Book Cover (with Non-Fiction Book Gold Award)

Healing Wisdom for Pet Loss

An Animal Lover's Guide to Grief

by Anne Marie Farage-Smith, LMHC


Healing Wisdom for Pet Loss is designed to help readers understand the bond they have with their pets and why losing them is uniquely painful; aid them in understanding the grief they experience in the aftermath of that loss; and teach them the skills they need to process this loss. In these pages, licensed mental health counselor Anne Marie Farage-Smith offers detailed explanations of the types of grief that one may encounter upon the loss or impending loss of a pet and provides validation for the emotions experienced in relation to that loss. She also reminds readers that help is available, and gives actionable criteria for the reader to determine when professional assistance is needed and how to find it.

Containing a variety of deliberately open-ended writing exercises Farage-Smith has seen help others to understand and heal their grief, as well as suggestions for a variety of ways to honor and remember one’s pet, Healing Wisdom for Pet Loss is the loving, supportive grief journey companion every bereaved pet parent needs.


ISBN-10: 1647426766
ISBN-13: 9781647426767
OCN: 1390917133
Published by: She Writes Press
Published: June 4, 2024
Distributed by: Simon & Schuster


“Readers who have experienced the trauma of pet loss will deeply appreciate the valuable wisdom in these pages.

A compassionate, practical, and useful series of approaches for dealing with pet loss.”

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“Anne Marie Farage-Smith writes with authority and loving empathy, offering compassionate knowledge to readers during this painful time.”

Five Stars

Five Star, Readers' Favorite

“Anne Marie provides wonderful insight to the dynamic challenges of pet loss and the grief that accompanies it in an inclusive and accepting way. Her exercises and writing prompts are so helpful for learning to cope before, during, and after the loss of a beloved pet.”
Dr. Isabel Wylie, VMD
“Anne Marie’s empathy and caring radiate from every page of this book.”
Signe M. Kastberg, PhD, LMHC
“An important and eloquently written book that presents valuable knowledge for pet owners and their mental health providers.”
Robert H. Rice, Jr., PhD, LMHC
Professor, Mental Health Counseling Program Chair, St. John Fisher University
“…a gift of love for anyone who is experiencing the loss of a cherished pet. Farage-Smith provides the reader with a deeper understanding of the experience of losing their pet and the tools and techniques to help them move through their grief. The author brings her experience as a mental health counselor and her own journey of loving and losing pets to the reader. I will definitely be recommending this book to my clients and friends.”
Nancy E. Harris, LMHC
“Written with sensitivity and understanding, Healing Wisdom for Pet Loss offers a unique look at our grief reactions related to our pets… I particularly liked this volume's focus on the diverse reactions that people experience, and how working through grief is an individual process that might be different from the reactions of others. I am pleased to recommend this book for all who live with companion animals as well as those who work alongside them. It is a thoughtful and very useful addition to the literature.”
Risë VanFleet, PhD, RPT-S, CDBC, CAEBC-I
Founder and President, International Institute for Animal Assisted Play Therapy®
Co-author, Animal Assisted Play Therapy



An outdoor portrait of Anne Marie Farage-Smith. Farmland is visible in the background, through a gazebo.

About the Author...

Anne Marie Farage-Smith, LMHC

Anne Marie Farage-Smith is a lifelong animal lover and an advocate for all animals. She holds a master of science degree in mental health counseling from St. John Fisher University and a master of science degree in education from Nazareth University, and is a Pet Loss Grief Counseling Trained Professional. As a licensed mental health counselor and educator in private practice in Rochester, she has offered clinical guidance to many individuals and groups experiencing grief and loss. She is the founder of the Rochester Center for Pet Grief and Loss. Anne Marie's book, Healing Wisdom for Pet Loss, is a Gold Winner from the Nonfiction Authors Association. She currently resides in Rochester, NY, where she enjoys spending time with her family, visiting local parks with her dog, Jazzy, traveling, and pursuing creative activities.


Author Appearances and Book Signings

Meet Anne Marie at these events!

November 2, 2024
Saturday
1:00 p.m. — 3:00 p.m.

In-Store Author Event and Book Signing

Barnes & Noble: Victor, NY
Eastview Mall

805 Eastview Mall
Victor, NY 14564
(585) 433-1577

View Event Details



“What we have once enjoyed we can never lose…

…all that we love deeply becomes a part of us.”


Copyright © 2024 Anne Marie Farage-Smith

















































“I'm proud of my Mom! She really knows her stuff — practically, academically, from multiple points-of-view, and first-hand. She worked really hard on this book and had a incredible team of readers, editors, designers, publishers, and printers…

You should buy her book!”