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In this episode of Beyond Compassion Fatigue, I get real about one of the hardest parts of working in animal welfare and activism: intrusive thoughts. Whether it’s replaying images of suffering animals, obsessing over cases, or feeling stuck in grief, these thoughts can haunt you, especially at night.

I break down why our brains struggle with intrusive thoughts, especially when empathy and repeated trauma are involved. We explore how the nervous system reacts to ongoing secondary trauma and why traditional cognitive strategies may not always work when the suffering we witness is happening right now.

I share practical coping strategies to help you manage these thoughts without denying the reality of animal suffering. I divide them into bottom-up techniques (body-focused) and top-down techniques (mind-focused), including:

These tools are not about “fixing” the world or stopping the thoughts entirely—they’re about protecting your mental health, calming your nervous system, and building resilience so you can continue doing the work you care about without losing yourself to it.

Resources mentioned:

Jason Stephenson's Guided Sleep Meditations

Relax and Rejuvenate with Jason Stephenson

Reach out with your podcast ideas at [email protected]!

Grab your free resources to help manage compassion fatigue here. 

Visit my free virtual calming room here. 

Check out my Group Coaching Program for Compassion Fatigue here. 

Get your copy of To Save a Starfish: A Compassion Fatigue Workbook for the Animal Welfare Warrior here. 

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In this episode, we’re exploring the healing art of Reiki with Dr. Alexia Mellor: what it is, how it works, and why it can be such a powerful support for both humans and animals. Whether you’re brand new to Reiki or simply curious about how it might help with stress, grief, or compassion fatigue, this episode is for you!

Here’s what we cover:

An explanation of Reiki and how energy healing works.

How Reiki helps with emotional regulation and stress relief, both for people and for animals.

What to expect, what it looks like in practice, and how to recognize shifts or signs that Reiki is “working.”

The spiritual connection with animals: How Reiki and intuition can strengthen the bond we share with the animals in our lives.

Getting started with Reiki: Tips for finding a practitioner and exploring Reiki for yourself or your animals.

Resources mentioned: 

Alexia's website

Mystic Dog Mama podcast

Alexia's socials: 

Instagram

YouTube

Find additional resources to help you manage compassion fatigue here!

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Are you ready to manage your compassion fatigue? In this episode of Beyond Compassion Fatigue, I introduce you to the Stages of Change model, a therapeutic framework originally developed to help people quit smoking.

We’ll explore how these six stages: Precontemplation, Contemplation, Preparation, Action, Maintenance, and Relapse (or Reset!) show up in the lives of animal welfare workers and advocates. You’ll learn how to identify where you are right now, why every stage is valid, and how to use this awareness to take practical steps toward managing compassion fatigue, building resilience, and preventing burnout.

Whether you’re just beginning to notice the toll this work takes, or you’re actively putting new strategies into place, this episode will give you insight, encouragement, and concrete tools to keep going—without running on empty.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

Resources mentioned:

Stay Connected:

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Sleep struggles are common among animal welfare workers, rescuers, and advocates—especially those facing chronic stress, grief, and secondary trauma. In this powerful conversation, we explore why sleep doesn’t always come easy when your mind is racing with thoughts of suffering or your nervous system is stuck in survival mode.

Whether you’re lying awake with insomnia, haunted by nightmares, or simply exhausted but wired, this episode feature’s sleep expert Jessica Fink, LCSW-S who shares some science-backed insights and actionable tips to help you reclaim rest.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

Resources mentioned:

Jessica’s website 

Jessica's socials:

LinkedIn 

YouTube

Pinterest 

Grab your free resources to help manage compassion fatigue here. 

Visit my free virtual calming room here. 

Check out my Group Coaching Program for Compassion Fatigue here. 

Get your copy of To Save a Starfish: A Compassion Fatigue Workbook for the Animal Welfare Warrior here. 

Join my free monthly newsletter!

Ahoy, maties! In this episode of Beyond Compassion Fatigue, we’re setting sail into the stormy seas of stress, trauma, and overwhelm that so many in animal care, welfare, and activism face daily. Together, we’ll explore how to recognize and regulate your nervous system when compassion fatigue takes the wheel. Using the metaphor of a sailboat at sea, I’ll guide you through three common nervous system states — fight or flight, freeze, and shutdown — and show you how they appear emotionally, physically, and mentally.

Most importantly, you’ll learn practical tools to bring yourself back to calmer waters when life’s storms feel overwhelming.

In this episode we cover: 

How the autonomic nervous system (ANS) shapes your stress responses.

The difference between fight or flight, freeze, and shutdown — and how they each show up in animal welfare work.

Why your nervous system sometimes overreacts to modern-day stressors like angry clients, social media hostility, or heavy workloads.

Simple, science-backed tools to regulate your nervous system, including:

Box breathing and grounding (for fight or flight)

Micro-actions and tactile stimulation (for freeze)

Orienting, vagus nerve soothing, and co-regulation (for shutdown)

Grab more free resources to help manage compassion fatigue here. 

