Shows
Beyond Compassion Fatigue: Make Your Passion for Helping Animals Sustainable!Ep. 31: Using Breathwork to Calm the Nervous System with Clare PrichardIn this episode, we’re joined by breathwork expert Clare Prichard, who helps us explore the healing power of breathwork—a simple yet profound tool for calming the body and mind. Whether you’re recovering from a stressful day at work, grieving the loss of an animal, or feeling compassion fatigue creeping in, learning how to breathe with intention can be a lifeline.
Clare explains the science of how breathwork affects the nervous system, and offers practical techniques you can use anywhere, anytime.
Topics covered:
What intentional breathwork is
The neuroscience of breath and th...
2025-12-2638 minBeyond Compassion Fatigue: Make Your Passion for Helping Animals Sustainable!Ep. 30: Identity and Self-WorthToday we’re diving into a topic that nearly every animal advocate, rescue worker, or activist faces at some point: identity and self-worth.
When your life revolves around the animals you care for, it’s easy to lose sight of yourself outside of your work. Burnout, stress, grief, or compassion fatigue can leave you asking, “Who am I if I’m not doing this work right now?” In this episode, I explore why this happens, how it affects self-worth, and practical strategies to reclaim a sense of identity—without losing your love and commitment for the animals and causes y...
2025-12-1915 minBeyond Compassion Fatigue: Make Your Passion for Helping Animals Sustainable!Ep. 29: Soul Contract Mapping with Tammie VecchiarelliJoin my free monthly newsletter!
In this episode, we dive into the transformative practice of soul contract mapping and how it can support those experiencing compassion fatigue, burnout, grief, or secondary trauma in the challenging world of animal welfare and advocacy. My guest, Tammie Vecchiarelli, shares her personal journey into soul contract mapping, how it can illuminate a sense of calling, and practical ways it can help animal advocates set boundaries, practice self-compassion, and build resilience.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
What soul contract mapping is and how it can help those na...
2025-12-1220 minBeyond Compassion Fatigue: Make Your Passion for Helping Animals Sustainable!Ep. 28: Letting Go of GuiltIn this solo episode, I get real about one of the most common struggles in animal welfare work: guilt. Whether it’s skipping a shelter shift, saying no to fostering one more animal, or simply taking a much-needed day off, many of us feel like we’re somehow “not doing enough.”
I share my own story about missing a volunteer day and how quickly guilt crept in, even though I was already balancing work, home, and countless other responsibilities. I explore the toxic cycle of guilt and burnout, how to recognize it, and, most importantly, how to break fr...
2025-12-0512 minBeyond Compassion Fatigue: Make Your Passion for Helping Animals Sustainable!Ep. 27: Compassionate Communication with Jacquie GrillonJoin my free monthly newsletter!
Difficult conversations are unavoidable in animal welfare and advocacy—whether it’s with the public, clients, coworkers, or even within our own teams. But when emotions are high, how can we communicate in ways that are both clear and compassionate?
In this episode, I'm joined by Jacquie Grillon, who will help us explore healthy communication in the animal welfare field. From handling hostility without losing our cool, to setting boundaries with kindness, to navigating internal conflicts, we unpack practical tools that help us speak (and listen) in ways that strengthen rela...
2025-11-2854 minBeyond Compassion Fatigue: Make Your Passion for Helping Animals Sustainable!Ep. 26: Coping with Intrusive ThoughtsJoin my free monthly newsletter!
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...
2025-11-2131 minBeyond Compassion Fatigue: Make Your Passion for Helping Animals Sustainable!Ep. 25: Reiki Healing for Humans and Animals with Dr. Alexia MellorJoin my free monthly newsletter!
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...
2025-11-1450 minBeyond Compassion Fatigue: Make Your Passion for Helping Animals Sustainable!Ep. 24: The Stages of Change: Are You Ready to Do Things Differently?Sign up for my monthly newsletter!
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 comp...
2025-11-0713 minBeyond Compassion Fatigue: Make Your Passion for Helping Animals Sustainable!Ep. 23: Why Sleep Matters...and How to Get It with Jessica Fink, LCSW-SJoin my free monthly newsletter!
