In this episode of Beyond Compassion Fatigue, I open up about a recent emotional meltdown that left me overwhelmed by intrusive thoughts, painful memories, and a dysregulated nervous system. After struggling to calm down, I finally turned to a surprisingly simple grounding technique called cognitive shuffling, a science-backed tool that helped me settle down.

I explore how intrusive thoughts, trauma memories, grief, chronic stress, and secondary traumatic stress often intensify at night, especially for those working in animal care, welfare, rescue, veterinary medicine, sheltering, and activism. I explain why the harder we try to suppress distressing thoughts, the stronger they often become, and how cognitive shuffling works differently by gently redirecting the brain into a more relaxed, sleep-friendly state.

You’ll learn:

More resources: 

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Grab your free resources to help manage compassion fatigue here. 

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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 Kelly Motter for an honest conversation about sustainable fostering, boundaries in animal rescue, and the emotional weight that comes with caring deeply for animals in need.

If you’ve ever struggled with guilt for saying “no,” felt overwhelmed by the endless need in rescue, or wondered how to continue helping animals without completely burning yourself out, this episode is for you.

Kelly shares the realities of fostering, the lessons she learned about emotional limits, and the boundaries that helped her continue showing up for animals in a healthier and more sustainable way.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

Resources mentioned:

Listen to The Foster Files on your favorite platform or watch on YouTube

Kelly’s Instagram

Other resources:

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

Interested in becoming certified in compassion fatigue? Learn more here!

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 solo episode of Beyond Compassion Fatigue, I talk about my rescue goat, Gracie, and how she represent compassion satisfaction—the joy, meaning, and fulfillment that comes from helping animals and making a difference.

I share Gracie’s rescue story and explore how animal welfare professionals and advocates can experience both burnout and deep fulfillment at the same time. Drawing on research, personal reflection, and the wisdom of Viktor Frankl, this episode examines why compassion satisfaction matters and how it can serve as a protective factor against compassion fatigue, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress.

I discuss:

More resources:

Sign up for my free monthly newsletter here.

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

Interested in becoming certified in compassion fatigue? Learn more here!

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 eye-opening episode of Beyond Compassion Fatigue, I sit down with veterinary receptionist and animal advocate Sam Anderkay to explore the often-overlooked emotional toll carried by veterinary support staff.

Sam shares her journey from volunteering at Valley of the Kings Wildlife Sanctuary and Retreat, where she cared for abused and neglected tigers, wolves, bears, and farm animals, to spending nearly eight years on the front lines of veterinary medicine as a customer service representative.

We dive into the unique ways compassion fatigue impacts veterinary receptionists, who are often the very first and very last point of contact for distressed and grieving pet parents. Sam opens up about the emotional weight of euthanasia appointments, absorbing client grief, balancing constant multitasking, and the anxiety and depression that nearly pushed her out of the field entirely.

We also explore:

Resources:

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

Interested in becoming certified in compassion fatigue? Learn more here!

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. 

Today’s episode of Beyond Compassion Fatigue is a guided meditation designed specifically for those of you in animal care, rescue, welfare, veterinary medicine, and activism to help you regulate your nervous system.

This meditation is meant to be listened to in a safe, quiet place where you can fully relax for about ten minutes. So if you’re driving or in the middle of something that requires your full attention, I invite you to come back to this episode when you can truly be present with it.

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. 

In this episode of Beyond Compassion Fatigue, I explore a powerful mindset shift that can dramatically reduce burnout in animal care, rescue, veterinary medicine, and advocacy: dialectical thinking, also known as both/and thinking.

If you’ve ever felt like you had to choose between being hopeful or being realistic, strong or struggling, this episode challenges that belief.

We discuss: 

Additional resources: 

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. 

In this episode of Beyond Compassion Fatigue, I sit down with Lisa Beggio, Executive Director of Columbia Humane Society, to discuss her deeply personal journey through primary trauma, PTSD, and healing after surviving a life-threatening dog attack while working in animal rescue.

Lisa shares what it was like to return to shelter work after trauma, the reality of PTSD triggers in a field built around exposure to suffering, and how therapy helped her reclaim her life and career.

Together, we explore the intersection of compassion fatigue and PTSD, the importance of speaking openly about mental health in animal welfare, and why protecting the people who protect animals must become a priority.

This conversation is raw, honest, and hopeful—and an important reminder that healing is possible.

We discuss:

Resources mentioned:

Columbia Humane Society website

Columbia Humane Society Facebook

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. 

Last week, we explored the external risk factors of compassion fatigue—the systems, environments, and conditions surrounding animal welfare work.

This week, we turn inward.

Compassion fatigue doesn’t just come from what you’re exposed to, it’s also shaped by who you are: your personality, your experiences, and the traits that likely drew you to this work in the first place.

This episode takes an honest look at the internal factors that can increase vulnerability to compassion fatigue, without blame or shame. 

We talk about:

Resources & Links

In part one of this two-part mini-series, I talk about some of the external risk factors that can make people in animal care, welfare, rescue, vet med, and activism more vulnerable to developing compassion fatigue.

We'll explore:

Resources mentioned:

CFPAW certification info and waitlist

In this episode, I sit down with Rob Leinberger, a long-time animal control officer and current manager of Prince George County Animal Services and Adoption Center in Virginia. Rob brings years of frontline experience and leadership insight into the often-overlooked emotional realities of animal control work.

We talk about how Rob was first introduced to the concept of compassion fatigue—and what it looked like before he even had a name for it. He shares the unique emotional toll of animal control, where the job requires constant balance between enforcement, empathy, and exposure to difficult situations.

Rob opens up about how compassion fatigue can show up in this field, including the role anger can play—and how he learned to better understand and manage his own responses over time.

We also dive into how to better prepare new officers for the realities of the job, not just tactically, but emotionally. Rob shares both short-term and long-term coping strategies that have helped him sustain a career in this work, as well as the importance of recognizing and naming emotions rather than pushing them aside.

You’ll also hear how Rob and his team intentionally create space to let off steam, allowing them to reset so they can continue showing up fully for the work ahead. As a leader, Rob emphasizes modeling healthy behaviors, leading by example, and creating a culture where staff feel supported.

Finally, we explore the concept of compassion satisfaction—why celebrating wins matters, and how those moments can anchor you in the midst of challenging work.

Resources Mentioned:

Box breathing guided video

Learn more or join the waitlist for CFPAW here

Prince George County Animal Services and Adoption Center:

Website

Facebook

Instagram

Amazon wish list