From 1999 until 2001 David trained and worked in general and crisis counselling with Lifeline and also completed bereavement counselling training at the Bereavement Care Centre in Sydney.

During his time in practice David noted the extreme difficulty and lack of support many clients experienced when trying to cope with the death of their pet. He also became aware of the difficulties many veterinarians, from new graduates to practice owners, experienced when trying to cope with the complex demands of practice life, not least of which is dealing with euthanasia and client grief.

Since 2001 David has run a private practice based in Sydney offering a range of services in his fields of expertise. In addition to running a bereavement counselling service for pet owners and educational seminars and workshops on the human-animal bond and grief, he has a special interest in self care and stress management for veterinarians. He supports the profession and other organisations through lectures, workshops and programs on stress management, individual mentoring and counselling.

David is also a lecturer in the Faculty of Veterinary Science at the University of Sydney. He helps prepare students for practice by lecturing on a range of topics including the human-animal bond, grief over pet loss, stress management and conflict resolution. He recently presented sessions on a selection of these topics at the 2006 Australian Veterinary Association annual conference in Hobart.

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