This book examines the clinical significance of the human–animal bond (HAB) and its implications for contemporary mental health practice. Drawing on interdisciplinary research in human–animal interactions and clinical psychology, it introduces a pet-informed approach that integrates clients’ relationships with companion animals into assessment, case formulation, and therapeutic dialogue. Rather than focusing on animal-assisted interventions, the volume explores how pet-related themes emerge organically in clinical encounters and how they may illuminate processes such as attachment, emotion regulation, coping, and identity formation.

Grounded in the biopsychosocial model and informed by the concept of multispecies families, the book situates companion animals as relational partners embedded in clients’ social and emotional worlds. Chapters address cultural, legal, and religious constructions of human–animal boundaries; the role of pets in everyday routines and relational safety; and complex clinical contexts including pet loss, animal maltreatment, and caregiving burden. Attention is also given to diversity and inequality, including housing insecurity and access to service and emotional support animals, as well as developmental considerations in childhood and adolescence.

By integrating empirical evidence with clinically grounded scenarios, reflective prompts, and discussion of established assessment instruments, Conversations about Companion Animals in Clinical Settings: An Integrative, Pet-Informed Approach for Clinicians offers a structured yet flexible framework for engaging with pet-related content. Its central contribution lies in bridging a gap between the growing evidence base on the HAB and its systematic application in clinical practice, advancing a relational and context-sensitive understanding of mental health within increasingly multispecies lives.

Renata Roma, PhD, is a researcher specializing in human-animal interactions. She is a Research Associate at the University of Saskatchewan and a clinician certified in pet loss grief support in Canada, with a prior clinical background as a psychologist in Brazil. Her work focuses on the multiple dimensions of the human-animal bond, including its relevance in therapeutic contexts and the ways relationships with companion animals shape individuals’ mental health and well-being. Her research examines how the bonds with companion animals can both support and challenge mental health and well-being. Dr. Roma’s work has been published in several peer-reviewed journals (e.g., Anthrozoös, Human-Animal Interactions Bulletin, People and Animals, Pets), and she is skilled in translating academic knowledge into accessible insights for diverse audiences. Her work bridges academic research and clinical practice, guided by a relational and integrative view of mental health and well-being.