Beyond Compassion Fatigue: Make Your Passion for Helping Animals Sustainable!

In part one of this two-part mini-series, I talk about some of the external risk factors that can make people in animal care, welfare, rescue, vet med, and activism more vulnerable to developing compassion fatigue.

We'll explore:

• How our environment, workplace, community, culture, and other outside risk factors make us more susceptible to developing compassion fatigue. 
• The problem with "too much and not enough." 
• My own strug...

In this episode, I sit down with Rob Leinberger, a long-time animal control officer and current manager of Prince George County Animal Services and Adoption Center in Virginia. Rob brings years of frontline experience and leadership insight into the often-overlooked emotional realities of animal control work.

We talk about how Rob was first introduced to the concept of compassion fatigue—and what it looked like before he even had a...

In part two of this mini-series, we move beyond nervous system regulation and into practical, in-the-moment communication strategies for handling conflict with the public.

If you work in animal care, welfare, rescue, vet med, or activism and you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, frustrated, or even unsafe during a tense interaction, this episode gives you tools you can actually use right in the moment.

These are the skills that help you st...

In the first episode of this two-part series of Beyond Compassion Fatigue, I dive into one of the most challenging parts of working in animal welfare: dealing with criticism from the public, the kind that feels like “damned if we do, damned if we don’t.” Inspired by a listener’s comment about the heartbreak of seeing coworkers burn out under public scrutiny, I share my own experiences as a former shelter worker.

I also talk about w...

My guest today is Dr. Antoine Goetchel, who is a Swiss attorney and leading expert in animal protection law. Since 1985, he has worked to advance legal protections for animals, helping to introduce the concept of the “dignity of the creature” into Swiss Federal Constitution and Animal Protection Act. He founded the Global Animal Law Association and the Foundation for Animals in Law, and has authored 13 books and more than 50 articl...

Feeling sad or anxious before an animal loss? That’s anticipatory grief, and if you work in animal care, rescue, welfare, vet med, or activism, it’s normal. In this episode, I explore why anticipatory grief happens, how it shows up, and why it can feel so intense for those of us who care deeply for animals. I also share practical strategies to process grief, stay grounded, and create meaning, so you can continue doing the work you ...

Animal advocates often carry trauma that doesn’t belong only to them—images, losses, and moments that not only linger, but also cause significant distress. In this episode, I talk with Dr. Vanessa Rohlf about EMDR therapy and how it can support those navigating secondary trauma, cumulative loss, and grief in animal welfare and activism.

We explore:

• What is EMDR therapy?
• How EMDR helps with secondary trauma and grief in anima...

If the phrase “just practice more self-care” makes your eyes roll, this episode is for you.

In animal care, welfare, veterinary medicine, rescue, and activism, we hear the self-care message constantly. And yes, self-care matters. In fact, for some healthcare professionals, it’s considered an ethical responsibility. But here’s the truth:

Self-care and coping skills are not the same thing.

And when we confuse them, we can accidentall...

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Marie Holowaychuk, who will take us on a deep dive into compassion fatigue in the ER setting, where life-or-death decisions, intense client emotions, and relentless urgency collide. She shares what compassion fatigue looks like specifically in emergency veterinary medicine, how it differs from other areas of practice, and why ER clinicians are at such high risk for emotional exhaustion, secondary ...

Do you struggle with nightmares related to animal suffering? If so, you're definitely not alone! In this episode, I open up about my own experience with nightmares and explore why nightmares are so common among animal welfare professionals and advocates. If your nights are disrupted by distressing dreams, this episode offers validation, education, and practical tools to help you cope.

We'll explore: 

• The difference between bad...

Those of us who care for animals often experience suffering, cruelty, loss, and moral injury. Over time, those experiences can shape how we see the world, ourselves, and our future. On this episode, my guest Melissa Lee Parent and I discuss the role of mindset in animal care, welfare, and activism, and why your trauma doesn't define who you are.

We Explore: 

• What mindset really is 

• How mindset can either fuel burnout or sup...

In this episode, I put on my therapist hat and tackle the complexities of communication in the animal care, rescue, welfare, and activism fields. Recognizing that interactions with colleagues, volunteers, and the public can often become challenging, I draw upon John Gottman's Four Horsemen of Communication. It's a framework originally designed for couples counseling, to illustrate universal communication pitfalls and provide strate...

Animal welfare and veterinary professionals carry an extraordinary emotional burden, and yet many struggle to find mental health support that truly understands the unique demands of this work. In this episode, we explore Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and how it can support advocates who are navigating compassion fatigue, burnout, grief, and moral distress.

My guest, Dr. Amanda Weiss, shares why working with animal care an...

In this episode, I'm joined by coach and intuitive healer Lara Bokovay. We dive into the world of somatic practices and explore how tuning into the body can help regulate the nervous system, relieve stress, and restore balance—especially for those working in high-stress, emotionally intense environments like animal care and welfare. We discuss practical techniques, the science behind trauma in the body, and how somatic work complem...

In this episode, I dive into a difficult, but very real, issue in animal care, welfare, and activism: infighting. From social media drama to competition between organizations, internal conflict can be just as exhausting as the work itself.

If you’ve ever found yourself wondering, “Aren’t we all trying to help animals?” or feeling burned out by conflict within advocacy spaces, this episode is for you.

I explore infighting through ps...

Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) is lifesaving work, but it can also be uniquely exhausting. In this episode, we explore why TNR can take such a heavy emotional and physical toll, how compassion fatigue shows up for volunteers and caregivers, and what it truly takes to stay in this work without losing yourself. This episode is for anyone involved in TNR who has ever felt overwhelmed, depleted, or questioned how long they can keep going. 

I...

In today’s episode, we explore the intersection of spirituality, healing, and animal advocacy with mystic artist, author, and healer Susan Smith Cohen. Susan supports women recovering from trauma through creative and spiritual practices, including her unique modality of fire scrying. Together, we discuss how reconnecting with something larger than ourselves can help animal advocates navigate compassion fatigue, grief, and trauma.

W...

In this solo episode, I explore ambiguous loss, which is a form of grief that lacks clarity, closure, or resolution. Common in animal care, welfare, and advocacy, ambiguous loss can leave us stuck between hope and sorrow, carrying unanswered questions long after an animal has left our lives. I break down what ambiguous loss is, how it shows up in animal work, why it’s so painful, and practical ways to cope while protecting your men...

Fostering animals can be one of the most rewarding experiences in animal welfare—but it can also take an emotional toll. In this episode, we explore compassion fatigue in fostering, why it happens, and practical strategies to protect your mental health while still giving love and care to your foster animals.

We talk about: 

• Recognizing the signs of compassion fatigue and burnout

• Understanding the emotional and physiological...