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...
2025-10-3145 minBeyond Compassion Fatigue: Make Your Passion for Helping Animals Sustainable!Ep: 22: Navigating the Storm: Nervous System RegulationJoin 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 to...
2025-10-2422 minBeyond Compassion Fatigue: Make Your Passion for Helping Animals Sustainable!Ep. 21: The Healing Power of Writing with Stephanie MitchellJoin 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...
2025-10-1731 minBeyond Compassion Fatigue: Make Your Passion for Helping Animals Sustainable!Ep. 20: Learn to Let Go of What You Can't ControlJoin 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 agains...
2025-10-1015 minBeyond Compassion Fatigue: Make Your Passion for Helping Animals Sustainable!Ep. 19: Battling BurnoutJoin my free monthly newsletter!
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 imbalanc...
2025-10-0318 min
Mystic Dog MamaThe Cost of Caring: Finding Balance Beyond Compassion Fatigue with Jen Blough, LPCCaring deeply is a gift… but it can also come at a cost.If you’ve ever felt exhausted from worrying about your dog, questioning if you’re doing enough, or carrying the weight of the world because your heart is so wide open, you’re not alone. What you may be feeling is compassion fatigue - the very real toll of loving, giving, and advocating without pausing to refill your own cup.In this episode I sit down with Jennifer Blough, a licensed professional counsellor, pet loss specialist, and host of The Compassion Fatigue Podcast...
2025-09-271h 08Beyond Compassion Fatigue: Make Your Passion for Helping Animals Sustainable!Ep. 18: How the Akashic Records can Provide Healing and Guidance with Becca ShawIn 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 discus...
2025-09-2651 minBeyond Compassion Fatigue: Make Your Passion for Helping Animals Sustainable!Ep. 17: Are You an Empath?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...
2025-09-1914 minBeyond Compassion Fatigue: Make Your Passion for Helping Animals Sustainable!Ep. 16: Veterinary Social Work with Kelly Bremken, MSSW, CSWA, VSWOn today's show, we talk with Kelly Bremken, a veterinary social worker from Oregon Humane Society. Kelly sheds light on:
What is a veterinary social worker and what her role looks like day to day.
How veterinary social work is similar to and different from traditional social work.
How veterinary social workers can support staff and volunteers with managing compassion fatigue, trauma, grief, or burnout.
How Kelly personally maintains healthy boundaries and manages her own compassion fatigue in such an emotionally demanding role.
How does the Oregon Humane Society prioritizes mental health and wellness for its staff and vo...
2025-09-1248 minBeyond Compassion Fatigue: Make Your Passion for Helping Animals Sustainable!Ep. 15: The Ups and Downs of Rescuing Rabbits with Jo-Anne BarklayIn this episode, I talk with Jo-Anne Barklay of Running Rabbit Farm to explore the often-overlooked emotional toll of rabbit rescue. While most people associate animal rescue with dogs and cats, rescuing bunnies comes with its own unique heartbreaks—and rewards.
Jo-Anne shares what inspired her to dedicate her life to rabbit rescue, the kinds of emotional challenges rescuers face after Easter and beyond, and how public misconceptions about rabbits as pets add to the stress. She opens up about her own experiences with compassion fatigue, what it looked like for her, and the ways she’s lear...
2025-09-0543 minBeyond Compassion Fatigue: Make Your Passion for Helping Animals Sustainable!Ep. 14: Let's Talk About "Big T" and "Little T" TraumaIn this solo episode, we’re diving deep into a topic that touches nearly everyone working or volunteering in animal care, welfare, and activism: trauma. More specifically, we explore the difference between Big T trauma (major, acute, often life-threatening events) and little t trauma (chronic, cumulative stressors that wear you down over time)—and why both deserve serious attention.
Whether you’re on the front lines of rescue, working behind the scenes in advocacy, or supporting animals through veterinary, shelter, or sanctuary work, this episode will help you recognize how trauma might be affecting you—and what you can...