Visit my free virtual calming room here. 

Check out my Group Coaching Program for Compassion Fatigue here. 

Get your copy of To Save a Starfish: A Compassion Fatigue Workbook for the Animal Welfare Warrior here. 

Join my free monthly newsletter!

I'm joined by book coach Stephanie Mitchell as we explore how writing can be a powerful outlet for healing emotional wounds. She shares how writing can be a form of self-expression and recovery, and offers insight into why writing is such a transformative tool for working through trauma, grief, and compassion fatigue. Whether you're a seasoned writer or not, this conversation offers something for everyone.

Topics We Cover:

Why writing is such a powerful tool for emotional and psychological healing

The unique benefits of different types of writing—poetry, journaling, songwriting, storytelling

What to do if you feel like “you’re not a writer” or fear doing it “wrong”

How writing can support trauma recovery, grief processing, and compassion fatigue

Simple writing prompts and exercises anyone can try 

How to approach writing when you’re emotionally overwhelmed or feeling blocked

Resources Mentioned: 

Stephanie's website

Download her free workbook here

The Artist's Way

Stephanie's social media: 

Instagram

Facebook

Get additional resources to manage compassion fatigue: 

Grab your free resources to help manage compassion fatigue here. 

Visit my free virtual calming room here. 

Check out my Group Coaching Program for Compassion Fatigue here. 

Get your copy of To Save a Starfish: A Compassion Fatigue Workbook for the Animal Welfare Warrior here. 

Join my free monthly newsletter!

In this episode, we’re tackling a struggle that every animal advocate knows all too well: feeling stuck, frustrated, or helpless when facing situations outside of our control. It can feel like banging your head against a wall—painful, exhausting, and ultimately unsustainable.

Drawing from my work as a therapist and my own lived experience in animal welfare, I share a simple but powerful framework with three options:

Leave the situation – Step back physically, emotionally, or mentally, and protect your own wellbeing.

Keep banging your head against the wall – Keep trying to change things you simply can’t control (spoiler: this leads straight to burnout).

Learn to live around it – Stay in the work you love, but develop coping strategies, boundaries, and self-care routines to make it sustainable.

We’ll explore how this framework applies to animal welfare, how to recognize when you’re stuck in an endless cycle of frustration, and how to choose the option that best supports your wellbeing. 

Learn more about or join the waitlist for the next Compassion Fatigue Group Coaching Cohort here. 

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Feeling a little crispy around the edges? You’re not alone—and you’re in the right place.

In this episode, we take a deep dive into burnout—what it is, how it uniquely shows up in animal care, welfare, and activism, and most importantly, what you can do about it (whether you're a frontline worker, volunteer, or in a leadership role).

We break down:

The three core symptoms of burnout

How burnout differs from compassion fatigue and secondary traumatic stress

The imbalance of “too much” and “not enough” that leads to burnout

Why burnout is especially common in animal-related fields

Individual and organizational strategies to help reduce and recover from burnout

The surprising power of grief rituals in preventing burnout

Extra resources: 

Grab your free resources to help manage compassion fatigue here. 

Visit my free virtual calming room here. 

Check out my Group Coaching Program for Compassion Fatigue here. 

Get your copy of To Save a Starfish: A Compassion Fatigue Workbook for the Animal Welfare Warrior here. 

In this episode, I sit down with Becca Shaw, a gifted intuitive and Akashic Records practitioner, to explore how this ancient spiritual resource can support those in animal care, welfare, and activism. Whether you’re brand new to the Akashic Records or just a little “woo-woo curious,” Becca offers grounded insight into what the Records are, how they work, and how they differ from other intuitive tools or practices. More importantly, she explains how the Records can help us reconnect with our soul’s truth—especially when we feel lost, stuck, or disillusioned in our work or purpose.

We discuss:

Becca’s journey and how she came to this work

What the Akashic Records actually are

Why this modality can be so helpful for helpers and caregivers

How the Records can offer clarity, healing, and next steps for those feeling burned out or overwhelmed

Simple, accessible ways to start tapping into deeper guidance

The difference between group and one-on-one readings, and what to expect in a session

Resources mentioned: 

Becca's website

Becca's social media:

Facebook

Get more free resources to help you manage compassion fatigue here!

Visit my virtual calming room here!

Are you someone who feels everything—sometimes too much? Do you absorb the emotions of others, often without realizing it? In this solo episode, I explore what it really means to be an empath. If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re an empath (or know someone who is), this episode is for you.

We’ll dive into the defining traits of empaths, how empathy differs from being an empath, and why so many empaths are drawn to helping professions like animal rescue, veterinary medicine, and activism. But with that superpower of sensitivity often comes a cost—especially when it comes to compassion fatigue, burnout, and trauma.

I also share practical strategies for managing your energy, staying grounded, and embracing your sensitivity as a strength—not a weakness.

In this episode, you'll learn:

Grab your free resources at https://www.beyondcompassionfatigue.com/