Resources curated just for you!
Browse our collection of resources curated specifically to help veterinary professionals navigate, heal from, and prevent compassion fatigue and burnout.
Support Where & When You Need It
VCP’s Monthly Zoom Support Group
Join us on the first Wednesday of each month at 8:00 PM EST for a casual, no-pressure conversation in a safe space created specifically for veterinary and animal rescue professionals. Whether you’ve had a tough day, lost a special patient, or simply need a moment to connect, this group is here for you.
There is no agenda and no expectations. We’re here for you, united in support and dedicated to healing together. Held via Zoom, these sessions are a chance to share experiences, explore solutions, and prioritize mental well-being with peers who truly understand your journey.
Sign up today to receive the monthly meeting link and become part of a compassionate community dedicated to supporting those who care for animals. We can’t wait to welcome you!
Quiz: Determine Your Level of Compassion Fatigue
Is Compassion Fatigue Impacting You?
Take our quick quiz to find out, and learn how to get the help you need. Start your journey to well-being today!
Daily Mind Body Practices
Meditation
Myth: Your mind must clear to meditate correctly.
Truth: Every thought you have in meditation is simply a release of stress.
Thoughts are ok, welcome and safe in the practice of meditation. It has been used for centuries across cultures, and modern science now supports its wide-ranging physiological benefits. Regular meditation can lower blood pressure, reduce heart rate, and decrease levels of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. These changes not only help the body recover from daily stress but also reduce the risk of chronic illnesses such as heart disease and hypertension. Meditation activates the parasympathetic nervous system, triggering a “rest and digest” response that counters the body’s fight-or-flight reaction. In a fast-paced world filled with distractions and demands, meditation offers a powerful, natural way to restore balance and well-being. Whether for mental clarity, emotional resilience, or physical health, taking just a few minutes a day to meditate can lead to transformative, lasting benefits.
Apps:
Headspace
InnerNow (formally know as Presence)
Gaia
Youtube:
Meditation: Goodful
Boho Beautiful Meditation
Or check out our own meditations made specifically for vet professionals!
Yoga
Yoga is a mind-body practice that combines physical postures, controlled breathing, and meditation or relaxation. Yoga improves flexibility, strength, and balance while also reducing inflammation in the body. It stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, helping to lower heart rate and blood pressure, and decreasing stress hormone levels like cortisol. Regular yoga practice has been linked to improved cardiovascular function, better respiratory efficiency, and enhanced digestion. It also supports joint health and spinal alignment, which can alleviate chronic pain and improve posture. Importantly, yoga encourages body awareness and mindfulness, which can lead to healthier lifestyle choices and emotional well-being. With consistent practice, yoga becomes not just exercise, but a powerful tool for holistic health and healing.
HeartMath
Beat by beat, the heart sends signals throughout the body — influencing how we think, act, and feel. In 1995, The American Journal of Cardiology published a HeartMath Institute study that showed we have the power to shift our heart rhythms (HRV) to send more positive signals throughout the body — balancing our nervous, hormonal, and immune systems. When we achieve this balanced state — Heart Coherence — we release built-up stress, uplift the vibration of our emotional states, and unlock higher brain function.
Trauma Work: Looking Back to Move Forward
Accelerated Resolution Therapy
Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) is a brief, evidence-based form of psychotherapy that uses rapid eye movements and guided visualization to help individuals process and resolve traumatic memories. By engaging both the brain and body, ART works to reprogram how distressing images and sensations are stored, reducing their emotional intensity without requiring clients to relive the trauma. The technique enables the brain to replace traumatic imagery with positive or neutral images, creating a lasting sense of relief and control. For those struggling with unresolved emotional pain or stress-related symptoms, ART offers a fast, gentle, and transformative path to healing.
EMDR Therapy
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a powerful, evidence-based psychotherapy designed to help people heal from trauma and distressing life experiences. It works by using guided bilateral stimulation—typically eye movements, tapping, or sounds—to help the brain process and reframe traumatic memories. Physiologically, EMDR reduces hyperactivity in the amygdala (the brain’s fear center) while enhancing communication with the prefrontal cortex, which governs rational thought and emotional regulation. This shift allows the nervous system to move out of a chronic fight-or-flight state, lowering heart rate, stress hormone levels, and physical symptoms like tension or insomnia. EMDR also supports neuroplasticity, helping the brain form new, healthier connections that break the grip of old trauma. Many individuals report rapid relief from PTSD, anxiety, and panic attacks, often in fewer sessions than traditional talk therapy. For anyone seeking deep emotional healing with lasting physiological benefits, EMDR offers a transformative and scientifically validated path forward.
Family Constellation Therapy
Family Constellation Therapy is a unique therapeutic approach that explores how unresolved family dynamics and ancestral trauma can unconsciously influence present-day behavior, relationships, and emotional health. Through guided group or individual sessions, clients gain insight into hidden patterns and entanglements within their family system, often revealing profound emotional truths. Physiologically, the process of acknowledging and releasing inherited emotional burdens can lead to a noticeable decrease in stress and tension held in the body. This release supports nervous system regulation, helping to reduce symptoms of anxiety, chronic pain, and psychosomatic illness. As the body lets go of long-held emotional stress, it can return to a more balanced state, improving sleep, digestion, and overall resilience. Family Constellation work also activates the parasympathetic nervous system, fostering a sense of safety and groundedness. For those seeking deep healing at both the emotional and physical levels, this therapy offers a powerful path to personal freedom and generational healing.
