Rekindling: Compassion Fatigue Solutions for Animal Workers
272 episodes - English - Latest episode: 6 days ago - ★★★★★ - 88 ratingsIf you work with animals in veterinary medicine or animal welfare and sometimes feel the effects of compassion fatigue then this podcast is for YOU! Your host, Julie Squires, Certified Compassion Fatigue Specialist and Life Coach is all about helping you feel better by teaching you the tools you need to balance your work and your life and to have exceptional mental and emotional health so you can continue to help animals and make a difference in their lives.
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Episodes
Ep# 72 Having Better Relationships
July 09, 2020 04:00 - 30 minutes - 29.3 MBOur relationships with other people is all based on what we think about them. If our thoughts are positive, the relationship will also be so. The same goes for if our thoughts are negative about the other person. The relationship also will be negative. We mistakenly think that a relationship with another exists outside of us but it doesn't. We are just two people having thoughts about each other. This is how you can still have a relationship with a person or pet that has died. Also imp...
Ep #71 Trailblazing As A Black Veterinarian Part 2: Interview with Dr. Wanda West
July 02, 2020 04:00 - 40 minutes - 38.4 MBDr. Wanda West and I continue our conversation around how the uprising for racial equality feels different. The momentum behind the Black Lives Matter movement is growing and White people are engaged like never before. Dr. West also shares how racism is by no means an American thing as she's experienced it overseas as well. We talk about how the Black community and especially Black women are talking to young Black boys to prepare them for a world that currently does not always treat them fa...
Ep # 70: Trailblazing As A Black Veterinarian: Interview With Dr. Wanda West:Part 1
June 25, 2020 04:00 - 38 minutes - 36.2 MBWe all have a story. Of where we came from and the obstacles we've faced and overcome to get where we are today. Being a White woman I have never had the color of my skin be an obstacle. My guest in this episode, Dr. Wanda West, DVM, PhD, DACLAM cannot say the same. As a Black woman she faced many instances of racism growing up in the south. As a Black vet student and eventual veterinarian, she did as well. Veterinary medicine has been called the whitest profession in America. According ...
Ep#69 What Is White Privilege?
June 18, 2020 04:00 - 29 minutes - 28.5 MBThe term "white privilege" was coined in the late 80's in an article by Peggy McIntosh, Associate Director of Wellesley College Center for Research for Women. Essentially these are unearned privileges that whites have benefitted from for years and years. Most of them are invisible to white people as we only know our own experience. This is a time to not get defensive but to remain open to learning all that you can about racial inequality and all of our unconscious biases. In this episode...
Ep #68: Balancing Motherhood and Career: Interview with Dr. RuthAnn Lobos
June 11, 2020 04:00 - 1 hour - 57.2 MBCan women really have it all? A career they love, motherhood and a life they love? Absolutely but it will require releasing the idea of doing it all perfectly. How does a busy veterinarian, wife and mother of a 5 yr. old fit in self-care, work travel, relief work and time for family? Very carefully. Listen in on my conversation with Dr. RuthAnn Lobos, lead veterinarian at Merrick PetCare as we discuss it all.
Ep#67 Ask Me Anything: Part 2
June 04, 2020 00:14 - 42 minutes - 39.6 MBI continue answering questions from the audience this week. Questions about handling negative feedback/reviews from clients, feeling jealous of those the are staying home during this time, feeling frustrated at work, self-care and feeling guilty for enjoying yourself during the pandemic while knowing others are struggling. In honor of #BlackLivesMatter and to show my solidarity with all black people, I end this episode with a reading of a Langston Hughes poem," I,Too".
Ep #66 Ask Me Anything: Part 1
May 28, 2020 04:00 - 38 minutes - 36.3 MBI recently asked my email list, if we were meeting for lunch what questions they would ask me. Let's just say they did not disappoint. So much that their questions and my answers will span two episodes. This is Part 1. Please enjoy! If you'd like to join my e-inspiration list, go to www.rekindlesolutions.com and opt in.
Ep# 65 Discovering Your Purpose
May 21, 2020 04:00 - 21 minutes - 20.3 MBAll of us that work with or for animals are extremely passionate about what we do. We can also start to think what we DO (aka our job) is who we ARE and that simply isn't true. To get more clarity around this we have to talk about Purpose. Your purpose ultimately is being human and congratulations because you've already achieved that. Now you can decide who you want to BE in your life. That is your Purpose. Who you get to be while you do what you do. What a privilege to discover this!
