How to Run Online Pet Loss Counselling Sessions in Auckland

Running sessions online is not a compromise. For many clients, it is the better option. This is especially true in New Zealand, where the geographic spread of the country means that the clients who most need this kind of support are often the furthest from any in-person resource.

If you have used WhatsApp Video or joined a Zoom call with family, you are already doing something technically equivalent to running an online session. The platform is straightforward. What matters is how you show up inside it.

Why Online Works Especially Well for This Work

There are specific reasons why pet bereavement support, delivered online, is often more effective than in-person work rather than less.

Clients are at home, near where their pet lived. The space where an animal lived is often where grief is felt most sharply. Being in that space during a session is not always easy, but it is often more connected. A client who can glance at their pet's favourite chair, or keep their ashes on the shelf behind them during the conversation, is in the right place for this work.

There is no commute on top of grief. Someone in the first weeks after a loss may not be in a state to drive to an unfamiliar location, find parking, and present themselves in a waiting room. Online removes all of that. It meets the client where they are, literally.

New Zealand's geography makes online essential. Auckland is the largest city, but a significant proportion of pet owners who could benefit from TRACE support live in Hamilton, Tauranga, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, or in rural regions with no local practitioner at all. Online delivery means you are not limited to your suburb, or even your city.

The work is almost entirely conversational. The TRACE framework is structured conversation, guided presence, and compassionate witness. There is no physical component. Online delivery loses almost nothing compared to sitting in the same room.

Platform: What to Use

Zoom (Recommended)

Zoom is the most widely used video platform in New Zealand for professional consultations and the recommended choice for TRACE sessions. Your clients are very likely already familiar with it. It is stable, simple to use on desktop or phone, and gives a professional impression.

The free Zoom plan limits group meetings to 40 minutes, which is too short for a session. The Pro plan costs approximately NZD $25 to $30 per month and removes this restriction. For a professional practice, that cost is easily justified.

The waiting room feature is worth enabling. Clients arrive in a waiting room and you admit them when you are ready. This gives you a moment to settle between sessions and ensures clean transitions.

Google Meet

Google Meet is free, accessible via a browser link without requiring an app, and reliable. It is a usable alternative if a client has difficulty with Zoom. It lacks some of Zoom's professional features but works well for straightforward video sessions.

Microsoft Teams

Teams is familiar in corporate and public sector contexts in New Zealand but can be awkward for clients who do not have a Microsoft account. It is a reasonable backup rather than a first choice.

Phone Calls

Do not overlook the phone. Some clients, particularly older clients or those in rural areas with limited broadband, will be more comfortable on a voice call. The quality of care you deliver through the TRACE framework does not require video. Offer phone as an option and let the client choose.

Setting Up Your Space

You do not need a professional studio. You need a tidy, quiet space that communicates that you are present and prepared.

Camera at eye level. If you are using a laptop, prop it on books or a stand so the camera is at eye level rather than looking up at your ceiling. This small adjustment makes a noticeable difference to how you appear on screen.

Lighting from the front. Sit facing a window, or use a small ring light (available from Kmart or online for NZD $30 to $80). Avoid sitting with a bright window behind you, as this makes you appear as a dark silhouette.

Audio. Audio quality matters more than video quality in this work. A headset with a microphone, or a simple USB desktop microphone (NZD $60 to $120 from PB Tech or Noel Leeming), removes background noise and keeps your voice clear and consistent.

Background. A plain wall, a bookshelf, or a tidy room communicates professionalism. Zoom's virtual background can help if your home environment is difficult to manage. Choose something calm and neutral rather than anything distracting.

Quiet. Close the door. Let others in your household know you are in a session. Your client needs to feel they have your full, uninterrupted attention. A delivery buzzer or a child appearing in the background breaks the quality of presence you are there to provide.

The Client Experience

How the online experience feels to your client depends heavily on how you set it up before the session begins.

Before the session. Send a brief confirmation message or email 24 hours ahead. Include the Zoom link, the scheduled time in New Zealand Standard Time (or New Zealand Daylight Time during summer), a note about what to have ready (somewhere comfortable to sit, a glass of water, perhaps a photo of their pet if they would like to have it near them), and your cancellation policy.

