Vanessa Zopp

I work every day, typically 1 pm to 7 pm, excluding Wednesdays and Weekends.

Mine is a small practice, and it can get very busy sometimes, so we'll discuss availability during our initial brief introductory call, subject to a collaborative assessment of whether I am the right match for your needs.

A note on scope of my work

I offer counselling and psychotherapy only. I do not provide veterinary advice, emergency mental health support, crisis intervention, or specialist risk management. Where appropriate, I may signpost or refer clients to more suitable services. I use my pet-related knowledge solely to support therapeutic understanding, and it always remains within my professional competence and ethical boundaries.

Pet Bereavement & Loss

One Welfare •Beyond death losses • Inclusivity across all species: dogs, cats, ducks, nakes, spiders, rats .. • Addressing Complexities • Multi-pet household awareness • Existentialism

For my wider counselling services, qualifications and ways of working, more info: www.vzcounsellingservices.co.uk 

My approach is informed by One Welfare principles, an evidence-based framework which proposes the interconnected wellbeing of all animals, humans and not: all companions matter as We Are ONE™.

Beyond Bereavement: Complex Losses: companions sometimes simply do not come back; they get out of the terrarium; they get older with dementia-like symptoms; they need palliative care; difficult end-of-life decisions about euthanasia; companions are forcibly relocated or surrendered (if charities available) for financial reasons after a divorce, housing difficulties, relocation, financial hardship, allergies, care-home admission- so many reasons to rehome a pet and mourn are beyond bereavement.

I am proudly Pet-Inclusive: therapeutic dialogues about dogs, leopard geckos, cats, rats, turtles, fish, ducks, hamsters, horses, cows, spiders, and many more beloved companions have all same dignity. Simply put, there is no hierarchy. You define the relationship, the attachment.

I am multi-pet household aware: I hold awareness how grief may affect multi-pet households, cats and dogs, but also small mammals like hamsters and how behavioural changes linked with their emotional status in surviving companions can influence the emotional experience of those who care for them.

Pet Relevant qualifications & Interests

• Fear Free Certified Professional (FFCP1)

• 30 hours of specialist Pet Loss Training delivered by the Blue Cross, including veterinary awareness in euthanasia practices.

• International Association for Animal Hospice and Palliative Care (IAAHPC) student member

• Animal Welfare Research Network (AWRN)

• Distant Adopter of Bluster Kakapo in New Zealand

In my experience, Pet Bereavement has gained mainstream acceptance in recent years, with sympathy cards displayed in supermarkets. I see grief understood mostly as related to the death of a beloved pet, and as an experience that the individual must ‘manage’ through memorialisation practices, rituals, and steps to ‘heal’. This can be helpful for many, but not for everyone.

Memorialisation practices such as memory books, letters, keepsake artworks, and aftercare rituals such as paw prints, or decisions on crematorium practices can be profoundly helpful. Many clients find a meaningful connection with their beloved pet only after they have opportunities to remember, honour, and narrate the relationship.

For some others, such practices may be of no help, leading to feelings of disconnection and alienation, as something is ‘off’. Others too, after years, feel the raw pain of the grief and wonder what this can mean.

Sometimes the exploration brings in different directions opening up unexpected avenues; for example, I supported clients facing the implications of being in charge of euthanasia versus their sense of self, spirituality, identity and the role within the family and identity within the wider community.

Therapy happens through thoughtful discussion, pauses, and difficult questions; I provide a space to explore grief in all its emotional complexities, including despair, guilt, anger, relief, or longing, including the impact of cultural and societal pressures.• Sometimes the absence of the companion brings anxiety, depression, a sense of grippling guilt, or questions about choices made or to be made.

Sometimes grief before a pet's death may not always be experienced upon illness or ageing, but as a feeling of dread of something inevitable, posing bigger questions about life, decisions, freedom and consequences and those are the questions where existentialism can support. 

There is no difference from any other initial meetings I have with clients, for many reasons  . Typically, we have one or two meetings to see whether I am the right match for your needs.

I believe people change over time and have different needs, so different types of therapy may help. So it is important that you familiarise yourself with my ways of working so that we can decide together whether I am the right match for you at this moment in time. 

I have an intake form, and I need for GP's details to work with you.