Ep #64 Finding Gratitude
May 14, 2020 04:00 - 20 minutes - 19.8 MBYour brain loves to prove itself right. Any belief you have about yourself, others or the world your brain will always be trying to provide evidence for how it's true. But what if you use this FOR you rather than against you? What if you believe harder in yourself? What if you looked for what you're grateful for rather than what you want to be different right now? The results could just be amazing!
Ep#63 Keeping People & Their Pets Together: Interview with Melissa Vecera of GreaterGood.org
May 07, 2020 04:00 - 48 minutes - 45.3 MBRight now many pet owners are financially struggling. Feeding their pets can become a real challenge for many people at a time like this and offering support can make the difference between them keeping their pet or surrendering it to a shelter. GreaterGood.org's mission is to help People, Pets and the Planet. They are currently helping People and their Pets in a massive way by offering pet food to those in need. In this episode I interview Melissa Vecera, Director of In-Kind D...
Ep#62 Compassionate Controversy: Interview With Dr. Ernie Ward
April 30, 2020 04:00 - 1 hour - 56.1 MBDr. Ernie Ward may be best know as "America's Pet Advocate". As a veterinarian he has spent his entire career practicing, writing about, teaching, and encouraging better care for animals. We talk about that and a whole lot more! Some controversial, some common sense but all in the spirit of compassion for animals. You can find out more about Dr. Ward at: CleanPetFoodRevolution.com DrErnieWard.com WildEarth.com @DrErnieWard- social media
Ep#61 Listener Inspiration
April 23, 2020 04:00 - 29 minutes - 28 MBIn this week's episode I share inspiration from my podcast listeners and my weekly email recipients. We all chose a Word Of The Year in late December to anchor us and set our intention for what we wanted for ourselves in 2020. This week I asked us to revisit that word and see how it's showing up as a source of inspiration and as an anchor in these turbulent times. These are people just like you. They love and work with animals just like you. They wrestle with compassion fatigue just like...
Ep #60 Can You Thrive During A Pandemic?
April 16, 2020 04:00 - 29 minutes - 27.9 MBNot everyone is struggling right now. That's not to say that if you are there is something wrong with you. Hardly. But is it possible to THRIVE right now? Maybe. One thing is for sure and that is no matter what your circumstance, self-compassion is available to you. This is the time to support yourself and disengage from the self-critical and punitive mind that we humans have.
Ep # 59 Interview with My Better Half: Mr. Squires
April 09, 2020 04:00 - 29 minutes - 28.4 MBI was inspired by Jimmy Fallon who due to being quarantined at home interviewed his wife and his dog. I thought it would be fun to pull back the curtain a little and let you meet my husband John. We talk about how he is coping during the pandemic, what he misses most, what grade he gives POTUS, how compassion fatigue effects educators, which of out pet's is his favorite and he'll even let you in on a little dirt about yours truly!
Ep #58 A Look On the Brighter Side
April 02, 2020 04:00 - 32 minutes - 31 MBCould anything good come out of a pandemic? Could we be better on "the other side" of it? These are interesting questions to ask at a time when if feels like all COVID-19 is bringing is sickness, death and darkness. But it's also bringing us the best of humanity. People rising up in so many ways all over the world to be a bright light in an otherwise dark time. Listen to this episode and you just might feel a little lighter!
Ep #57 COVID-19: Managing All The Feels
March 26, 2020 04:00 - 31 minutes - 30.2 MBI know. It can feel like we are on an emotional rollercoaster with all that is happening. One minute we feel like we have it under control and the next we find ourselves feeling panic, worry or anger at others who aren't heeding the guidelines to keep us all safe from COVID-19. It's all normal, I assure you. In this episode I will offer you some guidance around: -how to deal with others that aren't doing what you want -how to come out the other side of this pandemic a better version of yo...
Ep #56 Navigating COVID-19 Uncertainty
March 19, 2020 04:00 - 33 minutes - 31.7 MBCOVID-19 may've interrupted life as we know it but it doesn't have the power to make us feel angry, anxious, stressed, uncertain or afraid. We ultimately are always in charge of how we feel. Be mindful of what you are thinking now more than ever and refrain from "borrowing" thoughts that lead to panic and anxiety. Now is the time to focus on what you WANT to think and how you WANT to feel in the face of this pandemic. In this episode you'll learn: -About my own journey of emotions around...
