workshops & faq
Join the 2025 Workshop Waitlist to be the first to sign up for the dates in 2025.
Workshop Overview
Facing a new diagnosis, illness, or the challenges of aging with your beloved pet can be one of the most emotional experiences you will encounter. These moments may bring up fear, doubt, and overwhelming grief as you grapple with the uncertainty of what lies ahead. Yet, within these difficult times lies an opportunity to approach the journey with more profound presence, find peace amidst the turmoil, and support yourself and your pet with more grounding and resilience.
This live workshop offers a compassionate, safe space to learn how to navigate these challenging moments with greater mindfulness and intention. You’ll discover new ways to support your pet and yourself while connecting with others who share similar experiences, helping you find the strength to open your heart to the challenge and cultivate a calmer presence.
Classes are intentionally small, offering a more intimate experience, and places are limited.
Workshop Information
Embracing Deeper Connections: Moving Through Anticipatory Grief With Presence
This is a live workshop taught over four weeks + a bonus Q&A Class in week 5.
Workshop Details:
Dates: TBA
Duration: Each session is 2 hours
If you cannot attend live, recordings will be available. It is recommended that participants attend live to benefit fully from the experience. Recordings will be provided.
This workshop teaches how to approach your challenging time with your animal differently in a live, taught, and interactive class. Learn how to prepare yourself, your family, and other family pets. In this workshop, we understand challenging times, the end-of-life journey and its complexities and offer you a safe space to begin to explore your fears and worries. This allows you to learn, discover new ways, and ask the questions you've been afraid to ask. You are with other pet parents who are going through similar experiences. With this support and understanding in your challenging journey with your pet, you will discover a strength and peace you didn't know you had. This makes the weight of guilt, doubt, and fear more manageable.
Your fears and worries are valid, and here's the secret: When you feel supported and know you are not alone, you discover an inner resilience and courage you didn’t know you had. This emotional support will enable you to walk this journey with your pet with more love, connect even more profoundly with them than you ever thought possible, hold your pain in peace and be more present.
The workshop offers a transformative journey, guiding you through the complexities of anticipatory grief while nurturing a deeper connection with your pet. By exploring techniques that enhance presence and understanding, you embark on a path of self-discovery and personal growth, enabling you to navigate your challenging time with greater peace and presence.
What You’ll Gain from This Workshop
This workshop invites you to navigate your journey with your pet in a new, more meaningful way through live, interactive sessions. Together, we’ll explore the complexities of anticipatory grief and how to have more presence in an end-of-life journey, providing a supportive space to:
Understand Anticipatory Grief: Learn what it is, how it shows up, and how to be okay with moving through emotions when they do.
Cultivate Inner Balance: Discover ways to be with and manage your emotions and maintain a calm, grounded presence amid fear and grief.
Nurture Your Bond: Deepen your connection with your pet, nurturing a relationship that goes beyond the challenges of illness or end-of-life care.
Shift Apprehension into Mindfulness: Learn to shift fears and worries into a mindful, present engagement with your pet.
Gain Confidence and Insight: Build the confidence and understanding needed to face the challenges of aging, illness, or end-of-life care with compassion and clarity.
Learn the Foundations of Animal Communication: Understand how your pet communicates with you and learn to listen to the messages they share. This will open a new perspective on your relationship.
Discover the Deeper Purpose of Your Bond: Explore why your pet is with you, how you impact each other, and how your connection can deepen through this journey.
Connect in a Supportive Community: Meet other pet parents on a similar path, share empathy, experiences, and discover mutual support. Who This Course Is For:
Who This Workshop Is For
Pet parents facing the challenges of aging, illness, new diagnoses, or end-of-life journeys with their animals.
People wanting to approach their challenging times differently.
Those looking to nurture their connection with their pets during difficult times.
Those who want to understand their anticipatory grief and emotions better learn how to share them with their pets and keep their energetic bond flowing.
Those open to learning and integrating new techniques or perspectives on grief and pet connection.
Individuals looking to develop new techniques to stay present with their pets so they may make more informed decisions for pets well-being and care.
People who desire to find their center, turn fears into purpose, and cultivate an even deeper loving presence with their pets.
This Course Is Not:
Formal Animal Communication. Instead, it teaches the foundational principles of Animal Communication to nurture a shift in perspective and a deeper connection on a soul level with your pet.
Offering quick fixes or solutions. The workshop provides a safe space to engage in introspection and personal growth.
