Pet Love - Pet Aging - Pet Loss Grief Specialist - Nationwide

Member since Nov 2022

Losing your beloved companion animal is devastating--more so than we're usually prepared for.

I’m a psychotherapist and a pet-loss grief specialist. I say “specialist” because my work with pet parents who have lost or are soon to lose a pet is a special kind of work—reflecting the special relationship we have with our companion animals. Pet love is different from other love; a thing wonderfully apart.

Just as pet love is different from human love, pet-loss is different from human loss. Society, not so wise about any kind of grief, often doesn’t recognize this special relationship that each of us has with our pets. It doesn’t validate the depth of the heartbreak pet parents feel when their beloved companion animal dies, and can make them feel embarrassed, even ashamed, when they need support. (Just try asking your boss for a day at home when your cat dies.) Friends and family often channel the disinterest of the culture, and when they say things like, “Just get on with it” or, worse, “Hey, just get another cat,” pet-parents despair of ever being understood.

Even before the actual loss occurs, the challenges involved in beginning the process of grieving can be daunting. Not more difficult, not easier, but quite different from the challenges of grieving other losses.

Many people come in feeling surprised at the intensity of their grief. It's my job to help them plan for and manage the death of their pets as carefully, knowledgeably, and lovingly as I help clients through any other devastating loss. So we create a sanctuary, a place to honor the love of pets, and to honor their loss; a place where pet parents can express whatever they feel, fully, without embarrassment or shame. The goal is not just to alleviate the pain of the loss, but to continue a relationship, albeit obviously a different one, with their beloved pet. Contrary to the common wisdom, time alone cannot do that kind of healing. (If time did heal all wounds, I wouldn’t see so many people still sad ten years later.) A loss as big as a love needs help to heal.

Please contact and book me on Petworks. Thank You.

  • Licensed
  • Certified
  • Insured
  • Online Sessions

Pricing Packages

Brief phone introduction, free of charge
$ 0.00 Per 15 minutes book

Let's see if we're a fit and if I can help you.

session
$ 100.00 Per 30 minutes book

While this sounds like a short amount of time, I have found that many clients who are under duress--for example, those having to make sudden decisions about their ailing pets--appreciate it. They can be longer, of course, as needed.

45-minute session
$ 150.00 Per 45 minutes book

Consultation, support, grief counseling.

Three Grief Counseling Sessions
$ 400.00 Per Package book

Three 45-minute sessions

How do you serve precious pets?

  • Pet Loss Grief Counselor
  • Pet Bereavement
  • Pet Loss Support

How do you help pet parents honor the lives of their pets and cope with difficult loss?

  • Pet Loss Grief Counseling

What licensing do you have?

  • Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW)

Pet Certifications

  • American Academy of Grief Counseling Certification
  • Certified Pet Loss Professional (CPLP)

Proud member of...

  • American Psychological Association
  • Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement (APLB)

Do you offer mobile services?

  • Yes

Education

BA, University of Southern California; MSW, New York University

Which part of the country do you serve pets?

Serve pet-parents globally on phone, Zoom and FaceTime. In-person sessions are in my office in Fairfield, CT.

What year did you begin serving pets?

2018

How did you hone your craft?

By working with those suffering from grief of all kinds, before working with pet parents.

What is one thing you want pet parents to know about you? It can be whatev-fur you'd like!

I have spent decades listening to those whose voices are traditionally not heard. Which is how many grieving pet parents feel.

This pet loss grief counselor listing in westport, ct has been paused or closed.

dalma heyn

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BASED IN Westport, CT

Distinction

Pw without hitch Certified Pet Loss Professional (CPLP) Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement (APLB) Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) American Psychological Association (APA) Best of 2022 Award

How do you serve precious pets?

  • Pet Loss Grief Counselor
  • Pet Bereavement
  • Pet Loss Support

How do you help pet parents honor the lives of their pets and cope with difficult loss?

  • Pet Loss Grief Counseling

What licensing do you have?

  • Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW)

Pet Certifications

  • American Academy of Grief Counseling Certification
  • Certified Pet Loss Professional (CPLP)

Proud member of...

  • American Psychological Association
  • Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement (APLB)

Do you offer mobile services?

  • Yes

Education

BA, University of Southern California; MSW, New York University

Which part of the country do you serve pets?

Serve pet-parents globally on phone, Zoom and FaceTime. In-person sessions are in my office in Fairfield, CT.

What year did you begin serving pets?

2018

How did you hone your craft?

By working with those suffering from grief of all kinds, before working with pet parents.

What is one thing you want pet parents to know about you? It can be whatev-fur you'd like!

I have spent decades listening to those whose voices are traditionally not heard. Which is how many grieving pet parents feel.

Losing a beloved pet can be overwhelming, but connecting virtually with a compassionate pet loss grief counselor like Dalma Heyn in Westport, CT (Fairfield County) can make a meaningful difference.


Dalma provides personalized, one-on-one pet loss grief counseling to help grieving pet parents process grief, navigate intense emotions, and find peace after the loss of a cherished dog, cat, or animal companion.


Whether your loss is recent or years ago, Dalma Heyn offers a safe, judgment-free space to share memories, explore feelings of sadness, guilt, or anger, and develop healthy coping strategies tailored to your unique situation.


Serving pet parents throughout Connecticut with both in-person and online sessions, Dalma makes it easy to receive licensed grief counseling from the comfort of your home.


With years of experience and a deep understanding of the human-animal bond, Dalma Heyn helps grieving pet parents honor their pets’ memories while finding clarity, comfort, and emotional healing.


Take the first step toward peace today and book a one-on-one session with Dalma from Westport to begin your journey toward understanding and healing. Dalma services grieving pet parents nationwide, and also serves locally in the following towns and cities near Westport: Stamford, Norwalk, Bridgeport, Danbury, Fairfield, Greenwich, Shelton, Stratford, Trumbull, Milford, Connecticut