Ep #55 Healing Naturally From Compassion Fatigue & Burnout
March 12, 2020 04:00 - 58 minutes - 54.4 MBWhat if what you need to heal yourself from compassion fatigue and burnout is right outside your door? The more disconnected we are from nature, the more we suffer as a species. When is the last time you felt connected to the natural world? Hugged a tree? Went barefoot in the grass or in the sand? Chances are it's been too long. Compassion fatigue, while it's a normal consequence of the work you do with animals, can be offset greatly by learning how to embody resiliency. Join ...
Ep #54 How Comparison Steals Your Joy
March 05, 2020 05:00 - 28 minutes - 27.1 MB"Comparison is the thief of joy". Right on Theodore Roosevelt! According to social media it looks like every friend and person you follow is having an amazing life, except you. You may compare yourself to other veterinarians, techs, managers or directors and feel you come up short. We buy into stories about ourselves that are decades old and simply not true. It's time to change all of that. It's time to end the game of compare and despair. Check out this episode if you want to stop compari...
Ep #53 When Others Are Wrong
February 27, 2020 05:00 - 20 minutes - 19.9 MBSometimes people are going to be wrong. Veterinary clients, people on social media, someone visiting your shelter or even someone in your personal life. They may just be wrong about you or about the situation. We tend to think we need to prove to them that they are wrong so we can be right. Well guess what? There is no prize ribbon from the Universe for being right. Instead we can just let people be wrong about us and know deep in our bones who we are and what we stand for. Check out this ep...
Ep # 52 How To Help Others Who Are Grieving
February 20, 2020 05:00 - 22 minutes - 21.6 MBYour work with animals often finds you face-to-face with others who are grieving the loss of their pet. Your responsibility isn't to shoulder their grief yourself, it isn't yours to take. But there are things you can do to help anyone who is feeling the loss of their pet or other loved one.
Ep # 51 Introverts, Extroverts and Compassion Fatigue
February 13, 2020 05:00 - 36 minutes - 34.6 MBIt's said that many veterinary professionals and other animal workers are introverts. Being an introvert or extrovert only means where you get your energy from, internally (introverts) or externally (extroverts). So many of us use our personality type against ourselves. It's just who you are. Our workplaces are filled with both introverts and extroverts and we need to understand ourselves and each other and see how this relates to compassion fatigue.
Ep #50 Lessons From Life Coaching
February 06, 2020 05:00 - 26 minutes - 25.2 MBI've learned a tremendous amount by becoming a Life Coach and by being coached. It's changed my life and the lives of so many others. We weren't meant to figure out our lives on our own. We are meant to seek and accept help. Join me as I share with you my Top 10 Lessons From Life Coaching!
Ep # 49 Financial Wellness With Dr. Grace Kim
January 30, 2020 05:00 - 51 minutes - 48.1 MBWhether you're a veterinarian with looming student debt, a veterinary technician with credit card debt or another kind of animal worker that is struggling with clarity around their finances. The fact remains that managing our money is rarely talked about and yet it contributes greatly to our wellbeing. I think you will find a lot of value in this episode!
Ep # 48 Living In Abundance
January 23, 2020 05:00 - 32 minutes - 30.7 MBWhen we are feeling compassion fatigue we often think we've run out of compassion and empathy. But that's never actually the case. Neither are finite resources. What has happened is that we've become overwhelmed with unprocessed emotions and therefore we feel numb. So we have to learn that we are abundant in things. Not only the tangible like money but also the intangible like time, love, patience, compassion and empathy. We have to learn how to feel our feelings and then start practicin...
Ep # 47 Your Enoughness
January 16, 2020 05:00 - 23 minutes - 22.9 MBWhat if you're wrong about yourself? What if you are ENOUGH? And what if you already have everything you need to fulfill your destiny? You just don't know it. This episode will offer you new ways to think about yourself and what you are here in the world to do. Check it out!
Ep #46 Leadership Fatigue: Interview with CVPM Marshall Liger
January 07, 2020 12:45 - 54 minutes - 50.6 MBLeaders in veterinary practices and other animal organizations shoulder a lot of responsibility. Not only from the business side but also the people side. Do they get compassion fatigue too? What is leadership fatigue and how does it differ from compassion fatigue? Join me for this spirited conversation with CVPM and veterinary practice consultant Marshall Liger!
