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:

Website

LinkedIn

Instagram

Email: virohlf@gmail.com

Got a suggestion for a future topic? Reach out to me: jen@jenblough.com.

Follow on social media:

Facebook

Instagram

TikTok

YouTube

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.

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:

• The critical difference between proactive self-care and reactive coping skills

• What your nervous system actually needs during distress

• Why bubble baths won’t fix fight-or-flight

• 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:

Facebook

Instagram

YouTube

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.

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.