When You Can’t Forgive Yourself: A Pet Parent’s Guide to Breaking Free from Guilt, Self-Unforgiveness and Chronic Grief

Welcome back to Season 7 of Let's Talk to Animals, the podcast all species can enjoy together!

In this episode, we tackle one of the toughest and tenderest topics in our lives with our pets: pet parent guilt, shame and self-unforgiveness. Whether you are carrying regret over losing your temper, a decision you wish you had made differently, an unexpected outcome with a pet care professional or an end-of-life experience that didn’t unfold the way you hoped, these feelings can keep you stuck in an emotional feedback loop that makes it difficult to reconnect with yourself and with your pet. Together, we explore what your pets have taught me again and again about intention, personal power and forgiveness, PLUS I share some of the practices I personally use to work through self-guilt and self-unforgiveness, regulate the nervous system and ease unresolving grief. 

As you listen, you will learn…. 

• The deeper soul lesson hiding beneath pet situations that cause you to get stuck in guilt, self-unforgiveness, self-blame and unresolving grief. 

• A new perspective for the “grief part” of your life with your pet that can transform your relationship with your own grief AND with your pet in spirit 

• Steps to take when self-judgment, self-criticism, self-unforgiveness or unresolving grief creates disconnection between you and your pet 

• How to navigate the aftermath when your pet’s death process doesn’t match up with your dreams or goals for the type of passing you wanted to give them

• Self-care practices that really work to help you rebound when a decision you make on your pet’s behalf doesn’t turn out the way you hoped it would 

• Exactly why your pet’s life with you was never going to be “perfect” (no matter how much you try) and why they are actually okay with that!

• What matters most to your pet when they are healing from trauma, dysregulation, mishandling or other all-too-common pet experiences

• True pet stories from my case files highlighting real messages from pets to their people about healing after traumatic shared experiences and working through grief

• 4 research-backed practices you can do right now to calm your nervous system, ease self-criticism and feel more connected to your heart and to your pet’s heart

• And much more….. 

NOTE: Please remember that this episode is designed to offer additional support, ideas and practices you can explore as you work through pet parent guilt, grief and self-unforgiveness. It is not intended to replace professional grief support, guidance or care when you need it. 

Other podcast episodes mentioned in this episode: 

• The Hero’s Journey, Pet Edition: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2105365/episodes/19241267 

• Pet Soul Agreements: Do Your Pets Have Soul Contracts With Each Other?: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2105365/episodes/17796225 

• Pet Reiki Miracle Stories and How Reiki Can Help Your Pet Heal and Thrive https://www.buzzsprout.com/2105365/episodes/19564154

• What Animals Say About Enduring Trauma and Abuse from Humans https://letstalktoanimals.buzzsprout.com/2105365/episodes/16634240-what-animals-say-about-enduring-trauma-and-abuse-from-humans

• How EFT Tapping Can Help Your Pet Heal and Thrive https://letstalktoanimals.buzzsprout.com/2105365/episodes/19489159-how-eft-tapping-can-help-your-pet-heal-and-thrive 

Additional resources mentioned in this episode:

• Ho’oponopono Prayer book Zero Limits: https://www.amazon.com/Zero-Limits-Secret-Hawaiian-System-ebook/dp/B008L044DA?ref_=ast_author_mpb

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