Pet Loss Therapy in Austin and Online
Therapy Support Through The Loss Of A Pet Who Was Your Whole World
Whether you've already said goodbye or you're watching your pet decline and grieving before they're gone, this is a space to process what you're carrying, with a therapist who truly understands the weight of loving an animal this much.
Losing A Pet Can Shatter Your World, Even If Nobody Is Treating It That Way
Maybe you've already said goodbye.
Maybe you're watching them fade, and the goodbye has already started.
Either way, you know this feeling.
The weight that's there before you fully wake up.
The moment you reach for them out of habit, and remember.
The house that feels too quiet.
The people around you who were kind, briefly, and then moved on.
The one who said, "You can always get another one."
The colleague who didn't mention it at all.
And you’re starting to wonder if something is wrong with you for feeling this for so long.
Nothing is wrong with you.
You loved someone who made coming home worth it.
Someone who never left the room when you cried.
Someone who was simply glad you existed.
That kind of love means there's real grief that needs to be felt.
And real grief doesn't come with a deadline, no matter what the world around you seems to expect.
Whether you're in the middle of the loss, or still watching it come…
You deserve somewhere to put this down.
If this sounds like you, I can help.
I support people who have experienced significant loss or transition in their lives. You will benefit from working with me if you are going through one or more of the following;
There's a voice in the back of your head that keeps asking the same question:
“Why can't I just move on?”
You've watched other people lose pets and seem okay.
You've been told directly or indirectly that this is a natural part of owning an animal.
That you'll feel better soon.
And yet you're still feeling the grief in your chest before you're fully awake.
Still reaching for them out of habit.
Still not yourself.
That's because what you lost wasn't just a pet.
You lost the routine that gave your days shape, the one who was there every single day, and the one who made the house feel like a home.
And grief that size deserves to be taken seriously.
Who is this for?
- You lost a pet who was your closest companion, and the grief is bigger and lonelier than people seem to understand.
- You're watching your pet decline and already grieving, even though they're still here.
- You know the euthanasia decision was made out of love, but the guilt hasn't listened to that logic, and you're still carrying it alone.
- You've tried talking to friends or family, but found yourself editing yourself down, because their discomfort made your grief feel like a burden.
If any of these things resonate with you, pet loss therapy can give you a safe place where your grief is treated like real grief, without you having to prove it.
What Makes Pet Loss Grief Therapy Different?
My therapy space was built specifically for pet loss grief, because I’ve gone through it myself.
Both the grief that comes after, and the grief that starts when you’re watching your pet’s health decline. This means…
You’ll speak with a therapist who understands what you’re going through, without you having to prove your grief is real.
Here's What Pet Loss Grief Therapy Gives You:
The right to grieve without defending it. A real space to feel the full weight of what you've lost or what you’re about to lose without anyone waiting for you to be done.
More of yourself back in your everyday life. Your relationships, your work, your energy. You'll show up to all of it more fully, because you're no longer spending all your energy carrying the grief alone.
Mornings that are lighter. The grief that sits in your chest before you're fully awake finally quiets down. Not because you've forgotten them, but because you start to carry them with you instead of being crushed by the loss of them.
The ability to be present with them again (for people who haven’t said goodbye yet). When you're not spending every moment bracing yourself, you'll find your way back to the time you still have.
See What People Are Saying About Texas Grief Therapy
If you are looking for a fellow traveler in our journeys who can provide you with support and guidance in your crucible stage, I would highly recommend Danielle for your consideration to solicit a professional personal perspective. She has changed my life in ways I never conceived the possibilities. I faithfully believe in an outcome where she can do the same for you if you are willing to accept the opportunity by challenging the self-limiting illogical fear to take a different path. Peace.
I’ve witnessed Danielle’s grief work firsthand through her work at the Christi Center and the care she brings to every interaction. She puts your nervous system at ease with her open, calm, and grounded presence, creating a nonjudgmental space where it feels safe to express honestly. Danielle is deeply compassionate, relatable, and knowledgeable, blending clinical skill with lived experience. I would wholeheartedly recommend her as a grief therapist to anyone seeking steady, thoughtful support through loss.
What is it like working with Texas Grief Therapy?
“If you are looking for a fellow traveler in our journeys who can provide you with support and guidance in your crucible stage, I would highly recommend Danielle for your consideration to solicit a professional personal perspective. She has changed my life in ways I never conceived the possibilities. I faithfully believe in an outcome where she can do the same for you if you are willing to accept the challenge and illogical fear to take a different path. Peace.”
Greg Verdict
Staff Manufacturing Engineer
Los Gatos, CA
“I’ve witnessed Danielle’s grief work firsthand through her work at the Christi Center and the care she brings to every interaction. She puts your nervous system at ease with her open, calm, and grounded presence, creating a nonjudgmental space where it feels safe to express honestly. Danielle is deeply compassionate, relatable, and knowledgeable, blending clinical skill with lived experience. I would wholeheartedly recommend her as a grief therapist to anyone seeking steady, thoughtful support through loss.”