Why This Workshop Is Different
It’s a supportive space for self-reflection and growth, where you’ll be guided to navigate this sacred journey with your pet with an open heart. Foundational principles of Animal Communication, understanding anticipatory grief and how it shows up for you, and learning the depth of your relationship and how your pet has changed you, opens you to connect with your pet on an even deeper soul level.
Your Instructors:
Hana Mäkinen is a professional animal communicator and end-of-life grief specialist with over a decade of experience supporting pet parents through their pet’s life stages. My mission is to provide compassionate support and help you find peace and presence during these challenging times.
Andrea Montgomery, a dedicated animal communicator and Reiki practitioner, will join me for our workshop. Her unique journey from a career as a scientist to reconnecting with animals and nature at a deeper intuitive level—the heart level—provides a unique perspective. Her mission is to help others remember their deep, innate, and sacred connection with their animals and all life.
What participants have shared…
"I felt safe, seen, and heard. So nice to not feel alone!"
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"Such compassionate delivery of information that I could use with my pet right away."
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" This workshop is for anyone, no matter the difficultly of their current situation"
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"I didn't think I could lessen my fear, but I did! I now have a sense of peace and am able to be more present with my cat."
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" This program will help you understand the grief you feel when you know your pet's end is near and provide you with many tools to manage and grow from this grief. It's well worthwhile!""
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"I felt safe, seen, and heard. So nice to not feel alone!" • "Such compassionate delivery of information that I could use with my pet right away." • " This workshop is for anyone, no matter the difficultly of their current situation" • "I didn't think I could lessen my fear, but I did! I now have a sense of peace and am able to be more present with my cat." • " This program will help you understand the grief you feel when you know your pet's end is near and provide you with many tools to manage and grow from this grief. It's well worthwhile!"" •
FAQs
“I was stuck! This workshop helped me open to healing and move into the now." " It helped me feel understood and feel part of a community with other pet parents." "I feel more prepared for navigating future challenges." " I now have ways to remind myself of the larger picture and connect at a soul level." "I found a deeper love with my dog and grew deeper in understanding myself." "Before I was scared and worried, I learned how to lean into the difficult and allow space to grow and adapt to the changes at my dog's pace." " I learned whatever we are going through, we are not alone."
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“I was stuck! This workshop helped me open to healing and move into the now." " It helped me feel understood and feel part of a community with other pet parents." "I feel more prepared for navigating future challenges." " I now have ways to remind myself of the larger picture and connect at a soul level." "I found a deeper love with my dog and grew deeper in understanding myself." "Before I was scared and worried, I learned how to lean into the difficult and allow space to grow and adapt to the changes at my dog's pace." " I learned whatever we are going through, we are not alone." 〰️
What will the classes be about?
The workshop classes are taught live and will focus on helping you navigate the complexities of anticipatory grief and deepen your connection with your beloved pets. We'll delve into techniques for staying present with your pet, understanding their needs, and coping with the emotions that come with caregiving, aging, illness, or end-of-life decisions. Join us if you're looking to find your center, cultivate a deeper bond with your animal companion, and transform fear and worry into purposeful engagement and mindfulness.
How often do you launch the Workshop?
The workshop is launched several times a year to accommodate the ongoing needs of pet parents facing illness, aging, diagnosis, and end-of-life journeys with their beloved companions. To stay informed about upcoming classes, you can sign up for notifications on my website and subscribe to my newsletters. This ensures you'll be among the first to know when new sessions become available and are ready to support you on your journey.
If your group or organization would like to have the workshop taught to its members, please contact us to discuss more options.
May I join the class even if my pet has died? Will I still benefit?
Absolutely, you're welcome to join the class even if your pet has passed away. The workshop provides valuable insights and techniques to help you navigate the complex emotions of grief and loss. Many participants have found solace, healing, and a deeper understanding of their bond with their pets, even after they have passed. You'll find support and guidance to honour your pet's memory and continue your journey of healing.
Do you have any other resources I can learn from while I wait for the launch?
While you await the workshop launch, I have a range of free resources available to support you, including videos, blogs, and interviews. These materials cover various topics related to animal communication and coping with grief, providing valuable insights and guidance during this waiting period.
Click here for the resources.
We offer Heart Scholarships
***We understand that financial challenges can feel overwhelming, especially during difficult times with your pet. Please know that we believe everyone deserves access to support, regardless of their financial situation. If cost is a concern, we invite you to email us. We encourage you to reach out so we can explore options together to ensure you receive the support you need.