By the end of the two meetings, we'll have a shared idea of our area of work eg for Pet dilemmas and themes 

Pet bereavement counselling following the death of a beloved pet or companion animal

Anticipatory grief and emotional preparation before the expected death of a pet

Support with euthanasia decisions

Feelings of guilt, regret, self-blame 

Coping with the ageing, illness, cognitive decline, or changing behaviour of a companion 

Persistent pet grief and unresolved bereavement months or years after a loss

Missing pets, stolen pets, and ambiguous loss when a pet's fate remains unknown

Rehoming a pet due to financial hardship, illness, housing changes, allergies, or changing life circumstances

Pet loss following divorce, separation, family breakdown, or loss of contact with a companion animal

Transitions between assistance animals and adjusting to a new animal partnership after loss

Relocation to accommodation, assisted living, or hospice settings where pets cannot accompany their owners

Difficult memories, previous bereavements, or earlier losses reawakened by the death or loss of a pet

Pet loss during mid-life, later life, retirement, or other significant life transitions

After-death care, cremation, burial, memorialisation, and remembrance options

Considering a new pet after loss and navigating feelings of loyalty, uncertainty, or readiness

I do not work on Wednesdays and the week-ends.

I have a small practice, so my diary may, at times, quickly fill up with regular weekly appointments. You can be placed on the waiting list; I'll be in touch as soon as I have availability.

I am an Accredited Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and a Professional Member of ACTO (Association for Counselling and Therapy Online). I have over 10 years’ experience offering counselling and psychotherapy, with the past 8 years spent supporting local clients. I have worked across the third sector, insurance settings, and private practice, and I currently work full‑time in private practice.

My core professional training is in Psychodynamic Counselling and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). I completed my training at Birkbeck, University of London, gaining a Foundation Degree in 2017.   In the last 5 years, I have focused on Existentialism through ongoing training, reading, reflective practice, group discussions, and weekly existential therapy. I attend supervision fortnightly with an existential psychologist.

My way of working is collaborative and relational. We explore what brings you to therapy together, as equals. I am interested in your lived experience rather than applying assumptions or labels, and I do not presume that words such as “depression” and “loneliness”  mean the same thing for everyone. In our work, I may invite you to slow down, reflect on where you are coming from, and notice what it is like to be where you are now. From there, we may begin to consider possible ways forward, which you remain free to choose and take at your own time. Therapy, for me, is not something I do to you, but something that begins together and unfolds step by step

While I am trained in CBT and may integrate CBT‑informed elements when appropriate, if we both agree on those. My work is not directive. I don’t usually give advice, instructions, or homework, as I focus on understanding and reflection rather than telling you what to do in between sessions.

After initial contact, I offer a brief, free introductory call to see whether working together feels right. For safeguarding reasons, clients must be registered with a GP. In early sessions, I may ask about mental health history, medical conditions, and medication to ensure appropriate support. If I believe my expertise is not the right fit for your needs, I will inform you and, where possible, if you wish, help you explore alternative services.

It can be challenging to predict how long therapy will take; it really depends on your needs, situation and story. We can work for a brief time or a longer time. Occasionally, we may decide to chat and review where we are.

In my practice, I am sex-positive and hold an affirmative approach to LGBTQIA+, agender and genderfluid. I am also neurodivergent-affirmative. I am queer, fluid, and kink-friendly.

I offer pet-bereavement counselling services & counselling to those impacted by the alcohol issues of a loved one.

I work with Insurance: AXA, , AVIVA, WPA. Please check fees for insurance vary, and I will guide you through the process. I will invoice your insurer directly after receiving some information from you. 

The first 1 or 2 sessions are a bit different from Therapy.

They help us to decide to think about your reasons, expectations, hopes and goals for therapy. We will evaluate whether Online Therapy or In-person Therapy is the right choice for you. We will both have a discussion to decide whether working together will help you, how and how long or if other services/professionals may better help you; in this case, we will discuss the various options available to you, and I will support you in this.

If we agree to work together, we will set up a time and day for regular weekly meetings; we will have clear written Terms of Engagement.

Types:

Single-session

Time-Limited Dynamic Psychotherapy

Brief Dynamic Therapy

Open-Therapy 

One-off sessions - please note extensive preparation needed on your side previous the meeting