Dr. Monica is a senior Australian mental health clinician, licensed counsellor, and lifelong animal lover. She is the founder of Pause for Paws: Adjustment in Acceptance—Australia’s first clinically designed, self-guided grief support program created specifically for people experiencing the loss of a beloved animal companion.

Drawing on decades of professional expertise and her own lived experience grieving the loss of three cats and six dogs, Dr. Monica brings both compassion and clinical insight to the often-overlooked space of pet loss. Her program bridges a critical gap in mental health and pet care, offering evidence-based tools and gentle guidance to help individuals navigate grief and begin to heal.

Through Pause for Paws, Dr. Monica is pioneering a new approach to pet bereavement, blending psychological best practice with what she calls “Petfullness”—a philosophy that honours the deep bond between people and their animals.