ABSTRACT
Chapter 4 offers clinicians guidance for the assessment process following animal companion loss. The chapter focuses on four common client presentations, including: the animal as the sole cause of grief whose stabilizing presence may have moderated the effects of other mental health conditions; the loss of an animal while the client is being treated for another mental health issue; the loss of the animal as a hidden or unaddressed factor complicating healing; and clients going through the process of anticipatory mourning for an unwell animal. It may be that steward bereavement support also requires review of the multiple roles the animal may have served that require replacement or moderation, that is, emotional support animals, service animals, or animals whose distracting, soothing presence moderated sub-clinical conditions that now emerge after that stabilizing support is lost. DSM V TR diagnoses that may be appropriate for bereavement following animal companion loss are briefly referenced, including bereavement, adjustment reactions, prolonged grief disorder, and PTSD. The Animal Companion Bereavement Questionnaire, a 20-question author-generated instrument, is introduced to help guide assessment with specific questions relevant to the unique bond between humans and animals that can help guide treatment planning and recovery tasks.