2025-08-2927 minBeyond Compassion Fatigue: Make Your Passion for Helping Animals Sustainable!Ep.13: Psychological Safety in the Workplace with Hermence MatsotsaIn this episode, we’re joined by Hermence Matsotsa, the Founder of uBuntuSpeaks®, a global leadership coach, Positive Intelligence expert, and speaker who helps us understand the importance of psychological safety—what it really means, why it matters, and how it can transform workplaces that are emotionally intense and trauma-exposed. Whether you work or volunteer in animal rescue, animal care and control, veterinary care, or any other type of animal advocacy, creating a culture of safety and trust isn’t just a “nice to have”—it’s a must.
We explore:
What is psychological safety, and why it’s essent...
2025-08-221h 08Beyond Compassion Fatigue: Make Your Passion for Helping Animals Sustainable!Ep. 12: Coaching vs. Therapy: Which One is Right for You?Are you feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or unsure where to turn for support? You’re not alone—and today’s episode is here to help.
In this episode of Beyond Compassion Fatigue, I break down one of the most common questions I'm asked:
What’s the difference between therapy and coaching—and which one is right for me?
Whether you’ve tried therapy and still feel stuck, or you're just starting to explore your options for support, this episode offers clarity, guidance, and hope.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
The key differences be...
2025-08-1513 minBeyond Compassion Fatigue: Make Your Passion for Helping Animals Sustainable!Ep. 11: Let's Talk Boundaries!Happy National Boundaries Awareness Day! On today's episode, we'll explore:
What are boundaries and why they're important in animal care, welfare, and activism
Soft, rigid, and healthy boundaries
How boundaries can impact your personal and professional lives
How different boundaries might show up in your work with animals
Time, emotional, mental, communication, physical, energy, and professional boundaries
Practical strategies to set and maintain healthy boundaries and protect your mental health
Grab your boundaries affirmations and other free resources at https://www.beyondcompassionfatigue.com/
2025-08-0828 minBeyond Compassion Fatigue: Make Your Passion for Helping Animals Sustainable!Ep. 10: Trauma in Animal Care, Welfare, and ActivismIn today's episode, we explore the different types of trauma that can be common in animal care, welfare, and activism. We'll learn about:
What is trauma?
Why trauma is actually subjective
Primary and secondary trauma
Secondary traumatic stress
Symptoms of trauma
How trauma contributes to compassion fatigue
Collective trauma
Perpetration Induced Traumatic Stress
Acute and chronic trauma
Acute stress reaction
Grab your free resources! https://www.beyondcompassionfatigue.com/
2025-08-0117 minBeyond Compassion Fatigue: Make Your Passion for Helping Animals Sustainable!Ep: 9: Peer Support with Val EllsworthToday I talk with Val Ellsworth, the founder of Nothing But Love Canine Foundation to explore the mental health impact of working in animal rescue and the importance of peer support.
We explore
Her journey into animal welfare work
Early signs that her mental health was suffering
Why isolation is so common—and dangerous—in this field
The life-changing power of peer support and safe spaces
Letting go of guilt and embracing self-care
Boundaries and practices that protect emotional well-being
How to begin build...
2025-07-2559 minBeyond Compassion Fatigue: Make Your Passion for Helping Animals Sustainable!Ep. 8: Navigating Disenfranchised GriefIn this episode of Beyond Compassion Fatigue, we dive deep into the topic of disenfranchised grief—the kind of grief that often goes unrecognized and unsupported by society. We'll explores how disenfranchised grief manifests in the world of animal care, welfare, and activism. Whether it's mourning a euthanized shelter pet, grieving a wild animal lost to environmental destruction, or feeling heartbroken over animals you've never even met, this episode validates and honors those deeply personal and often invisible losses. If you've ever been told, “It was just a dog,” or “You chose this work,” this episode is for you.
Topi...
2025-07-1820 minBeyond Compassion Fatigue: Make Your Passion for Helping Animals Sustainable!Ep. 7: Organizational Compassion Fatigue with Michelle GraffCompassion fatigue doesn't just affect individuals—it can infiltrate entire teams, departments, and organizations. In this episode, I'm joined by the author of The Compassion Fatigued Organization to explore what happens when secondary trauma and chronic stress become embedded in the culture of animal care, welfare, and activism.