Ep #45 Year Forward
January 02, 2020 05:00 - 30 minutes - 28.8 MBWhat's your vision for 2020? Do you know what you want to accomplish in this new year? We have to know where we are going otherwise we'll never get there. Join me as I walk you through a process to get clear on where you are headed in 2020 and beyond! Worksheet can be found at www.rekindlesolutions.com/45
Ep# 44 Year In Rewind
December 26, 2019 05:00 - 17 minutes - 17 MBBefore we go into this next decade, let's take a look back at 2019. What were your highlights? What challenges did you face? What are you proud of? We seldom take the time to take stock in where we've been and appreciate it for what it was. Let's do that together! The worksheet for this episode can be accessed at www.rekindlesolutions.com/44.
Ep# 43 Intentional Thinking
December 19, 2019 05:00 - 30 minutes - 28.6 MBYour thoughts ultimately create everything in your life. What you are thinking you can see from the results you are getting. If you want different results, you have to think different thoughts. You have to think intentionally. Listen as I tell you how to do that!
Ep #42 Words For Anyone Struggling Right Now
December 12, 2019 05:00 - 17 minutes - 16.8 MBWarning: This episode is heavy. Suicide loves shame, secrecy and aloneness so that is of course why I'm talking about it! I share with you the story of a friend I lost to suicide and what I would now say to him and to anyone else who is really struggling right now or contemplating suicide.
Ep # 41Euthanasia and The Holidays
December 05, 2019 05:00 - 23 minutes - 22.2 MBIt's a fact that there are more euthanasias during the holidays than at other times of the year. Financial pressures, guests, busy schedules and family members coming home all can play a role in why. Animal shelters see more surrenders during this time of year too for a variety of reasons, one being they were given a pet as a gift and didn't want it. Whatever the reason, the fact remains that we have to come to terms with the increased incidence of euthanasia during an already stressful time...
Ep# 40 Saying Goodbye to Red, Red Wine
November 28, 2019 05:00 - 34 minutes - 32.6 MBJoin me in the last offering of Compassion Fatigue Rx of 2019 www.rekindlesolutions.com/enroll. Substance abuse is a sign of compassion fatigue. In this episode I will share my beliefs about how our society currently looks at alcohol addiction, my own story of quitting, tips to help you if you want to take a break and what benefits I've experienced by being sober for 5 years.
#39 The Gift of Presence
November 21, 2019 05:00 - 33 minutes - 31.5 MBCompassion Fatigue Rx registration is OPEN! www.rekindlesolutions.com/enroll This episode is about being present in our lives. If you pay attention you will find we hardly ever actually are in the here and now. We spend a lot of time in the past, in the future and frankly distracted from the present. But the present is where our life is and the people we love. Check out this episode if you want to be more mindful and more present with yourself and those you love. That's a gift that keeps on...
Ep # 38 When Things Get Difficult
November 14, 2019 05:00 - 31 minutes - 30 MBI have this imaginary thing called a Mental Health Bank Account. I'm always either making deposits or withdrawals against it. I try to make mostly deposits so when sh*t hits the fan (and it will!), I have some reserve. We all need a plan for when life throws us lemons. Check out this episode to find out what to do when you find yourself amidst the lemons!
Ep # 37 Traumatic Stress Part 2: Interview with Dr. Hilal Dogan
November 07, 2019 05:00 - 38 minutes - 36.6 MBSo you've experienced trauma in your personal life or your work with animals or both, now what? In Part 2 of my interview with Dr. Hilal Dogan, we talk about how to process your own trauma, trauma clients may be experiencing and her Veterinary Confessionals Project. Check out her articles at www.rekindlesolutions.com/resources
Ep #36 Traumatic Stress Part 1: Interview with Dr. Hilal Dogan
October 31, 2019 04:00 - 39 minutes - 36.9 MBThe things we experience and situations we bear witness to can have a lasting impact on us, especially as it relates to our work with animals. Traumatic stress is the result of being exposed to extreme or life threatening situations and it's time we talk about it. This is Part 1 or a two-part interview in which I interview Dr. Hilal Dogan, veterinarian and certified trauma professional.
Ep # 35 Making Decisions
October 24, 2019 04:00 - 24 minutes - 23.2 MBYou likely fall into one of two categories: you make tons of decisions and have "decision fatigue" or you lament about all the decisions you have to make afraid you will make the "wrong" one. But what if there are no "wrong" decisions and instead there are just the decisions we make? What makes a decision "wrong" is just what we think about it. In this episode I will teach you how to use your body to help you make decisions and you will learn that there are no "wrong" decisions. So make the ...