At the start. Take two or three minutes to check that the client can hear you clearly, that they are in a private space where they can speak freely, and that they are settled. This settling moment matters more in an online session because you cannot read the room in the same way as in person.

During the session. The TRACE framework is your guide. Tell the Story, Recognise the Bond, Acknowledge the Pain, Celebrate the Life, Embrace What Remains. The online format does not change the framework or diminish its effect.

Closing the session. Allow a few minutes for a warm and unhurried close. Summarise the session briefly, confirm any next steps, and let the client know how to reach you if something significant arises before the next appointment. An abrupt ending to an emotional session is jarring. A clear, human close is part of the care.

Scheduling and Payment

Scheduling

Calendly is widely used in New Zealand for online appointment booking and integrates with Zoom to generate meeting links automatically. Acuity Scheduling is another strong option and includes intake forms that let you gather basic information before a first session.

Set your available times in New Zealand Standard Time or New Zealand Daylight Time depending on the season, and make sure the booking system handles this correctly for clients who may be booking from other time zones or regions.

Payment

Bank transfer is the most common and expected payment method for professional services in New Zealand and is entirely appropriate for session fees. Include your bank account number in your booking confirmation, with a payment reference your client can use.

Stripe allows card payments via a payment link and works well for clients who prefer to pay by card. Stripe is fully supported in New Zealand. PayPal is widely familiar and a reasonable option for clients who use it.

Request payment before the session, or at least before the second session with a new client. A clear payment arrangement established from the outset is professional and practical for both parties.

Privacy and the New Zealand Privacy Act 2020

Pet bereavement support is not a health service regulated under the Health and Disability Commissioner Act or the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act. You are not a clinical practitioner. Your clients are not patients in the regulated sense.

The New Zealand Privacy Act 2020 does apply to any personal information you collect and hold. In practical terms, this means:

Collect only the information you need: name, contact details, and any background relevant to the sessions.
Store it securely. Notes kept digitally should be password-protected. Client email correspondence should be treated as confidential.
Do not share client information with third parties without consent.
If a client asks what information you hold about them, you must be able to tell them and provide it if they request it.

A short, plain-language statement on your website and in your client agreement explaining how you handle personal information is appropriate and professional. It does not need to be lengthy.

Do not record sessions unless the client has given explicit, written consent in advance. The safest practice, in most cases, is not to record.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I run sessions for clients outside Auckland?

Yes. There are no geographic restrictions on providing online support services within New Zealand. You can work with clients anywhere in the country.

Can I work with clients in Australia?

Yes, with some practical considerations. Be clear about what you offer and ensure the client understands your scope of practice. Australian consumer law may apply to your services for Australian clients, but for straightforward pet bereavement support this is unlikely to present any complications. Many New Zealand practitioners extend their reach across the Tasman online.

What if a client becomes very distressed during a session?

The TRACE framework is designed for structured, supported grief work. If a client's distress goes beyond what the framework is built to hold, your role is to acknowledge that compassionately and to refer them to appropriate professional support. In New Zealand, Lifeline (0800 543 354) and 1737 (free call or text) are the key crisis support lines. Have these details accessible during sessions.

Is Zoom secure enough for confidential conversations?

Zoom's Pro plan includes end-to-end encryption appropriate for confidential professional conversations. Enable the waiting room, use a unique link for each client rather than your fixed personal room, and do not share session links publicly.

Do I need a dedicated room for sessions?

Not necessarily. You need a quiet space where you will not be interrupted and where the visual background is tidy and professional. A spare bedroom, a home office, or a quiet corner of a room with a plain wall behind you all work well.

More guides for Auckland practitioners

This is part of a series of guides for pet bereavement practitioners in Auckland:

For an overview: Starting a Pet Bereavement Support Practice in Auckland

Ready to Start?

Online delivery means your practice can reach beyond Auckland to the whole of New Zealand. The TRACE framework works just as well over Zoom as it does in person. The skills and structure you develop through the training translate directly to working online with confidence.

The TRACE Practitioner Certification from the Academy for Pet Loss gives you everything you need to do this work properly. The Core Programme is $395 and the Extended Programme is $525. Both are self-paced and fully online.

Find out more at www.academyforpetloss.com

More guides for Auckland practitioners

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