We dive into what organizational compassion fatigue really means, how it shows up in workplace systems, and what leaders—as well as staff and volunteers—can do to shift from burnout to resilience.
In this episode, we discuss:
What organizational compassion fatigue is and how it can sh...
2025-07-111h 03
The Animal Rescue Podcast: what you always wanted to know but didn’t know who to askEp. 130 - Mental Health with Jen BloughContent warning for talk of suicide and suicidal thoughts. This week Jen Blough joins us again to discuss suicide in animal rescue. Recently, a well known rescuer took her life. While I do not know the specifics surrounding her situation, toxicity and harassment in the animal rescue world is all too common. Jen and I discuss risk factors for suicidality, things to look out for, how to be a support, and resources for yourself or those you know. If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out for help. Humans were built for c...
2025-07-0740 minBeyond Compassion Fatigue: Make Your Passion for Helping Animals Sustainable!Ep. 6: The Compassion Fatigue Cycle: Pathology vs. RenewalIn this episode, we explore the cyclical nature of compassion fatigue, examining how it can trap animal welfare workers and caregivers in a pattern of chronic stress and emotional depletion. We contrast the pathology cycle—marked by overextension, denial, and eventual burnout—with the renewal cycle, which emphasizes boundaries, self-awareness, recovery, and sustainability. Listeners are invited to reflect on where they fall within the cycle and are offered insights and tools to help shift from a state of suffering to one of healing and resilience.
2025-07-0431 minBeyond Compassion Fatigue: Make Your Passion for Helping Animals Sustainable!Ep. 5: The Compassion Fatigue Cycle: The Zombie PhaseIn this episode, we explore the zombie phase of the compassion fatigue cycle—when emotional numbness, detachment, and exhaustion become the norm. You may feel like you’re moving through your days on autopilot, disconnected from your passion, purpose, and even your own emotions. We break down the key signs of the zombie phase, why it’s so dangerous for animal advocates, and how to begin reconnecting with yourself and your mission.
2025-06-2714 minBeyond Compassion Fatigue: Make Your Passion for Helping Animals Sustainable!Bonus Ep: Suicide Awareness in Animal Care, Welfare, and ActivismIn this special bonus episode of Beyond Compassion Fatigue, we pause our series on the phases of the compassion fatigue cycle to address a heartbreaking loss in the animal welfare community.
Yesterday, we lost another dedicated animal advocate to suicide—someone who gave so much of herself to the cause, only to be met with relentless bullying, online cruelty, and a lack of support from the very community she was a part of. This episode is dedicated to her, and to all the advocates we’ve lost along the way.
We need to talk about suic...
2025-06-2413 minBeyond Compassion Fatigue: Make Your Passion for Helping Animals Sustainable!Ep. 4: The Compassion Fatigue Cycle: The Withdrawal PhaseIn this episode, we dive into the withdrawal phase of the compassion fatigue cycle—when emotional numbing, isolation, and detachment begin to take hold. We explore why those in animal care, welfare, and activism start pulling away from loved ones, work, and the causes they care about, and how this phase signals deeper emotional exhaustion. Tune in for insights on recognizing withdrawal patterns, reconnecting with your purpose, and applying practical self-care strategies to rebuild resilience. Grab your free resources at https://beyondcompassionfatigue.com.
2025-06-2012 minBeyond Compassion Fatigue: Make Your Passion for Helping Animals Sustainable!Ep. 3: The Compassion Fatigue Cycle: The Irritability PhaseIn this episode, we explore the irritability phase of the compassion fatigue cycle—when stress, emotional exhaustion, and frustration start affecting relationships and daily life of anyone working in animal care, welfare, or activism. Learn to recognize early warning signs, understand the emotional toll of caregiving and advocacy, and discover practical self-care strategies to prevent burnout.
To grab your free resources, go to www.beyondcompassionfatigue.com.
