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WORKSHOPS
For those who reside locally in California’s Bay Area,
workshops are available at the corporate headquarters of The NHFP
every Saturday, year-round, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, for anyone
grieving the loss of a cherished pet. There is no cost for the workshops,
but donations to The NHFP are most welcome, to help defray the cost
of books, handouts and pet memorial candles. In order to ensure that there
are materials for everyone, participants are urged to sign up in advance.
For more information, please call The NHFP at (707) 557-8595
and/or leave a message.
The first of their kind in Solano County, the workshops (“Waiting
at the Rainbow Bridge”: How to Cope with the Loss of Your Pet) are the
result of a unique partnership between The NHFP and the
Benicia-Vallejo Humane Society, which makes referrals alongside local
veterinarians. The sessions are particularly helpful for those who have
difficulty talking about their feelings with family, friends or co-workers
or for those whose pet was a “last link” with a beloved spouse or other
family member. Participants are given the opportunity to share their
memories with others who are grieving in an uplifting, heart-warming journey
that will help them work through the mourning process and allow them to
“begin anew,” even as they honor their pet’s personal story.
The workshops are conducted by Dr. Kathryn D. Marocchino,
President and Founder of The NHFP, whose professional education and
training in grief and loss can be viewed in detail by clicking on her name
on the “Board of Directors” webpage, which can be accessed by
clicking on “The Nikki Hospice Foundation for Pets” on The NHFP
home page and scrolling downward.
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PET LOSS SUPPORT HOTLINE
For those who cannot attend the sessions, who prefer individual telephone
counseling, or who reside outside of the Bay Area, The NHFP provides a
nationwide pet loss support hotline, which can also be reached by calling
(707) 557-8595. Through this service, Dr. Marocchino offers personalized
sessions and is generally always available, unless traveling to conferences.
Callers are invited to leave a brief message if no one answers and carefully
articulate their name and call-back number, especially if using a cell phone
or when emotionally distressed, so that messages do not become garbled or
unintelligible. Calls will be returned as soon as possible, usually within
72 hours.
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TRAINING PROGRAMS
For professionals, Dr. Marocchino offers specialized training programs in
grief and loss for veterinarians, veterinary technicians and assistants, and
other staff members of animal health care facilities, by tailoring sessions
to meet the specific needs of a clinic or practice. Training programs can
range from two hours to a full day and make ideal on-site and in-service
presentations for those in the field of veterinary medicine who deal with
death and dying, bereavement or traumatic loss on an almost daily basis.
They are available both locally and nationwide and are designed to provide
participants with the necessary skills and strategies they will need in
order to help bereaved pet parents cope with varying losses. The training
centers on innovative and personalized techniques that allow participants to
become highly involved in their own learning.
These programs can help improve standards
of performance in any or all of the following areas: dealing with the
aftermath of pet loss, conducting appropriate grief crisis intervention for
clients who have suffered an acute loss or multiple losses, providing
compassionate death notification for clients who lose a pet suddenly during
a hospital or boarding stay, understanding the mourning process and how it
relates to both people and pets, preventing compassion fatigue, managing
stress in the workplace, and developing individualized “healing” techniques
in order to adequately care for themselves even as they continue to care for
others. Training programs and presentations can be requested at any time of
the year and for any number of participants. Group rates are also available,
and informational brochures will be mailed upon request. |