What does trust really mean in veterinary medicine — and why does it matter so deeply for learning, leadership, wellbeing, and patient care?

In this deep conversation, host Petra Agthe speaks with Stijn Niessen about trust as the foundation of healthy professional relationships and psychologically safe workplaces.

Drawing from decades of experience in clinical practice, leadership and education, Stijn explores how trust is built through shared values, consistency, accountability, and predictability in behaviour. Together, Petra and Stijn discuss how trust allows people to learn, grow, communicate honestly, and show up more fully as themselves within teams and organisations.

The conversation explores:

• Why trust is central to veterinary medicine and client relationships
• The link between trust, psychological safety, and effective learning
• Why threat-based teaching limits creativity, growth, and rational thinking
• The importance of consistent, value-based feedback and accountability
• Generational misconceptions around feedback and resilience
• What trust has to do with veterinary ethics and the veterinary oath
• The importance of safe, empathetic working environments
• The role of trust and values beyond the workplace

The conversation contains mentions of bullying, violence, global events and human suffering, while also emphasising the need for bringing light, meaning, and hope into a turbulent world.

Where to find Stijn:
Website of the Veterinary Information Network:  https://www.vin.com/vin/

Virtual Veterinary Interships at VIN: https://www.vin.com/VVI

Stijn's value-based telemedicine platform: https://niessenforcada.com/home

Quality of Life Tool Bank for pets: https://niessenforcada.com/quality-of-life-english

Stijn's book recommendation: Ikigai by Hector Garcia and Francesca Miralles

Other Vet Mind Works podcast episodes related to this topic: 

6. Values- with Liv Oginska

21. Petra Ponders 

This podcast is in partnership with the Veterinary Information Network (VIN). More about VIN here.

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Want to find out more about our hosts ? Follow on LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/petra-agthe-562bb65b

https://www.linkedin.com/in/clive-elwood-b7aba216/

Credits: 
Music- Deep Ambience by Coma-Media, Pixabay; Images for Artwork- OpenClipart-Vectors, Pixabay