[00:00:00] Hello there. Lovely. And welcome back to another heartfelt episode of rebuilding you. The podcast where we dive into the depths of healing growth and success after divorce. I’m Christina. And today we’re diving into a very special topic. That’s close to my heart. The incredible world of emotional support animals. The furry companions that stand by us through thick and thin. This one’s for all my dog. Animal. Mamas.

[00:00:35] When divorce shakes our world, emotional support animals become our steadfast allies. And I’m not just talking about. Like official emotional support animals, where you have to go and get certified. I’m just talking about. The animals and the pet that gravitate towards us that provide us the emotional support. It’s like they have this [00:01:00] intuitive knowing when we need that support. And so those are the emotional support animals I’m referring to.

[00:01:09] They become.

[00:01:11] Pillar. Of unconditional love. And a shoulder to lean on. And this episode, we’re going to explore the emotional journey that animals go through when we’re faced with divorce and how they become our healers. And the symbiotic relationship that we share with them.

[00:01:33] You’re listening to Her Heart Heals Divorce Radio.

[00:01:41] Hi, I’m Christina Cuevas. Seven years ago, I went through a divorce and it completely turned my world upside down. And I’m so glad it did. I documented my healing to share information with other women going through their own divorce journey. And now, With thousands of downloads around the world from divorced [00:02:00] women just like you, I’m here to show you how to ditch the shame around divorce and finally heal so that you can regain the confidence to create your most abundant and joyful future.

[00:02:11] I’m so glad you’re here. This is Her Heart Heals Divorce Radio.

[00:02:17] This all happened. The idea to have this podcast episode today is because. I have three dogs. One of them is. Definitively my emotional support animal. I feel that he has taken on a lot of the support. And while it’s been a beautiful journey for both of us together, we have this incredible bond. I also felt like. He was taking on or he has this responsibility to take on my emotions. And just like any 

[00:03:00] relationship that we love and we give back to. I don’t want him to only feel that he has to be responsible for when. I’m. Emotionally a mess or for my emotions. Energetically. They can take that on animals, have the capacity to do that, but I also wanted to be able to discuss ways. And the importance of the responsibility that we take on as pet owners. And the emotional responsibility. For our emotional support animals of how we can help with them. Cope through those emotions because they don’t know any different. They love us so much that they take on. All of our pain, they could take on all of our pain if they, if they could.

[00:03:53] But it’s also about being the leader of your pack. And showing them how to [00:04:00] heal. And through that journey of my own healing. It’s also been about healing with him too, with, with my dog Ruxin and we’ll talk about him in a little bit, but. That is the whole point. You know, I was very curious about. You know, well, how does he heal? Obviously, if he’s taking on my energy. My emotional baggage. What does he do with it? What is his outlet? And so it’s really important to also help cultivate balance with our emotional support animals. So. To force. Isn’t just an emotional journey for us humans. It deeply affects our animal companions to. Our pets, like my boy Roxanne. He is my emotional support animal and he can sense my emotions and my energy shifts. He picks up on my stress, my [00:05:00] sadness, and also my moments of healing. And so I want you to remember and keep in mind that they’re not just passive observers. They are our emotional barometers. Offering us unwavering support.

[00:05:17] There’s animals who are specially trained to recognize when someone is going to have a seizure, when someone is going to have a heart attack. And I think that they can also sense when certain natural disasters are going to happen before any of us can, can even see the signs. And that’s because they have this sense where they can sense things on a deeper level. And so with my dog Rux and specifically. He knows when I’m going through something and he’ll come and lay right next to me when I’m

[00:06:00] in the middle of crying. He will come and lay next to me and just let me cry. And I’m like trying to. Keep it together and not get emotional on this episode because I just love him so much, but like I have two other dogs on top of Roxanne. And. They’re both like. Could Caroline. They don’t know what’s going on. They just know that mom’s being weird. Something’s going down. We better not bug her, but Ruxin will absolutely. I get on my bed and just like be my, my pillow for me.

[00:06:37] And he’ll lay there. As long as, as long as I need to. And so I just really wanted to be able to. Acknowledge that and have an episode. Dedicated to just the beauty of these relationships that we have and how they can also. B. An [00:07:00] incredible tool, part of our healing journey after divorce. So. I’ll never forget how Roxanne stood by me during my divorce. His presence was my calming force reminding me that I wasn’t alone on this journey.

[00:07:17] And sharing your story and your connection with your emotional support animal is a Testament to the incredible bond that we share with these loving beings. It was really hard for me to feel vulnerable with anybody on the outside world. I was cooped in my home. That was my safe space to feel. And so he was there with me. Through all of it through. The ending of my marriage. The realization that it was over and then the pain of picking up the pieces and putting myself back together.

