please know that you’re normal.

If you’ve found that your family and friends don’t seem to understand the level of your grief, please know that, too, is normal.

Without comparing our relationships with our pets to those with people, we know that, because of the unique emotional relationships we have with our pets, their deaths produce a level of pain that is difficult to describe.

If you relate to any or all of these sentences, this book is for you.

We have been there and most probably will be there again. We will be with you on this journey to help your heart deal with the absence of your cherished companion.

—Russell, Cole, and John

Your relationship with your pet is special—it’s a bond that is very different than those that human beings share with each other. When a beloved pet passes away, people often resort to incorrect mechanisms to deal with the grief, such as trying to move too quickly past the loss (dismissing the real impact), or even attempting to replace the pet immediately. However, these are merely two myths out of six that the authors discuss and dismantle in The Grief Recovery Handbook for Pet Loss. Based on the authors’ Grief Recovery Method®, this book addresses how losing a pet is different from losing a human loved one, and ultimately, how to move on with life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781630760144
Publisher:	Taylor Trade Publishing
Publication date:	12/09/2014
Pages:	168
Sales rank:	373,136
Product dimensions:	5.59(w) x 8.44(h) x 0.54(d)

About the Author

John W. James and Russell Friedman are coauthors of the bestselling Grief Recovery Handbook, When Children Grieve, and Moving On. They are also the creators of The Grief Recovery Method®. Cole James left a successful career in the entertainment industry after discovering his passion for helping people and now works alongside his father and Russell. Together, the three run The Grief Recovery Institute in Los Angeles, which has helped more than one million people rebuild their lives after crippling losses.

Editorial Reviews

The Grief Recovery Handbook for Pet Loss is a straightforward and sympathetic self-help guide written especially for pet owners who feel crippling sadness after the passing of a faithful companion. Chapters address common myths about grief that can impede recovery, and walk the reader through a straightforward process designed to help them work through their feelings and their relationship with a beloved animal. Practical as well as emotional considerations are also kept strongly in mind. 'Caution: Throughout the United States, Great Britain, and other countries, there are local rules and regulations regarding the scattering of ashes. Please make sure that you don't break any of those laws. With the use of online searches, you can easily find out what, if any, restrictions there might be.' The Grief Recovery Handbook for Pet Loss is an excellent choice for personal use, or as a gift for a friend or family member who has recently lost a cherished pet.

Midwest Book Review

Written by the trio who run The Grief Recovery Institute in Los Angeles, The Grief Recovery Handbook for Pet Loss is a straightforward and sympathetic self-help guide written especially for pet owners who feel crippling sadness after the passing of a faithful companion. Chapters address common myths about grief that can impede recovery, and walk the reader through a straightforward process designed to help them work through their feelings and their relationship with a beloved animal. Practical as well as emotional considerations are also kept strongly in mind. "Caution: Throughout the United States, Great Britain, and other countries, there are local rules and regulations regarding the scattering of ashes. Please make sure that you don't break any of those laws. With the use of online searches, you can easily find out what, if any, restrictions there might be." The Grief Recovery Handbook for Pet Loss is an excellent choice for personal use, or as a gift for a friend or family member who has recently lost a cherished pet.

Wisconsin Bookwatch

For the past forty-four years as a practicing veterinarian, I have wished there was a book I could recommend to my clients to deal with their broken hearts when their pets have died. Finally, The Grief Recovery Handbook for Pet Loss is available to help them deal directly with their emotions, at the time they most need it.

Suresh V. Dogra

Full disclosure: My husband John and my son Cole coauthored this book with Russell. John was helping grieving people deal with all losses—very much including the deaths of pets—when I met him thirty-four years ago. I can’t tell you how many people have shed tears in our living room as he helped them deal with the agonizing pain caused by the death of the pet that had graced their lives. This book contains the same help he gave them. It will change your life. It can’t bring your pet back, but it can help you get back your heart.

Jess Walton

For the past forty-four years as a practicing veterinarian, I have wished there was a book I could recommend to my clients to deal with their broken hearts when their pets have died. Finally, The Grief Recovery Handbook for Pet Loss is available to help them deal directly with their emotions, at the time they most need it.

Full disclosure: My husband John and my son Cole coauthored this book with Russell. John was helping grieving people deal with all losses--very much including the deaths of pets--when I met him thirty-four years ago. I can't tell you how many people have shed tears in our living room as he helped them deal with the agonizing pain caused by the death of the pet that had graced their lives. This book contains the same help he gave them. It will change your life. It can't bring your pet back, but it can help you get back your heart.

The Grief Recovery Handbook for Pet Loss is a straightforward and sympathetic self-help guide written especially for pet owners who feel crippling sadness after the passing of a faithful companion. Chapters address common myths about grief that can impede recovery, and walk the reader through a straightforward process designed to help them work through their feelings and their relationship with a beloved animal. Practical as well as emotional considerations are also kept strongly in mind. 'Caution: Throughout the United States, Great Britain, and other countries, there are local rules and regulations regarding the scattering of ashes. Please make sure that you don't break any of those laws. With the use of online searches, you can easily find out what, if any, restrictions there might be.' The Grief Recovery Handbook for Pet Loss is an excellent choice for personal use, or as a gift for a friend or family member who has recently lost a cherished pet.

This book discusses unique aspects of the human-animal relationship and aims to help grieving owners complete what was left emotionally undone by the physical loss of an animal. Authors Friedman, John W. James, and Cole James apply their Grief Recovery Method to pet loss. Focusing on the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of animal deaths, the book takes readers through various steps, including graphing the relationship, dividing the entries into categories, and writing a completion letter to the animal. Verdict: For pet owners who would benefit from new strategies to deal with their grief over the loss of a pet.

Written by the trio who run The Grief Recovery Institute in Los Angeles, The Grief Recovery Handbook for Pet Loss is a straightforward and sympathetic self-help guide written especially for pet owners who feel crippling sadness after the passing of a faithful companion. Chapters address common myths about grief that can impede recovery, and walk the reader through a straightforward process designed to help them work through their feelings and their relationship with a beloved animal. Practical as well as emotional considerations are also kept strongly in mind. "Caution: Throughout the United States, Great Britain, and other countries, there are local rules and regulations regarding the scattering of ashes. Please make sure that you don't break any of those laws. With the use of online searches, you can easily find out what, if any, restrictions there might be." The Grief Recovery Handbook for Pet Loss is an excellent choice for personal use, or as a gift for a friend or family member who has recently lost a cherished pet.

From the Publisher

01/01/2015
People often receive incorrect grieving cues or advice while growing up. Or they might feel uncomfortable talking about the loss of a pet around those who have lost a human. This book discusses unique aspects of the human-animal relationship and aims to help grieving owners complete what was left emotionally undone by the physical loss of an animal. Authors Friedman (Grief Recovery Inst.; Grief Recovery Handbook; When Children Grieve), John W. James, and Cole James (Grief Recovery Inst.) apply their Grief Recovery Method to pet loss. Focusing on the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of animal deaths, the book takes readers through various steps, including graphing the relationship, dividing the entries into categories (apologies, forgiveness, and significant emotional statements), and writing a completion letter to the animal. Real-life cases are used throughout; while the book states that its methods apply to all animals, the only examples given involve dogs. The final chapter, which lists various ways of memorializing a pet, might have been better as an appendix. VERDICT For pet owners who would benefit from new strategies to deal with their grief over the loss of a pet.—Leigh Mihlrad, FDIC Lib., Washington, DC

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