What To Expect

“Any glimpse into the life of an animal quickens our own and makes it so much the larger and better in every way.”

—John Muir

As with any conversation, animal communication is a journey, with an intended destination and interesting surprises along the way.  You will get your questions answered, as well as be amused, delighted, and maybe puzzled by what your animal companion chooses to express to you.

Occasionally clients are surprised when some of the information I receive seems unfamiliar or incongruent with their conclusions about their animals’ behavior and personalities.  However, over the course of the communication and after, these seeming inconsistencies merge into a new understanding of who your animal truly is.  You come to understand your animal more fully, the animal feels heard, and the result is a deeper and more satisfying relationship for both human and animal.  This is the greatest gift of this work.

It is also important to realize that the conversation is a process that unfolds, and all three parties, you, me, and the animal, play important roles.  Often, the need for problem solving and negotiation arises, and this is where the greatest potential for healing and change lies.  Below is an outline of what this process looks like for all involved.

To book a session, you will need to do the following:

1.)     Call or e-mail to schedule a time.  At that time we estimate how much time we should spend to address your animal’s needs.  This is also the time to let me know if you would like a copy of the recording of your session.

2.)    Prepay for the session using Paypal.  Click on the amount below for the length of the session you are choosing.  OR, you may give me your credit card information over the phone at the time of our session.

30 – Minute Session  $55.00

45 – Minute Session  $85.00

60 – Minute Session  $110.00

Recording of Your Session on CD  $12.00

Gift Certificate

3.)    Tell your animal friend that you have scheduled a session to communicate with him and that he can feel comfortable expressing anything that will strengthen your relationship and improve the quality of your life together.  Make sure that at the time of our appointment your animal companion will not be distracted by others in the household, a trip to the vet or the groomer, etc.  While it is not necessary for him or her to be in the same room with you when you are on the phone with me, it is important that your animal companion not be engaged in other activities at the time of our session.

4.)    I will call you at the scheduled time of the session and begin by asking you to list all of the members of your household, human and animal, with brief physical descriptions of the animals.  Then I will tune into the energy of the animal in question and give you basic information about his personality, habits, purpose in your life, or anything he wants to express.  This usually takes between five and fifteen minutes.  After your animal has had the chance to connect with me and express initial impressions or requests, I will open up the conversation to your questions.  It usually takes about 20-30 more minutes to uncover the layers of issues behind a behavioral or physical problem.  During the remaining 20 minutes or so we focus on creating a list of solutions to the problem, and address any other related questions you might have.

5.)  If you like, I can email you a brief summary of the main points communicated in your session.  I can also mail you a cd recording of your session if you would like to share the information with family members or to listen to it again.

6.)  Keep me posted!  Do not hesitate to call or email with feedback or clarifying questions about the session.  I love hearing about the shifts in your relationships with your animals that come as a result of this work.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Concerning behavior problems, every situation is unique and accordingly will require unique approaches and time frames.

Sometimes changes can be as simple as my requesting the animal shift the behavior and conveying to the animal their guardian’s point of view.  A single session can suffice in these situations.  One dog I communicated with had a problem jumping on people as they came through the front door.  When I asked him about this, he expressed that he jumped because he was overcome with joy at seeing his people and saw their attempts to get him to stop jumping as a game.  Then I showed him his guardians’ fear that as people came and went holding a new grandbaby in the family, his claws might hurt the child’s delicate skin.  As I expressed this to him I felt a shift in his attitude and then came the thought “I will try but it will be hard.”  A week later the woman called me to share that this two-year-old dog was noticeably resisting the urge to jump when people came to the door.  She was shocked that his love and devotion for the family and willingness to please her could override the natural impulses of an energetic, young dog.

A similar situation occurred with a client whose cat would bite her when she was petting him.  When I connected with the cat about this issue, he perceived the biting as a loving gesture and did not see anything wrong with the behavior.  He was even a little bit upset that I was asking him to give it up.  I then showed him how very painful it was to experience a cat bite that breaks the skin and possibly gets infected.  To this he responded, “I will think about it.”  This client is now a friend, and she tells me that what used to be a monthly occurrence has now only happened once over the past year.  And when he did accidentally fall back into his former habit and bite her again, he immediately let go and for the next day or so was exceptionally docile and loving, as if to apologize for his mistake.

In other cases, behavior problems can be more complicated and two or three sessions are necessary to bring about lasting change.  Another client came to me with a dog who would violently attack tree branches and rip them to shreds either in the back yard or whenever the family would go on hikes in the wilderness.  Furthermore, the dog would not respond when the people scolded her for this behavior or even lovingly tried to distract her.  She was very focused and would engage in the activity until she was complete with it.  As it turned out, the dog showed me images of her being hit with sticks in her previous placement, and this behavior was a way for her to emotionally release the trauma associated with this memory.  After I communicated this to the client I advised her to lovingly support the dog’s expression and release of this trauma, and then to gently remind her that she is safe now and she no longer needs this behavior, she can put it behind her when she is ready.  Due to the complexity of the issue, two sessions were necessary, and now the dog has let go of this compulsive behavior.

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