Heather Stan, LMSW
Christi Center
Adjunct Professor at UT
Meet Your Pet Loss Therapist, Danielle Sarris
When you work with me, you're working with someone who has lived through their own traumatic pet loss.
I've lost my ‘soul dog’, Daisy.
I still think about the way she would nap while I worked and watch over me.
I know what it is to come home to a silence that wasn't there before…
And to have people suggest you just get another one, as if that's how love works.
That's why in the therapy room, I don't perform empathy. I have it.
I won't rush you.
I won't hand you coping strategies when what you need is someone to sit in the grief with you.
I won't flinch at how hard this is.
What I offer is a nonjudgmental space, where you can feel what's actually there.
Where you can grieve as fully and as long as you need to.
And where your grief is treated like real grief without you having to prove it.
Get Started In 3 Simple Steps
Click the button below and fill out the short form. Then, I’ll reach out to schedule a quick therapy consultation.
We’ll have a 15-minute conversation to check that we are a good fit. If we are, we’ll schedule an appointment. If we aren’t, I’ll refer you to someone I know who can help you better.
We’ll schedule our first session, and you’ll finally be able to sit down with someone who treats your grief like real grief without you having to prove anything.
Our first sessions focus on understanding your story and creating a sense of safety. After the initial sessions, you might notice you have more room to breathe, you feel less isolated, and you begin to come up with language for what once felt overwhelming. Our work isn't about 'fixing,' it's about helping you carry what you're carrying with more support and clarity.
Get A Free 15-Minute Pet Loss Therapy Consultation Today
Pet Loss Therapy Frequently Asked Questions
Is it normal to grieve this hard over a pet?
Yes.
What you’re feeling isn’t an overreaction.
Research consistently shows that pet loss can be as painful as losing a close family member, and for many people, even more so.
That’s because the bond was one of the most consistent, unconditional relationships in your life.
The grief is proportionate to the love, and the love was real.
My pet is still alive. Is pet loss therapy still for me?
Yes.
Anticipatory grief is the grief that begins before the loss, when you can see what’s coming and your heart starts saying goodbye before it has to.
It’s one of the heaviest and least-supported forms of grief there is, because you’re mourning someone who is still in the room with you.
If this is where you are, pet loss therapy is for you, too.
I keep replaying the euthanasia decision. Will therapy help with that?
Yes, and this is one of the most important things we can work through together.
The guilt around the euthanasia decision has a very specific shape.
It doesn’t respond to logic alone, which is why telling yourself “it was the right thing” rarely makes the loop stop.
In our work together, we’ll address that guilt directly, not just around the edges of it.
I've tried talking to friends and family, but it hasn't helped. Why would therapy be different?
Because your friends and family want the best for you, but they’re working without the right tools.
They may not be pet people.
They may not know what to say.
They may have moved on faster than you have, which makes the gap between you and them feel lonelier.
A grief therapist who specializes in pet loss brings something different:
A space where you are already understood before you say a word, and where the entire session is built around what you’re carrying, not what the other person is comfortable holding.
What does a session actually look like?
Sessions are 55 or 85 minutes, held in person at my Austin or Driftwood locations, or via telehealth anywhere in Texas.
There’s no rigid structure or checklist.
We work at your pace, following what’s most present for you…
Whether that’s the grief itself, the guilt, or the identity shift that comes with losing your soul animal who was a member of your family.
I also bring mind-body approaches into sessions when it helps, because grief lives in the body as much as the mind.
What if I've already tried therapy and it didn't help?
That’s more common than you might think, and it usually comes down to fit and specialization.
A general therapist who hasn’t worked specifically with pet loss grief may validate your feelings while still not quite getting it.
You may have sensed that, even if they were skilled and kind.
The difference here is specialization.
On the other hand, this therapy is built specifically for pet loss grief…
Meaning you’ll speak to a therapist who has had their own pet loss, and knows how hard this feels.
Do you work nights and weekends?
Yes, I work weeknights until 7 pm and weekends.
During your free consultation, we’ll discuss what appointments are available to you.
Do you work with children?
Yes.
I serve all age ranges.
Children grieve differently from adults, but they grieve just as deeply.
If your child is struggling after a loss or significant life change and you’re not sure how to support them, this is a space built for that.
Parents often find that when a child has somewhere to process what they’re carrying, it changes things for the whole family.
Do you take insurance?
I’m currently in the process of credentialing with insurance panels through my clinical supervisor. I will update this page as plans become available.
For clients whose insurance I’m not able to bill directly, I offer services through a private-pay model.
You simply attend your session and pay at the time of service via cash or card.
Straightforward and paperwork-free.
If I’m unable to bill your insurance, I can provide a superbill (detailed receipt) that you may submit to your insurance company to request out-of-network reimbursement.
If finances are a concern, please feel free to reach out, and we can talk through options.
How do I get started?
Simply fill out the form on this page.
Then I’ll reach out for a 15-minute conversation to check that we are a good fit.
If we are, we’ll schedule a therapy appointment, and you’ll finally be able to sit down with someone who treats your grief like real grief without you having to prove anything.
If we aren’t, I’ll refer you to someone I know who can help you better.