Do you struggle with nightmares related to animal suffering? If so, you're definitely not alone! In this episode, I open up about my own experience with nightmares and explore why nightmares are so common among animal welfare professionals and advocates. If your nights are disrupted by distressing dreams, this episode offers validation, education, and practical tools to help you cope.

We'll explore: 

Got a suggestion for a future topic? Reach out to me: [email protected].

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. 

Those of us who care for animals often experience suffering, cruelty, loss, and moral injury. Over time, those experiences can shape how we see the world, ourselves, and our future. On this episode, my guest Melissa Lee Parent and I discuss the role of mindset in animal care, welfare, and activism, and why your trauma doesn't define who you are.

We Explore: 

What mindset really is 

How mindset can either fuel burnout or support resilience

Common mindset traps in animal welfare

The role of self-talk and internal narratives

Why “you are not your trauma story” matters

Resources Mentioned:

Melissa's website

Instagram

More Resources: 

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 put on my therapist hat and tackle the complexities of communication in the animal care, rescue, welfare, and activism fields. Recognizing that interactions with colleagues, volunteers, and the public can often become challenging, I draw upon John Gottman's Four Horsemen of Communication. It's a framework originally designed for couples counseling, to illustrate universal communication pitfalls and provide strategies for improvement. 

We'll explore: 

Got a suggestion for a future topic? Reach out to me: [email protected].

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. 

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. 

Animal welfare and veterinary professionals carry an extraordinary emotional burden, and yet many struggle to find mental health support that truly understands the unique demands of this work. In this episode, we explore Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and how it can support advocates who are navigating compassion fatigue, burnout, grief, and moral distress.

My guest, Dr. Amanda Weiss, shares why working with animal care and advocacy professionals became a calling, and how ACT offers a powerful, values-based framework for healing without asking people to harden themselves to suffering.

In this episode, we discuss:

Amanda’s Resources:

Contact Info: [email protected] or 732-239-9446

Instagram

YouTube

Additional Resources from Jen: 

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 coach and intuitive healer Lara Bokovay. We dive into the world of somatic practices and explore how tuning into the body can help regulate the nervous system, relieve stress, and restore balance—especially for those working in high-stress, emotionally intense environments like animal care and welfare. We discuss practical techniques, the science behind trauma in the body, and how somatic work complements traditional talk therapy.

We explore:

What somatic practices are and how they help regulate the nervous system.

What happens in the body during stress and trauma, and how somatic work approaches it differently than talk therapy.

Simple, beginner-friendly somatic techniques you can use in the moment when feeling overwhelmed or triggered.

How caregivers and animal advocates can reconnect with their own bodies and needs through somatic practices.

The importance of body awareness in healing from chronic stress, burnout, and compassion fatigue.

Insights on how secondary trauma manifests in the body.

Tips for those who feel unsafe in their body or struggle to notice physical sensations—where to start safely.

Daily somatic rituals and grounding practices to build nervous system resilience over time.

Resources Mentioned: 

Lara's website

Lara's socials:

Facebook

Instagram and TikTok: @larabokovay

Jen's Resources: 

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 dive into a difficult, but very real, issue in animal care, welfare, and activism: infighting. From social media drama to competition between organizations, internal conflict can be just as exhausting as the work itself.

If you’ve ever found yourself wondering, “Aren’t we all trying to help animals?” or feeling burned out by conflict within advocacy spaces, this episode is for you.

I explore infighting through psychological, sociological, and philosophical lenses, helping listeners understand why these conflicts happen—and more importantly, how we can begin moving toward collaboration instead of competition.

Episode 30: Identity and Self-Esteem

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. 

Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) is lifesaving work, but it can also be uniquely exhausting. In this episode, we explore why TNR can take such a heavy emotional and physical toll, how compassion fatigue shows up for volunteers and caregivers, and what it truly takes to stay in this work without losing yourself. This episode is for anyone involved in TNR who has ever felt overwhelmed, depleted, or questioned how long they can keep going. 

In this episode, we discuss:

What compassion fatigue in TNR looks like compared to other areas of animal welfare

The realities behind the work

Early warning signs of compassion fatigue

The pressure to always say “yes”

Coping skills that actually help

Want to help out the kitties? Check out Stacy's Amazon Wishlist here.

Connect with Stacy on Facebook.

In today’s episode, we explore the intersection of spirituality, healing, and animal advocacy with mystic artist, author, and healer Susan Smith Cohen. Susan supports women recovering from trauma through creative and spiritual practices, including her unique modality of fire scrying. Together, we discuss how reconnecting with something larger than ourselves can help animal advocates navigate compassion fatigue, grief, and trauma.

We explore: 

Links mentioned in the show: 

Susan's website

Susan's socials: 

Facebook

Instagram 

Susan's book: 

Healing Through Nature and Animals: A Journey of Illumination

Susan’s artwork 

More 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 solo episode, I explore ambiguous loss, which is a form of grief that lacks clarity, closure, or resolution. Common in animal care, welfare, and advocacy, ambiguous loss can leave us stuck between hope and sorrow, carrying unanswered questions long after an animal has left our lives. I break down what ambiguous loss is, how it shows up in animal work, why it’s so painful, and practical ways to cope while protecting your mental health.

Related Episode: Ep. 8: Disenfranchised Grief

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. 

Have a show idea? Reach out to me at [email protected]

Fostering animals can be one of the most rewarding experiences in animal welfare—but it can also take an emotional toll. In this episode, we explore compassion fatigue in fostering, why it happens, and practical strategies to protect your mental health while still giving love and care to your foster animals.

We talk about: 

Recognizing the signs of compassion fatigue and burnout

Understanding the emotional and physiological impact of repeated loss or stress

Learning practical strategies to set boundaries and care for yourself

Building resilience and sustainable fostering practices

Resources mentioned: 

Humane World for Animals

Other resources for managing compassion fatigue: 

https://www.animalwelfarewellness.com/