Animal Chaplain
Program Director, Animal Chaplaincy Training Program @ Compassion Consortium
Ordained Interfaith, Interspiritual, Interspecies Clergy | Award-winning Author | Academic staff @ One Spirit Interfaith Seminary | Founding Member of the Compassion Consortium | Member of Spiritual Directors International | Member of the Association for Pet Loss & Bereavement | Columnist, Spirituality & Health Magazine
Of special interest to me is the animal-human spiritual bond, and how to help expand many religions' view of the role of animals. I'm passionate about the new field of Animal Chaplaincy, especially in helping people recover from the grief of pet loss and reducing suffering for animals kept captive in human systems. This journey began when I was 6-years old, and stuffed the first road-killed chipmunk in my lunch box on the way home from school... in order to give it a proper burial. Having myself lost 3 cats within 6 months, I personally understand the pain of the very special kind of loss of our animal companions, and am interested in helping others through it. I also teach interspecies meditation and mindfulness practices, to help restore human connections to other species and the Earth.
In my newest book, Sacred Sendoffs: An Animal Chaplain’s Advice For Surviving Animal Loss, Making Life Meaningful, & Trying To Heal The Planet, I explore the relationship between spiritual values, animal welfare, and the fate of our planet. You can also read more about animals and spirituality in my weekly column for Spirituality & Health Magazine. Or join me for a Sunday Service at Compassion Consortium, the first interfaith, interspiritual, interspecies community.
Part minister, part ecotheologian, part animal lover. Beyond our frontiers of sexism, classism, racism, genderisms … I address the injustice of speciesism to ensure we aren't marginalizing otherkind.
Program Director, Animal Chaplaincy Training Program @ Compassion Consortium
Ordained Interfaith, Interspiritual, Interspecies Clergy | Award-winning Author | Academic staff @ One Spirit Interfaith Seminary | Founding Member of the Compassion Consortium | Member of Spiritual Directors International | Member of the Association for Pet Loss & Bereavement | Columnist, Spirituality & Health Magazine
Of special interest to me is the animal-human spiritual bond, and how to help expand many religions' view of the role of animals. I'm passionate about the new field of Animal Chaplaincy, especially in helping people recover from the grief of pet loss and reducing suffering for animals kept captive in human systems. This journey began when I was 6-years old, and stuffed the first road-killed chipmunk in my lunch box on the way home from school... in order to give it a proper burial. Having myself lost 3 cats within 6 months, I personally understand the pain of the very special kind of loss of our animal companions, and am interested in helping others through it. I also teach interspecies meditation and mindfulness practices, to help restore human connections to other species and the Earth.
In my newest book, Sacred Sendoffs: An Animal Chaplain’s Advice For Surviving Animal Loss, Making Life Meaningful, & Trying To Heal The Planet, I explore the relationship between spiritual values, animal welfare, and the fate of our planet. You can also read more about animals and spirituality in my weekly column for Spirituality & Health Magazine. Or join me for a Sunday Service at Compassion Consortium, the first interfaith, interspiritual, interspecies community.
Part minister, part ecotheologian, part animal lover. Beyond our frontiers of sexism, classism, racism, genderisms … I address the injustice of speciesism to ensure we aren't marginalizing otherkind.