Have you lost a pet, or do you know someone who needs help with pet loss? Losing a beloved pet can be one of the hardest experiences in life. I know because, as a pet lover myself, I have lost many pets over the years.
Our pets are family. They share our homes, our routines, and our hearts. My little dog sleeps on my bed, sits next to me on the sofa, and is there no matter what I am feeling.
When they pass away, it leaves a gap that feels overwhelming. Many people describe pet bereavement as a type of grief that others don’t always understand. You may be left wondering how you can carry on, or whether the pain will ever ease.
If you are reading this, you may already be searching for gentle and supportive ways to cope.
As a therapist, one question that I get asked is: Can hypnosis help with pet loss?
The short answer is yes, hypnosis can be a comforting and effective approach that helps you process your grief in a safe and supportive way.
In this blog, I will discuss pet loss and offer help through hypnosis, something that is not often considered when people are grieving.
Losing a pet hurts more than people realise
Losing a pet can be incredibly painful, especially if you have had it for a long time.
Pet loss gives you those awful yearning feelings. You can feel guilty, angry, empty and isolated.
Sometimes the loss affects your day. For example, you may experience difficulties with sleep, eating, or overeating.
You might find it difficult to concentrate.
You might stop going out with friends and can’t be bothered to continue with exercise or hobbies.
Most people struggle on. They go to work and try to cope.
Many people do cope, but if those lost feelings persist for more than a few weeks and aren’t improving, it may be time to seek professional support.
Any health problems will mean a check-up with your doctor.
Many people consider counselling, but hypnotherapy can also be another form of help.
Hypnotherapy can offer a gentle, compassionate way to help individuals who have experienced pet loss.
You can get gentle pet bereavement support in Bournemouth and online.-
Understanding pet bereavement: why the pain feels so deep
Pets form a psychological and emotional bond with humans, as animals have been domesticated alongside humans for years.
Today, pets provide us with companionship, unconditional love, and a sense of routine.
Understanding grief after the loss of a pet can be informed by theories of bereavement, which encompass grief. Classic ideas state that bereavement follows stages; however, contemporary theories show that we bounce back and forth with emotions, and there will be a continuing bond between you and your lost pet. In other words, your feelings are changeable, and you will never forget your lost pet.
What is hypnotherapy, and how can it help with pet loss?
Hypnotherapy is a combination of hypnosis and therapy that helps you to change the things that you want to change. It requires focused attention, imagination and motivation to change.
The science behind hypnotherapy and how it can help with grief
Most research focuses on human, not pet, loss.
Numerous articles are recognising the grief associated with pet loss, but few quality studies were found directly related to hypnotherapy for pet loss.
As pet grief is so closely related to human loss, the use of hypnosis is similar. Furthermore, many research studies are showing the effectiveness of hypnosis on specific issues, such as anxiety.
Here are a few recent studies that show how hypnosis can help with human grief, and the growing interest in pet grief research.
| Research | Population | Outcome |
| Gupta and Sidana (2020) | Alcohol dependent bereaved people. | Hypnotherapy helped with grief acceptance and positive images of a patient who was grieving her ill mother. |
| Gravitz (2011) | Females. | Painful images replaced with positive images. Grief improved. |
| Cinarlıoğlu (2025) | University students. | They compared Ericksonian hypnosis with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and found that hypnosis was marginally better at helping with grief. |
| (Alves & Scorsolini-Comin, 2025) | A scoping review of 78 studies across 17 validated the emotional experiences related to pet loss. | A scoping review of 78 studies across 17 validating the emotional experiences related to pet loss. |
What to expect with hypnotherapy for pet loss
Just like counselling for pet loss, hypnotherapy aims to help you through your pet bereavement. This will mean talking about your lost pet and the grief symptoms that you want to change. However, hypnotherapists don’t need to talk so much about the grief.
I often include some Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) first to help you understand and start to change the negative thoughts yourself.
Hypnotherapy can assist in the following ways:
- Understanding and letting go of intense thoughts and feelings.
- Promote deep relaxation to regulate the nervous system
- Helping you cope with traumatic pet death by reframing it.
- Helping you to cope with stress, anxiety and depression.
- Develop better sleep patterns.
It’s a way of focusing attention, using imagination and guided visualisation with positive suggestions.
Four sessions are usually needed, but you might require more if things are more complicated.
Every session will include hypnosis delivered in a variety of ways according to your needs.
How to begin your healing journey
If you are struggling with pet grief, I can offer help with hypnotherapy or counselling.
Contact me if your grief feels intense, has been going on for a long time, or you need to understand the process.
Visit my website at www.awakenthechange.com to learn more about me and my services.
Book a complimentary 30-minute session to find out how I work first.
You can also check out my publications page and find an Amazon link to my self-help book called ‘Managing Pet Grief.’
Remember, you don’t need to suffer alone in a world where pet grief isn’t always acknowledged.
