Ep009: Pet Loss and Grief with Nancy Saxton-Lopez and Ken Dolan-Del Vecchio Artwork

Laugh At The Odds Podcast with Heidi & Dave

“We are here to laugh at the odds and live our lives so well that Death will tremble to take us.” Named after this Charles Bukowski quote on the meaning of life, "Laugh at the Odds" is a he said/she said podcast about surviving the loss of a partner or spouse through the lens of a young, interracial widowed couple. Heidi and Dave are two halves of a widowed couple, having lost Arnel in 2014 and Bianca in 2017, respectively. In this podcast, we offer our perspectives as two young widows who individually found joy and strength post-loss, and unexpectedly found love with each other after two years of platonic friendship. We speak with other widows and widowers who are writers, counselors, solo parents, comedians, COVID warriors, dancers, singers, entrepreneurs, and even self-proclaimed “wid-hos.” Dave is Dada to a sardonic and intelligent six-year-old boy, Benji, and Heidi is Momma to two adopted mini schnauzers, Ziggy and Xena. Together they raise and shuttle their family between their two homes in New Jersey.

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Laugh At The Odds Podcast with Heidi & Dave

Ep009: Pet Loss and Grief with Nancy Saxton-Lopez and Ken Dolan-Del Vecchio

May 23, 2021 • Heidi & Dave • Season 1 • Episode 9

In Episode 9 of Laugh at the Odds Podcast with Heidi and Dave, we talk about Heidi's very recent loss, Dave’s own losses from years prior, and how these have affected us both as widowed people, as well as Benji. We also speak with Nancy Saxton-Lopez and Ken Dolan-Del Vecchio, both therapists who ran a pet loss group for 30 years, and co-authors of “The Pet Loss Companion; Healing Advice From Family Therapists Who Lead Pet Loss Groups,” and co-hosts of the podcast “The Pet Loss Companion.” They help us navigate and understand our own experiences with pet loss, and share lessons and advice from their collective years in behavioral health in general, and in the subject of pet loss in particular.

ABOUT OUR GUESTS:

Nancy Saxton-Lopez is a licensed clinical social worker, psychotherapist, speaker, trainer, coach and consultant. She has had over 30 years of clinical and managerial experience in behavioral health. She currently is Sr. Partner in Clinical Services Management, a behavioral health consulting management firm. Ms. Saxton-Lopez also maintains a private practice providing therapy and coaching to adolescents and adults. She is well versed working with adolescent issues, depression, anxiety, and life challenges. Her main expertise is in grief and bereavement, specifically companion animal loss. She co-led a support group for companion animal loss in New Jersey for 30 years. Ms. Saxton-Lopez also co-authored the book “The Pet Loss Companion; Healing Advice From Family Therapists Who Lead Pet Loss Groups” with Ken Dolan-DelVecchio. She is a graduate of New York University School of Social Work, has a Certificate in Family Therapy from The New Jersey Center for Family Studies and holds a Certificate from the University of Tennessee in Veterinary Social Work.

Ken Dolan-Del Vecchio is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and Senior Professional in Human Resources. He is a lifelong animal companion enthusiast who, along with fellow therapist Nancy Saxton-Lopez, coauthored The Pet Loss Companion: Healing Advice from Family Therapists Who Lead Pet Loss Groups. Ken and Nancy host The Pet Loss Companion live broadcast on YouTube and Facebook every Thurs at 6PM ET.

Ken is the author or coauthor of three other books, including his latest, Simple Habits of Exceptional (But Not Perfect) Parents. He is an award-winning leader and keynote speaker in the field of workplace mental health and leadership. In 2017, Ken retired from his 19-year tenure at Prudential, where as Vice President, Health and Wellness, where he was responsible for behavioral health services for US employees, leadership consulting internationally, and violence prevention. Learn more at GreenGateLeadership.com and see Ken’s videos on YouTube at Work Life Confidential and The Pet Loss Companion.

OUR GUESTS' LINKS:

https://www.kendolan-delvecchio.com/
https://www.GreenGateLeadership.com
PET LOSS COMPANION PODCAST: https://open.spotify.com/show/4DG0btqT9T6R0RZK15kgcg
PET LOSS COMPANION BOOK: http://www.thepetlosscompanion.com/
SIMPLE HABITS OF EXCEPTIONAL (BUT NOT PERFECT) PARENTS BOOK https://www.kendolan-delvecchio.com/simple-habits-preview/
WORK LIFE CONFIDENTIAL YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUaYKZZR31HPxkVNow8kAuA

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