The Pain of Losing a Furry Family Member
A Mental Health Professional’s Guide for Grieving the Loss of a Pet
Jennifer Ellers, M.A.,
Dr. Mercy Connors, PH.D.,
Tuesday, November 3, 2026
6:00 – 8:30 PM ET
Level: TBA
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Continuing Education
Continuing Education Accreditations applicable to this workshop:
Live: TBA
On Demand: Approved for 2 NBCC and IBCC Credits*
Summary
Pet ownership is increasing in the US. Data from the American Pet Products Association shows 95 million homes own at least one pet. According to the Pew Research Center, 83%-97% of people say their pets are members of the family. Since most companion animals live much shorter lives than human, that means the loss of furry family members is inevitable for most pet parents. But few trainings on grief even mention, much less focus on, pet loss and provide mental health professionals and other caregivers practical tools for helping clients grieve the loss of a pet. This webinar addresses some of the common experiences of pet loss including the physical and emotional effects of pet bereavement, the struggles of saying goodbye to a pet and the stigma around pet loss. Practical tools for support and guidelines for assisting pet parents in mourning their animal family members will be addressed. Implications for mental health professionals for their own loss of a pet will also be discussed.
Learning Objectives
Participants will:
- Review survey data on the common experiences of people grieving the loss of a pet
- Outlinethe unique challenges of pet loss including the difficulty of a decision to euthanize a pet, the lack of support at work or in social circles when grieving a pet and how to memorialize a pet.
- Examine tools for walking through mourning a companion animal.
- Discuss specific challenges such as pet loss for children, missing pets, and when a mental health professional has lost their own pet
Continuing Education Statement
Live: TBA
The American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC) offers some psychologists, therapists, counselors, social workers, and play therapists Continuing Education (CE) credit due to good standing with certain states and a limited number of professional organizations. It remains the responsibility of each participant to be aware of state licensure and CE requirements. Participants should check their state and/or local regulations regarding required Continuing Education hours. *For Professionals needing Live CE Credits, Webinars Must be watched live. Webinars will remain Live until 12 am ET. Psychologists
- The American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC) is approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. AACC maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
Licensed Mental Health Professionals
- The AACC is approved in multiple states to give Continuing Education to licensed mental health professionals. When requesting CEs, please indicate in which state you are licensed in on the Continuing Education Form. If this is not indicated, you may receive the wrong CE certificate for your state.
- The American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC), #1400, is approved as a provider for social work Continuing Education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB), www.aswb.org, through the Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. ASWB Approval Period: (09/06/2023 to 09/06/2026). Licensed social workers should contact their individual regulatory boards to review current Continuing Education requirements for licensure renewal. Any presentation that is less than 50 minutes in duration is not approved by the ASWB for Continuing Education credits.
American Association of Christian Counselors has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7543. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. American Association of Christian Counselors is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
On-Demand: NBCC & IBCC
Learn more about our Continuing Education Policies
Presenters
Jennifer Ellers, M.A., is the Senior Director of Advancement, Special Projects, and Church Engagement and the Director of Grief, Crisis and Disaster Division for the American Association of Christian Counselors as well as Faculty with the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation. She is a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors and the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation. Mrs. Ellers received her B.S. in Journalism from Northwestern University and her M.A. in Counseling from Wake Forest University. She has published numerous books, articles, and speaks and trains nationally on her expertise of on suicide prevention, crisis response, and grief. Furthermore, Mrs. Ellers is recognized as an important speaker to discuss sexual assault from not only a clinical perspective, but also from the victim’s perspective.
Dr. Mercy Connors, PH.D., is the Senior Director of Counseling, Continuing Education, and Credentialing for the American Association of Christian Counselors and Director of Counseling and Director of the International Board of Christian Care. Dr. Connors is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Supervisor, and a Certified Enneagram Coach. She is a member of American Association of Christian Counselors and the Virginia Counseling Association. Dr. Connors received her B.S. in Counseling Psychology from Toccoa Falls College, her M.A. in Human Services and her Ph.D. in Professional Counseling from Liberty University. As an expert in Christian Counseling Ethics, Dr. Connors was the Chief Editor for the Y-2023 American Association of Christian Counselors Code of Ethics and she fields all ethical questions from the members of the AACC. She has spoken on the topic of ethics at professional conferences and private events and is the Co-Director of the Ethics and Advocacy Division of the AACC. Dr. Connors also co-wrote a peer-reviewed article on the biblical theory of change.