2025-06-1310 minBeyond Compassion Fatigue: Make Your Passion for Helping Animals Sustainable!Ep. 1: Compassion Fatigue in Animal Care, Welfare, and ActivismIn this first episode, we unpack the core concept of compassion fatigue—what it is, how it differs from burnout, and why it’s so common in caregiving and helping professions. We explore the emotional and physical toll of caring deeply, the warning signs to watch for, and how compassion fatigue affects those in animal care, welfare, and activism. Whether you’re new to the topic or looking to deepen your understanding, this episode lays the foundation for recognizing compassion fatigue and beginning the journey toward resilience and healing.
2025-06-0631 minBeyond Compassion Fatigue: Make Your Passion for Helping Animals Sustainable!Ep. 2: The Compassion Fatigue Cycle: The Zealot PhaseIn this episode, we explore the zealot phase of the compassion fatigue cycle—the stage marked by intense enthusiasm, over commitment, and a relentless drive to help. While passion fuels purpose, it can also set the stage for exhaustion and burnout if left unchecked. We break down the signs of the zealot phase, why it’s so common among animal advocates and caregivers, and how to balance dedication with boundaries and self-care.
2025-06-0615 minBeyond Compassion Fatigue: Make Your Passion for Helping Animals Sustainable!Welcome to Beyond Compassion Fatigue!If you're looking to make your passion for helping animals sustainable, this podcast is for you! Beyond Compassion Fatigue focuses on managing compassion fatigue, burnout, grief, and secondary traumatic stress among those who work or volunteer in animal care, welfare, or activism. Hosted by Jen Blough, licensed professional counselor, author (To Save a Starfish), animal activist, and former shelter worker and animal control officer. Featuring solo and guest episodes.
2025-06-0602 min
All For AnimalsEp. 21 Interesting Animal Jobs Vol. 2Welcome back to another installment of "Interesting Animal Jobs!" In this episode, we'll be learning all about 3 new animal related careers (other than the usual Veterinarian, Trainer or Groomer) that anyone with a love of animals might be interested in pursuing! We're discussing Zookeepers, Animal Cruelty Investigators, and one of my personal favorites, Farriers! Anyone who'd like to work with animals, wild or domesticated, can find some really cool inspiration here! But that's not all! We're also bringing in our very first *Animal Superstar Shoutout* where we bring in an animal organization and shout out the amazing...
2024-01-1633 min
People Are Animals Too, Darnit!Episode 52 - Compassion Fatigue with Jen BloughJennifer Blough (rhymes with plow) is a licensed professional counselor who is certified in compassion fatigue, pet loss grief, and trauma. She is the owner of Deepwater Counseling and The Compassion Fatigue Couch. Jennifer is also the author of To Save a Starfish: A Compassion Fatigue Workbook for the Animal Welfare Warrior. As a vegan and former shelter worker and animal control officer, Jen has an extensive background in animal welfare and animal rights, and is passionate about helping those who love, care for, and work to protect animals. Contact info: https://www.compassionfatiguecouch.com...
2021-06-1547 min
The Modern Therapist's Survival Guide with Curt Widhalm and Katie VernoyCompassion Fatigue: An interview with Jennifer Blough, LPC about the “normal cost of caring” for helping professionals and how to copeIt’s time to reimagine therapy and what it means to be a therapist. We are human beings who can now present ourselves as whole people, with authenticity, purpose, and connection. Especially now, when therapists must develop a personal brand to market their practices.To support you as a whole person and a therapist, your hosts, Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy talk about how to approach the role of therapist in the modern age.Interview with Jennifer Blough, LPCJennifer Blough is a licensed professional counselor, certified compassion fatigue therapist, certified pet loss grie...
2018-02-0832 min
The Therapist Experience Podcast by Brighter Vision: Marketing & Business Lessons for Therapists, Counselors, Psychologists & Coaches in Private PracticeTTE 78: Planting Marketing Seeds for 2 Years & Seeing Them Flourish in Year 3Jen Blough has been planning the growth & marketing of her private practice for years, working diligently to execute a specific plan to enable her to scale and grow her practice.
Her dedication & execution has allowed her private practice to flourish and allow her to focus on her niche and passions.
The post TTE 78: Planting Marketing Seeds for 2 Years & Seeing Them Flourish in Year 3 appeared first on BrighterVision.com.
2017-10-1031 min