HYS Ep. 31 - Exploring the Grief Journey: In conversation with Helen Goldberg

Hitting Your Stride -- The Equestrian Elements Life Coaching podcast with Tracey Mitchell

We all know that the relationships with the animals that we love, whether they're a pet or an equine partner, will eventually come to an end. And no matter how prepared we think we are for that day, it's always harder than we imagined it would be.

Helen Goldberg, the owner of Helen Goldberg Pet Loss Counselling, shares with Tracey that the journey with each animal will be different and that dictates the grief journey once they are gone. She helps people to understand that there is no timetable in expressing their grief, and the biggest thing she tells people is they need to give themselves permission to experience the loss in order to recover.

Tracey and Helen cover the five stages of grief, and how moving on is not the same as forgetting the memories and love they felt in that relationship. For those who struggle to move on from their grief, Helen suggests they focus on the joy and unconditional love their animals provided them. The need to continue living so they can honour that love is key, she said.

After talking about self-care, Tracey and Helen wrap up the episode by talking about what the other side of grieving looks like and how you can approach it. Despite what it might feel like during this process, Helen assures us there is a light ready to welcome us through when your journey through grief is complete.

Helen Goldberg can be reached at [e-mail], and her website can be found at www.petlosscounselling.net. She can be found on Facebook by searching Helen Goldberg - Certified Pet Loss Grief Recovery Specialist.