And I Love You Still...A Thoughtful Guide and Remembrance Journal for Healing the Loss of a Pet

by Dr. Julianne Corbin

For those fortunate to have experienced the deep bond and unconditional love of a companion animal, the death that follows can be one of the most difficult and misunderstood losses to go through. Many times, this devastating loss goes unrecognized, if not trivialized, by family, friends, and society; leaving grieving pet owners struggling to find healthy ways to cope and very few professional resources available. Written by Psychotherapist and renowned expert on the Human-Animal Bond and Pet Bereavement, Dr. Corbin brings the consulting room to your fingertips in the ground breaking and one of a kind book. Drawing on 20 years of clinical, research, and personal experience Dr. Corbin calls attention to the difficulties unique to the loss of a beloved companion animal and provides an interactive and compassionate guide to help you process your loss and work towards coming to a place of peace and healing. If you are interested in journal therapy and looking for a professionally written AND compassionate resource to help understand and reconcile the grief associated with the loss of your companion animal then this book is for you. Each chapter begins with an overview and offers recommendations for coping, thoughtful reflections, real life examples, and then transitions to a set of therapeutic questions and prompts intended to elicit personal reflections and insights into your grieving process. In this book, Dr. Corbin challenges many of the myths associated with the death of a companion animal and discusses the impact of this disenfranchised loss on our emotional and psychological well-being. Dr. Corbin thoughtfully guides you to reflect on the special bond shared with your beloved companion animal throughout the years and provides a framework to help you express your most intimate thoughts and feelings associated with the stages of grief commonly experienced after the death of a companion animal. Providing a much needed respite of healing and comfort during your difficult time of loss, this book and remembrance journal guides you in understanding and processing important topics such * The Healing Power of the Human-Animal Bond * Companion Animal Loss and Disenfranchised Grief * Companion Animal Loss and Complicated Grief * Stages of Grief Following the Death of a Companion Animal * Memorializing, Commemorating, and Other Topics Specific to Healing from the Loss of a Companion Animal. And I Love You Still... is written in tribute to all the companion animals who have graced our lives in ways only we could know. May this remembrance journal help you come to a place of comfort and healing in your journey towards recovery.

251 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 12, 2020

Reviews

[Pretty Peony Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has two parts to it. The book itself is not split into two parts, but rather, it’s blended together. The book goes over the loss of a pet and includes clips of stories from those who’ve lost their pets. These are clips of insights based on the specific topics each chapter covers. Within these insights are lined journals with questions to answer. These journal-like entries are there to help the reader deal with the loss of their pet(s) by writing down their thoughts and emotions to help them through their loss.

The author is a specialist in animal loss and grief and has provided excellent examples to go along with each section of the book touching on everything from how to handle a loss, how to grieve, and moving forward. The questions in the journal entries helps guide you through difficult moments you may not have been able to process. Losing a pet who’s been in your life and helped you through your toughest times as well as your happiest times is a big deal. They are your family, and you can’t help it but grieve as though they are family so it’s normal to go through the same process as though losing a family member.

This book was excellently put together. The idea of a journal-entry book mixed with helpful examples from those who’ve lost their pet, plus researched information from the author is a really unique combination. I enjoyed this book but what I loved the most were the stories about how each person overcame their loss and what they loved about their pet.

[Mrs. Varela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish that I had owned this book when I recently lost my cat and constant companion. I discovered that the loss of a pet can be just as devastating as it is to lose a human loved one. And I Love You Still... A Thoughtful Guide and Remembrance Journal for Healing the Loss of a Pet by Dr. Juliann Corbin is a kind and gentle aid to help those who are grieving the loss of their beloved pets.

Those of us who have pets that we accept as family members often refer to them as fur babies. And we love them just as much as we do people. This book guides you through the emotions you may feel and provides steps to help you process your grief and healing. With great detail, Dr. Corbin takes the reader through the stages we might go through when we are grieving the loss of a beloved companion pet. She not only shares compassionate advice, but she also provides reflective journal exercises and prompts. Followed by real-life narratives taken from various sources such as clinical, research, and book interviews.

The author’s area of specialization focuses on the human-animal bond, companion animal loss, and grief counseling among other types of counseling for pet owners. Because I found this book to be very resourceful to me, I have already recommended it to others I know who have also lost their fur babies. Although Dr. Corbin refers to canines and felines, I believe that this book could be helpful to people who have lost any type of animal they love.

[Jessi Bone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Julianne Corbin tackles one of the hardest losses in our human life, the loss of a companion animal. My dog is currently suffering from cancer so this might not have been the best book to pick up at this time in my life however with Julianne's comforting words and real-world advice I believe this might be one of the best resources I will have on my Kindle bookshelf. One of the best pieces of advice I received in her book was the questions layouts and the advice on tackling what is coming. The fact that you know that Julianne Corbin has suffered loss before because she comes from a place of understanding and grace that frankly a lot of grief books are missing. I understand that the book is on the pricey side for fifteen -ninety five for a book in this genre however I do not feel like I lost anything with this workbook that will help support me beyond this day. This book is not super long, only two hundred and forty-five pages long. I would advise that it is completely within your ability to invest in the paperback, which I will definitely consider in the future. I did give this book only 4 stars not because it was not well written or the content was beneficial I just felt it was lackluster and overall not hoping what I would get for the overall cost of the book. Now hear me it was beneficial and did have some beneficial prompts for your journaling, a layout for your eulogy, etc. It just was not the book for me.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful guide

I was away from home when my mom called me and told me that her and my dad decided to take our dog to the vet for her final appointment. Mom told me that she was old and that it was time to let her rest. They were going to “put her to sleep.” I protested initially. I wasn’t there to see her, or pet her, or let her lick my dinner plate clean after we had all eaten together. But Mom told me that she couldn’t walk anymore and that she could tell that she was ready to go. I understood. It was tough, but I trusted my mom. She loved our dog as much as I did.

I had grown up with our dog. We got her when I was just a teenager and she was with me and my brothers through all of our weddings. She loved to play rough with all of us. Probably from growing up with three teenage boys. So it was hard to believe that she didn’t have the strength to get through this.

This book has been amazing. I recommended it to both my parents as well, since I knew that they were also growing through the process of grieving the loss of our friend. Anyone who has had the experience of losing an animal companion would greatly benefit from reading and working through this thoughtful, sensitive, and important book.