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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
5 days ago
5 days ago
In this eye-opening episode of Beyond Compassion Fatigue, I sit down with veterinary receptionist and animal advocate Sam Anderkay to explore the often-overlooked emotional toll carried by veterinary support staff.
Sam shares her journey from volunteering at Valley of the Kings Wildlife Sanctuary and Retreat, where she cared for abused and neglected tigers, wolves, bears, and farm animals, to spending nearly eight years on the front lines of veterinary medicine as a customer service representative.
We dive into the unique ways compassion fatigue impacts veterinary receptionists, who are often the very first and very last point of contact for distressed and grieving pet parents. Sam opens up about the emotional weight of euthanasia appointments, absorbing client grief, balancing constant multitasking, and the anxiety and depression that nearly pushed her out of the field entirely.
We also explore:
- The differences between compassion fatigue in wildlife rehabilitation versus veterinary medicine
- Why veterinary support staff are often overlooked in mental health conversations
- The emotional impact of witnessing client grief day after day
- How compassion fatigue affected Sam’s mental health, relationships, and daily functioning
- The importance of boundaries, identity outside of work, and sacred time off
- The growing movement advocating for veterinary receptionist education and mental health support
- Continuing education and professional development as protective factors against burnout
- The role of compassion satisfaction in sustaining long-term animal care work
- The animals who changed Sam’s life, including a blind tiger named Siva and her beloved German shepherd, Hera
Resources:
Got a suggestion for a future topic? Reach out to me: jen@jenblough.com.
Interested in becoming certified in compassion fatigue? Learn more here!
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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.
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