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A raw and authentic podcast for those who work or volunteer in animal care, welfare, or activism, who are struggling with compassion fatigue, burnout, grief and loss, secondary traumatic stress, and other mental health concerns. Through both solo and guest episodes, I blend science, psychology, spirituality, and even a touch of "woo woo" to help you manage compassion fatigue, build resilience, and make your passion for helping animals sustainable. If you're involved in animal caregiving, rescue, trap-neuter return (TNR), sheltering, animal control, cruelty investigations, veterinary medicine, fostering, wildlife or marine rehabilitation and conservation, animal law or lobbying, ethical veganism, or any other role in animal care, welfare, or activism, and struggling with the consequences of caring so much that it hurts, this podcast is for you!
The host, Jen Blough, LPC, is a licensed professional counselor, compassion fatigue coach and speaker, and author with more than 35 years of experience in animal welfare and activism. She is the author of To Save a Starfish: A Compassion Fatigue Workbook for the Animal Welfare Warrior and the upcoming book, Beyond Compassion Fatigue.
Episodes
7 days ago
7 days ago
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 love without losing yourself in the pain.
Topics covered:
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Understanding anticipatory grief in animal welfare
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Recognizing signs of grief
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Learning strategies to stay present, focused, and resilient
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Honoring the animals in your care while protecting your own well-being
Resources:
Sign up for my free monthly newsletter for tips on managing compassion fatigue, burnout, trauma, and grief here!
Got a suggestion for a future topic? Reach out to me: jen@jenblough.com.
Follow on social media:
Grab your free resources to help manage compassion fatigue here.
Visit my free virtual calming room here.
Get your copy of To Save a Starfish: A Compassion Fatigue Workbook for the Animal Welfare Warrior here.
Thursday Apr 02, 2026
Thursday Apr 02, 2026
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 animal care and advocacy
- Symptoms EMDR can be especially helpful for
- What a typical EMDR session looks like
- How long EMDR takes and session frequency
Resources mentioned:
Email: virohlf@gmail.com
Got a suggestion for a future topic? Reach out to me: jen@jenblough.com.
Follow on social media:
Grab your free resources to help manage compassion fatigue here.
Visit my free virtual calming room here.
Get your copy of To Save a Starfish: A Compassion Fatigue Workbook for the Animal Welfare Warrior here.
Thursday Mar 26, 2026
Thursday Mar 26, 2026
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 accidentally fuel guilt, shame, and the belief that we’re somehow “bad” at taking care of ourselves.
In this episode, we'll explore:
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The critical difference between proactive self-care and reactive coping skills
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What your nervous system actually needs during distress
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Why bubble baths won’t fix fight-or-flight
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How to choose the right tool at the right time
Got a suggestion for a future topic? Reach out to me: jen@jenblough.com.
Follow on social media:
Grab your free resources to help manage compassion fatigue here.
Visit my free virtual calming room here.
Get your copy of To Save a Starfish: A Compassion Fatigue Workbook for the Animal Welfare Warrior here.
Thursday Mar 19, 2026
Thursday Mar 19, 2026
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 traumatic stress, and burnout. Together, we explore both the personal and systemic factors that shape this experience—and what actually helps.
In This Episode, We Discuss:
- What compassion fatigue looks like in emergency veterinary medicine, and how it differs from general practice or specialty settings
- The cumulative emotional toll of constant urgency and life-or-death decision-making
- How moral stress, responsibility, and high-stakes outcomes contribute to exhaustion and trauma
- Why boundary-setting is uniquely difficult in ER environments where every case feels critical
- Practical strategies that help clinicians manage compassion fatigue
- What veterinary hospitals can do at an organizational level to better support ER staff
- How leadership, culture, and systems play a role in preventing burnout and secondary trauma
- The inspiration behind A Compassionate Calling and the creation of additional resources to support veterinary professionals
Resources Mentioned:
- Book website
- Book purchase link
- Personal website
- Instagram: @marieholowaychuk
- Facebook & LinkedIn: @drmarieholowaychuk
- YouTube: @marieholowaychukdvm
- Free resources (podcast, blog, downloads)
Other Resources:
Grab your free resources to help manage compassion fatigue here.
Visit my free virtual calming room here.
Check out my Compassion Fatigue Skills and Support Circle here.
Get your copy of To Save a Starfish: A Compassion Fatigue Workbook for the Animal Welfare Warrior here.
Friday Mar 13, 2026
Friday Mar 13, 2026
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 dreams and nightmares
- Why nightmares are so common in animal care, welfare, rescue, advocacy, and activism
- When nightmares might indicate something more serious
- Preventing and coping with nightmares
- When to seek professional help
Got a suggestion for a future topic? Reach out to me: jen@jenblough.com.
Follow on social media:
Grab your free resources to help manage compassion fatigue here.
Visit my free virtual calming room here.
Get your copy of To Save a Starfish: A Compassion Fatigue Workbook for the Animal Welfare Warrior here.
Friday Mar 06, 2026
Friday Mar 06, 2026
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:
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What mindset really is
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How mindset can either fuel burnout or support resilience
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Common mindset traps in animal welfare
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The role of self-talk and internal narratives
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Why “you are not your trauma story” matters
- And more!
Resources Mentioned:
More Resources:
Grab your free resources to help manage compassion fatigue here.
Visit my free virtual calming room here.
Get your copy of To Save a Starfish: A Compassion Fatigue Workbook for the Animal Welfare Warrior here.
Friday Feb 27, 2026
Friday Feb 27, 2026
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 strategies for improvement.
We'll explore:
- The importance of effective communication
- The four horsemen of communication adapted to animal work
- Strategies for dealing with the four horsemen
- Bonus communication tips
Got a suggestion for a future topic? Reach out to me: jen@jenblough.com.
Follow on social media:
Grab your free resources to help manage compassion fatigue here.
Visit my free virtual calming room here.
Check out my Compassion Fatigue Skills and Support Circle here.
Get your copy of To Save a Starfish: A Compassion Fatigue Workbook for the Animal Welfare Warrior here.
Friday Feb 20, 2026
Friday Feb 20, 2026
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 and advocacy professionals became a calling, and how ACT offers a powerful, values-based framework for healing without asking people to harden themselves to suffering.
In this episode, we discuss:
- What ACT is and how it’s different
- ACT and compassion fatigue
- Values-based living and self-compassion
- What acceptance really means (and what it doesn’t)
- Finding meaning in emotionally exhausting work
- A simple ACT exercise for hard days
Amanda’s Resources:
Contact Info: amandaweisspsyd@gmail.com or 732-239-9446
Additional Resources from Jen:
Grab your free resources to help manage compassion fatigue here.
Visit my free virtual calming room here.
Get your copy of To Save a Starfish: A Compassion Fatigue Workbook for the Animal Welfare Warrior here.