[00:07:56] I don’t think I’ve ever shared this on the podcast. I had like a [00:08:00] little funny. Like voiceover thing that I put on Instagram. Where I’ve talked about it a little bit, but my divorce was partly because my. X wanted me to give up. Roxanne. If you guys follow me on social, he has special needs and he was just born with a lot of funky things. And I really have dedicated a lot of time. And money to care for him and get him into really great health and some vets actually told me to put him down. Early on because of how challenging his journey was going to be. But that was like my sign. To also support him. For everything that he’s done to support me as well. And I mean, now we’re both thriving, we’re just living our best lives. And that’s a really big motivator for me to 

[00:09:00] give back to my dog and to do things for him. In this life so that he could live his best life too. So. We’ve just really been through it together. And. You know, so as I mentioned, My ex basically said it’s me or the dog. And. We all know how that story ended. And so, yeah, we’re just each other’s, we’re just each other’s.

[00:09:27] Our emotional support. People things, animals for each other. But.

[00:09:33] Anyway. So sharing your story and your connection with your emotional support animal is a Testament to the incredible bond that we share with these beings. Our animal companions. Aren’t just there to comfort us. They actively contribute to our healing. Research shows that spending time with pets reduced stress hormones, and increases the production of feel-good chemicals. Like oxytocin. They remind us to stay present. 

[00:10:00] To find joy in the little moments. And to keep moving forward. And one thing I would like to add. Is that they also show us unconditional love when we need it. The most divorce can often make us feel. Very guilty. That is a very big emotion that myself and a lot of other women that I’ve connected with here. I have shared is feeling the guilt of. Going through a divorce. And so having that unconditional love is. It’s you can’t put a price on it.

[00:10:37] During the darkest days of my divorce. Roxanne’s wagging tail and his gentle eyes where my beacon of hope. He also. Drags me out for walks every single day. And it’s like, he doesn’t know how to tell time, but he knows how to tell time. He knows when it’s exactly, you know, four o’clock. I can count on [00:11:00] him to be standing in the kitchen, letting me know that it is. Dinner time. Or when it is. W a L K time. I’m not going to say it because they’re all in this room listening to me. And if you’re a dog, mom, you know that that’s, you know,

[00:11:15] So sharing. Your experience of healing alongside your emotional support animal can inspire others to also embrace the transformative power of these loving creatures.

[00:11:28] As we navigate the ups and downs of divorce, we must also ensure that our pets feel emotionally secure. So, this is a big thing of what I was talking about, about knowing that he takes on a lot of my stuff. But also making him feel. That he doesn’t need to an allowing him to process through it. Our animals absorb our energy. And so it’s essential to cultivate an environment of 

[00:12:00] positivity and stability for them. That is how they emotionally regulate. So again, it’s cultivating an environment that’s safe for them. That’s stable for them. And one of the ways that you can do that is by routine. And so one of the ways that I create routine with my dogs in my world is their feeding time, the time that they eat. So they eat twice a day on the dot. Literally every single day. And I’m not going to say like down to the minute, but I would say within the hour, And then they also have the routine of going out for w a L K S. And so. Those are our staples throughout the day. We also have this like really silly. Time that we create together. So like when I make my morning coffee, It’s my time to say my affirmations and I 

[00:13:00] saved my affirmations with them and I was like, okay. We’re going to have a great day to day. Today’s going to be amazing. What new things are going to happen to us today. And so I take that time. They also get their T R E a T S. During this time and we just make it fun and positive and I let them know that I’m okay. And it’s all good. It just creates the most beautiful relationship in our household. And I just feel like it’s very positive.

[00:13:34] So by taking care of their emotional needs and doing these things, we also nurture and create a harmonious bond that supports both us and our furry friends. Broxton taught me the importance of reciprocating, the love that he gave me as I healed, I made sure to create a safe space. Where he feels [00:14:00] loved and valued just as he did for me and how he does for me on a daily basis.

[00:14:06] So my beauties. Let’s cherish. The bond that we share with our emotional support animals, they teach us about resilience. Unconditional love and the beauty of companionship. And so I want you to remember, as you heal, you’re also healing. Your beloved furry friend. Your son, your daughter, because you know, I birthed him. Yeah, that’s right. Aye.

[00:14:37] He is my child. And nobody gets told me different. So I really wanted to dedicate a special episode to. My baby that I just love so much. And I know that a lot of you. Resonate and feel me on this. And so I would love to see your pictures, [00:15:00] send them over to me on Instagram. You can find me at her heart heals. I want to see. Your emotional support animals that helped you get through divorce and that you are committed to creating a beautiful bond and a safe and loving and nurturing exchange environment.

[00:15:20] Thank you for joining me on today’s episode of rebuilding, you know, this was a special one. Your emotional support animals are more than just pets. They’re pillars of strength. And if you haven’t yet found that special connection, take a chance your companion might be closer than you think there’s thousands of animals waiting for a loving home, waiting to just share their unique gifts of love and be able to give back to you. And so if that’s something where you’ve been feeling a tug in your heart, I would highly encourage you to adopt, please. Don’t shop. Stay safe. [00:16:00] And until the next episode, I love you. Bye.