New Book on Pet Loss Grief Draws on a Counselor's Years of Specialty Work

Tracie Barton-Barrett, MS, NCC, LCMHC, brings clinical tools and personal experience to Healing Your Heart After Pet Loss.

RALEIGH, NC, UNITED STATES, May 28, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Pet ownership worldwide is at a historic high. People are spending more on their animals than ever, and most owners consider their pets full members of the family. But when those animals die, many don't get the support they need.

Researchers call it disenfranchised grief, a loss that friends and family don't always recognize or know how to support. Devastated pet owners often hear "It was just a dog" or "You can get another one" at a time when they need understanding the most.

Tracie Barton-Barrett, a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor and Nationally Certified Counselor who has spent years specializing in companion animal loss, wrote “Healing Your Heart After Pet Loss: Honoring Your Grieving Journey” to offer grieving pet owners a resource grounded in her clinical specialty and personal experience. The book combines evidence-based clinical tools with personal stories, journal prompts, reflection exercises, and self-care strategies.

The book addresses the specific dimensions of pet loss that most people struggle with in silence. It covers guilt around end-of-life decisions, behavioral euthanasia (euthanasia due to behavioral or aggression issues), anticipatory grief, the identity shift that comes when a daily caregiving routine disappears, navigating friends and family who minimize the loss, and helping children understand death. It also addresses a question grieving pet owners carry but rarely ask aloud, "Am I normal?" The book challenges common assumptions, like the myth of closure, and covers topics that are seldom discussed, like grieving an animal that wasn't yours and the financial impact of pet loss.

When asked what she most wants grieving pet owners to know, Barton-Barrett shares, "Losing an animal is a valid grief. The bond is strong and the pain is real. And, you are not alone. Our animals are important family members, friends, and companions on Life's journey. Although the grieving path is rarely linear and loss may never completely go away, healing is possible. It's ultimately about maintaining a new and ongoing connection while creating a special space in our hearts just for them."

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

Readers and mental health professionals alike have responded to the book's approach, praising how it balances professional insight with personal warmth.

• “Bought this book for a friend who just lost his dog, and ended up reading it myself before I gave it to him. I loved the helpful prompts, the personal experiences, and the advice on overcoming the grief of a lost pet. Tracie Barton-Barrett has a compassionate way of writing that truly makes you feel understood at a very difficult time.” — Michelle Garren-Flye, author, poet, and owner of The Next Chapter bookstore

• “A thoughtful and compassionate guide for navigating grief after the death of a pet. Tracie Barton-Barrett has done a wonderful job of integrating evidence-based skills for coping with the death of a pet and questions for reflection and journaling that help the reader tap into feelings below the surface. The personal stories shared in the book remind us we’re not alone in our grief for our four-legged family members. As a mental health counselor I highly recommend this book and will be using it in my clinical practice.” — Heather W. Cobham, LCSW and author of Calling The Circle

• “This book is well written, easy to read and understand. It gently guides the reader through various aspects of grief after losing a beloved pet. Every chapter encourages readers to self-reflect and journal their experiences as they read the book. Tracie is a professional counselor who deeply understands the grief one goes through after losing a pet. She shares her experiences of grief with readers and helps them process their grief chapter by chapter.” — Candis Collins, MA, MSW

Healing Your Heart After Pet Loss: Honoring Your Grieving Journey (ISBN: 978-0997025934, Independently Published 2026) is available on Amazon.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

As a lifelong animal lover, Tracie Barton-Barrett, MS, NCC, LCMHC, is a Nationally Certified Counselor, a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, and a former psychology instructor. With a specialty in companion animal loss and a deep understanding of the pain of this grief, Tracie has written articles and blogs, developed and facilitated support groups and presentations for pet owners, veterinarians, veterinary students, animal shelter workers, and animal control officers, and has traveled nationally to co-facilitate compassion fatigue workshops for animal professionals. She is the author of two novels focusing on the human-animal bond: Buried Deep in Our Hearts and Finding Her Spirit. A native of Michigan, she and her husband live in North Carolina.

LEARN MORE AND CONNECT

Tracie Barton-Barrett is available for podcast appearances, speaking engagements, and media interviews on pet loss, companion animal grief, and how our animals make us better humans.

Learn more about “Healing Your Heart After Pet Loss: Honoring Your Grieving Journey” and the author’s other works at https://traciebartonbarrett.com

Connect with the Author
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TBartonBarrett
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/traciebartonbarrett/

Tracie Barton-Barrett
Author
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