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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
Thursday May 21, 2026
Thursday May 21, 2026
Last week, we explored the external risk factors of compassion fatigue—the systems, environments, and conditions surrounding animal welfare work.
This week, we turn inward.
Compassion fatigue doesn’t just come from what you’re exposed to, it’s also shaped by who you are: your personality, your experiences, and the traits that likely drew you to this work in the first place.
This episode takes an honest look at the internal factors that can increase vulnerability to compassion fatigue, without blame or shame.
We talk about:
- Why empathy and compassion are both essential traits as well as risk factors
- The difference between empathy fatigue and compassion fatigue
- How being other-directed can quietly lead to self-neglect
- The impact of tying your identity and self-worth to your work
- What it means to be a highly sensitive person (HSP) in animal welfare
- How past trauma can both motivate and increase vulnerability
- Why compassion fatigue develops through the interaction of internal and external factors
Resources & Links
- Listen to last week’s episode on external risk factors
- Sign up for my free monthly newsletter for tips on managing compassion fatigue
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