Ep #34 Burnout In Veterinary Technicians
October 17, 2019 04:00 - 1 hour - 61.9 MBIn honor of National Veterinary Technician Week I'm talking about burnout in this episode. Specifically as it relates to vet techs. Check out my interview with Josh Vaisman of Flourish Veterinary Consulting where we talk about a recent survey he conducted on this topic as well as all things related to burnout in vet med.
Ep #33 Misanthropy
October 10, 2019 04:00 - 20 minutes - 19.8 MBMisanthropy is the hatred or distrust of humans. When we are exposed to situations where humans have harmed animals we can start to believe that "People Suck". Our brain then goes to work to constantly seek evidence to prove that thought true. The problem is that in order to truly help animals, we have to also help people. And believing that "people suck" ultimately only hurts us and the animals we are so desperately trying to help. Check out this episode and share it with your friends!
Ep #32 Failing To Grow
October 03, 2019 04:00 - 27 minutes - 25.8 MBWe've been culturally conditioned to view failure of any kind as a bad thing. But what if it's actually essentially for our growth? We're either succeeding or learning, seeing things as a failure is totally optional. So what are you willing to "fail" at in order to grow? I'll share my list of 10 with you in this episode. Check it out!
Ep #31 Compassion Satisfaction
September 26, 2019 04:00 - 22 minutes - 22 MBThe opposite of compassion fatigue is compassion satisfaction and we don't talk about it enough. It's an antidote to compassion fatigue in a sense. Compassion satisfaction is what lights us up about our work, what brings us joy and meaning and fulfillment. We have to deliberately look for it because we're hard-wired to see the negative but you'll find it's all around you. Worksheet can be found at www.rekindlesolutions.com/31
Ep # 30 Victim Mentality
September 19, 2019 04:00 - 16 minutes - 16 MBWhen we blame others for our negative emotions, we embody victim mentality and essentially abdicate all of our power to the other person(s). But here's where we go wrong, believing someone else's words or actions causes our negative feelings. They don't!
Ep #29 Getting Real About Mental Health With Dr. Bethany Sabatino, DVM, DACVIM
September 12, 2019 04:00 - 50 minutes - 47.6 MBWhat if we talked about mental health issues like we do the common cold? What if we weren't afraid to be open, honest and share these parts of ourselves with each other without shame? If we ever want to change the stigma of mental health issues in vet medicine and in our society, we will have to get real. In this episode I get real with Dr. Bethany Sabatino and her own journey with mental health issues and how she remains mentally healthy in veterinary medicine.
Ep# 28 Grief and Loss
September 05, 2019 04:00 - 23 minutes - 22.4 MBI believe much of why we get compassion fatigue is because we experience so much loss in our work with animals but we never actually grieve. We may intend to but something else or someone else needs us. And there's not way through but through. In order to heal ourselves, we have to feel what we're feeling. We have to make time to be with ourselves and our emotions. It might just change everything!
Ep #27 Managing Anxiety
August 29, 2019 04:00 - 27 minutes - 26.4 MBAnxiety. Not only is it a sign of compassion fatigue but for some it can be debilitating and cause extreme misery in one's life. But what if we could learn to manage it? You can. Anxiety may never go completely away but I have some strategies that can have a major impact in the way you experience anxiety. Get the worksheet at www.rekindlesolutions.com/27.
Ep#26 When To Quit Your Job
August 22, 2019 04:00 - 19 minutes - 18.8 MBCompassion fatigue can make you question whether or not you should quit your job. As a life coach, many of my clients are wondering the same thing. Before you decide, there are some things you should think about that I discuss in this episode. They may just help you with your decision!
Ep # 25 Boundaries
August 15, 2019 04:00 - 35 minutes - 33.6 MBBoundaries are an extremely important component of preventing compassion fatigue and as animal workers we often have a hard time creating and enforcing them. Essentially boundaries are about respect, self-protection and self-care. Listen to find out how more!
Ep # 24 People Pleasing
August 08, 2019 04:00 - 28 minutes - 26.9 MBAre you a people pleaser? Women are socialized to be people pleasers, to be nice, to be accommodating, to not "disappoint" others. But if we are doing and saying things just to influence how others think and feel about us, we are being dishonest. Listen to this episode to learn how to stop.
Ep # 23 Creating Your Feelings
August 01, 2019 04:00 - 21 minutes - 20.9 MBWhat if I told you that you could create any feeling you wanted? You can. You are always the creator of your emotions but chances are you've never used that power to your advantage. Well I'm going to show you exactly how to do that! Also registration is open for Compassion Fatigue Rx, my online course. Check it out at www.rekindlesolutions.com/enroll.