Therapy For Veterinary Professionals in Manassas, Virginia
You care for animals and show up for your clients. You deserve support, too.
You became a veterinary professional because you love animals and enjoy making a difference in your clients’ lives.
But it’s a hard job. You work long hours. You deal with complicated medical cases, have to make split-second life-and-death decisions, and need to communicate with emotional and sometimes difficult clients, all while advocating for what you feel is in the best interest of your patient - the animal, who can’t advocate for themselves.
Over time, the demands of the job have taken a toll. You might be finding it difficult to get out of bed in the morning and wanting to call in sick to work. You find yourself avoiding client phone calls and arguing with co-workers. When things go sideways at work, you second guess yourself and overanalyze every action, wondering if you made a mistake, or if the case could have turned out differently. The constant stress is taking a toll on your heart and your mind.
You've noticed there is a mental and emotional cost of caring for others and witnessing the suffering of both humans and animals over a prolonged period of time. Maybe you have heard the term compassion fatigue aka “the cost of caring,” and know that it is a common experience for helping professionals: healthcare workers, first responders, counselors, and veterinarians, and that if compassion fatigue continues long enough, it can lead to burnout. Maybe you've even wondered if you are showing signs of burnout, like many others in the healthcare field, who are being overworked. Maybe you've just put it out of your mind because caring about your patients and clients is part of the job.
Most people don't know that veterinarians cope with more than most health professionals. You face death, dying, and mortality in your line of work at a much higher rate than most human medical professionals due to the shorter lifespans of your patients. This stress is complicated by decisions you have to make about ending your patient’s suffering through euthanasia. While you might know it is the clinically the right choice, it takes an emotional toll on everyone involved: the veterinarian, the staff, and of course, the client themselves. In addition to managing your own emotions and the emotions of your staff, you feel unprepared to support your grieving clients as well.
The cost of caring- compassion fatigue and burnout
They didn’t prepare you for this in vet school.
Therapy for the whole veterinary team in Manassas, VA
veterinarians
veterinary technicians
veterinary assistants
emergency & speciality veterinary practice staff
new veterinary graduates
veterinary students
shelter medicine staff and volunteers
animal rescue staff and volunteers
Specialized Care For:
Help clients, help animals. Love your job again.
Therapy for veterinary professionals can help renew your passion for the veterinary profession and reconnect you with the animals and clients you serve every day.
Identify
Identifying the unique stressors that veterinary professionals face at work, we will examine current events at work and home, and other factors that may be contributing to you feeling, anxious or depressed and leading to compassion fatigue and burnout.
Understand
Compassion fatigue and burnout are common in the veterinary field. You are not alone. There is a way forward. Gain a greater understanding of your stressors, and your strengths, and learn about tools you can use to change unhelpful patterns, challenge negative perceptions, and feel better.
Rediscover
Rediscover your passion for veterinary medicine, for your patients, your clients, and your coworkers. Feel good about getting out of bed in the morning and know that you are a conscientious and caring professional with the skills and abilities your clients and your patients need.
Therapy for veterinary professionals in Manassas, Virginia can help you…
remember to take care of yourself the way you take care of others
challenge imposter syndrome
stop beating yourself up for every mistake you make at work
improve communication with clients and other staff members
cope with feelings of grief or loss at work
know that you are a gifted professional who truly cares about your clients and patients
things we can work on...
compassion fatigue and burnout
veterinary school stress
work-life balance
animal-related grief and bereavement
self-care
communication skills
perfectionism and self-criticism
critical incident stress debriefing
You support clients and take care of their beloved pets.
Let me support you.
Frequently asked questions about therapy for veterinary professionals
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Veterinary Social Work is a relatively new discipline within the field of social work. The Center for Veterinary Social Work at the University of Tennessee Knoxville is the first program offering training in this area. Veterinary Social Work arose out of the understanding that there are unaddressed mental health needs in the veterinary field for both professionals and clients.
The mission of veterinary social work is to attend to the human needs that arise in the relationship between humans and animals.
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In addition to my lived experience in the veterinary field, I have completed continuing education (CE) in Veterinary Social Work at The Center for Veterinary Social Work at University of Tennessee Knoxville. The training consists of four course modules with 2 hours of supervision per course, an Animal Assisted Intervention Workshop, and a 5-day Veterinary Social Work Intensive Training. The four modules are:
Intentional Well-Being (Compassion Fatigue and Conflict Management)
Animal-Related Grief and Bereavement
The Link Between Human and Animal Violence
Animal Assisted Interventions (AAI)
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Symptoms of compassion fatigue include feeling overwhelmed and exhausted by work demands, finding yourself “spacing out” or making careless mistakes at work, feeling a lack of empathy or reduced sensitivity towards your clients or patients, sometimes referred to as “emotional numbness,” feeling helpless in the face of patient suffering, feeling detached and emotionally disconnected in general, increased absenteeism, and a loss of interest in things you used to enjoy.
Symptoms of burnout include severe exhaustion, increased or frequent illness or absenteeism, a general absence of positive thoughts and emotions, increase in physical symptoms such as headaches, stomaches, or muscle tension, catastrophic thoughts, cynicism, or “gallows humor,” feeling a strong desire to quit your job that does not go away, or having already quit your job to preserve your mental health.
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Yes! Pathos Counseling is proud to offer the following services for your entire veterinary group. Please contact me to learn more about each option. I am also happy to create a workshop that combines the different areas of these trainings with your practice’s unique needs in mind.:
The Veterinary Wellness Workshop
A seven week course covering all aspects of veterinary wellness from self-care and compassion fatigue identification and prevention, to client and staff communication and animal-related grief and bereavement, along with a ton of resources for use in your practice. Can be presented virtually or in-person.
Palliative Care & Euthanasia Decision Support Guidance
Similar to emotional support provided to people and their families in a medical palliative care setting, this training can help veterinary professionals feel more confident in addressing end-of-life care issues such as pain management, financial considerations, and quality of life concerns to their clients. This enables clients and veterinarians to make informed decisions about euthanasia together while honoring the emotional needs of everyone involved. Individual and group trainings are available.
Critical Incident Debriefing
Much like human medical professionals, veterinary medical professionals can benefit from debriefing following a difficult case or particularly traumatic experience at work. I am available to lead debriefing sessions in a group setting and provide a safe space for staff members to talk about and process their thoughts and emotions after a difficult case. Please contact me for more information.
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My practice focuses on veterinary professionals. However, I am happy to provide a list of area pet loss and bereavement resources, including individual counseling for animal-related grief and bereavement. Please reach out for more information.