Pet Bereavement Counselors:
Virginia

Christina Richardson, PhD, SFO
Alexandria, Virginia 

Phone: (703) 683-2949
Email: Christina@FigaroConsulting.com

I am a certified grief counselor and certified life coach. I have been the Director of Religious Education, and a member of the Funeral Ministry Team for the Ft. Myer Catholic Community at Fort Myer Army Base, Virginia for ten years. A large part of my ministry has been outreach to our parishioners through the provision of grief counseling and bereavement work. Ft. Myer is the provider of military funerals at the Old Post Chapel and the Memorial Chapel for Arlington National Cemetery. During funerals I work with the families of the deceased, and I provide aftercare support for them.

I have many years of experience, providing support for pet loss and bereavement. Many of my clients come to me because they believe that the grief they have is not validated by our society and they find themselves grieving alone. Together we celebrate the gift of the lost companion and the client finds a safe, accepting place to work through the loss and not feel that they are alone in their grief. A large part of what I do is to work with family members and educate the community about the real grief that comes from the loss of a pet companion.

Pam Paré, Ed.D.
Rock Landing Psychological Group
11825 Rock Landing Drive
Newport News, Virginia  23606

Phone: (757) 873-1736
Email: dr_pare@yahoo.com

I am a Ph.D. candidate in clinical psychology with emphasis on behavioral medicine, and I am also a student affiliate member of APA. My training is in agency counseling and school psychology. I have over 15 years of experience in counseling adults, adolescents and children, and over 200 hours of specialized training in trauma, loss, and bereavement therapy (especially pet bereavement). I am also a trained hypnotherapist, certified by the National Board of Clinical Hypnotherapy as well as a trained EMDR therapist. My specialties are trauma-related issues, dissociative disorders, and chronic pain. I am presently in private practice as a psychotherapist and marriage and family therapist with Rock Landing Psychological Group, PLC, in Newport News.

My therapy emphasizes the client-therapist relationship, with a client-centered approach, particularly in bereavement counseling. My approach may also include solution-focused therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy (with goal-setting when appropriate), EMDR, and hypnotherapy. I counsel individuals as well as groups, and also have facilitated support groups for trauma, abuse and loss. I am also a certified on-line therapist with www.MyTherapyNet.com, where I may be accessed through clicking on e-care.

Martha Ann Spruill, LCSW
Practice Address:
5610 Grove Avenue
Richmond, Virginia 23226
Mailing Address:
PO Box 7002
Richmond, Virginia 23221

Phone: (804) 405-0939
Email: MarthaAnn@mspruill.com
Website: www.mspruill.com

I am a licensed clinical social worker with a special interest in working with people who are grieving because of the loss of a pet. Pets become important members of our families and it is a significant loss when they are no longer with us. I have been providing pet loss support services for over 4 years. When I meet with a client about pet loss, we review typical reactions to grief, what makes pets so special, what impacts the intensity of the loss and tips for managing grief. I encourage clients to bring photos of the animal they are grieving. I also provide handouts that can be taken home and shared with other family members.