Healing Touch Therapy / Reiki / Energy Work
Healing Touch and Reiki are gentle, energy-based therapies that use light or near-body touch to promote balance and flow within the body’s energy system. These modalities are based on the idea that physical and emotional well-being are deeply connected to the state of our energetic field. Physiologically, Healing Touch and Reiki activate the parasympathetic nervous system, inducing a deep state of relaxation that can lower blood pressure, heart rate, and cortisol levels. This restorative state supports immune function, enhances the body’s natural healing processes, and helps reduce symptoms of pain, anxiety, and fatigue. Studies have shown these therapies can positively impact wound healing, stress-related conditions, and overall vitality. By restoring energetic balance, they help release stored trauma, promote emotional clarity, and improve sleep and mental focus. For those seeking a non-invasive, nurturing approach to holistic health, Healing Touch and Reiki offer profound physical and emotional benefits.
Homeopathy
Homeopathy is a natural, holistic system of medicine based on the principle of “like cures like,” using highly diluted substances to stimulate the body’s innate healing abilities. Rather than suppressing symptoms, homeopathy seeks to address the root cause of illness by supporting the body’s vital force and restoring balance. Physiologically, homeopathic remedies can gently prompt the body to correct dysfunctions in the immune, nervous, and endocrine systems, without introducing toxins or heavy pharmaceuticals. This approach may reduce inflammation, improve energy levels, and support detoxification, helping the body return to a state of equilibrium. Homeopathy is known for its individualized treatment plans, targeting not just physical symptoms but also emotional and mental well-being. Many people report improved sleep, digestion, mood stability, and resilience to stress with regular use. Because it is non-invasive and free from side effects, homeopathy is especially appealing to those seeking a gentle yet powerful method for long-term health. For individuals looking to align with their body’s natural rhythms, homeopathy offers a safe and effective path to healing.
Horses for Mental Health (HMH)
Horses for Mental Health (HMH) is an advocacy organization dedicated to improving mental well-being through the transformative power of the horse-human connection. By raising awareness and expanding access to programs incorporating horses for mental health, HMH promotes innovative solutions for those facing mental health challenges. The calming and restorative nature of the horse-human bond helps veterinarians process emotions, reduce stress, and reconnect with their purpose, providing essential support for personal and professional resilience.
Hypnosis
Hypnosis is a focused state of consciousness that allows the mind to become highly receptive to positive suggestions, while the body enters a deeply relaxed and calm state. Contrary to popular myths, hypnosis is not about losing control—it’s a collaborative process that enhances self-awareness and access to the subconscious mind. It helps rewire patterns in the brain by promoting neuroplasticity, allowing individuals to shift unhealthy habits, emotional responses, or trauma triggers more easily. Studies have shown that hypnosis can effectively reduce symptoms of anxiety, IBS, and even support healing from surgery or chronic illness. For those seeking a natural, empowering method to enhance physical and emotional well-being, hypnosis offers a proven and powerful tool.
Polyvagal Equine Institute
At Polyvagal Equine Institute, we provide trauma-informed psychoeducation and resources that help veterinary teams understand and support both human and animal well-being. Through our programs, we focus on cultivating resilience, emotional regulation, and effective communication, empowering veterinary teams to foster healthier, more compassionate interactions in their daily work.
Shamanic Healing
Shamanic healing is an ancient spiritual practice that involves connecting with the spirit world to restore balance and harmony within the individual. Through techniques such as drumming, journeying, soul retrieval, and energy clearing, shamans help release spiritual and emotional blockages that often manifest as physical illness or chronic stress. The rhythmic elements of shamanic work, such as drumming or chanting, can entrain brainwaves to slower frequencies, encouraging calm, clarity, and emotional release. Many individuals report feeling lighter, more grounded, and emotionally free after a session. For those seeking holistic healing that addresses mind, body, and spirit, shamanic healing offers a profound and transformative path to wellness.
Somatic Healing
Somatic healing is a therapeutic approach that focuses on the mind-body connection, using body-based techniques to release stored trauma and tension. Unlike traditional talk therapy, somatic practices emphasize physical sensations and movements to help process emotional experiences. Physiologically, somatic healing works by calming the nervous system, particularly through regulating the vagus nerve, which plays a key role in stress response. This regulation can reduce chronic stress, alleviate symptoms of anxiety and PTSD, and improve heart rate variability—a marker of resilience and nervous system health. By releasing muscular tension and accessing deep patterns of held trauma, somatic healing promotes better circulation, digestion, and immune function. It also supports the body’s natural ability to return to a state of equilibrium, reducing the wear and tear caused by prolonged stress. Many individuals find that somatic work leads to greater emotional clarity, physical vitality, and a profound sense of safety in their own bodies. For those seeking true holistic wellness, somatic healing offers a deeply restorative and empowering path.
Sound Healing
Sound therapy is a holistic healing modality that uses vibrational frequencies—such as singing bowls, tuning forks, gongs, or voice—to restore harmony in the body and mind. These sound waves interact with the body’s energy and nervous systems, helping to shift brainwave activity into deeply relaxed states like alpha and theta, which are associated with healing and restoration. Sound vibrations can penetrate cells and tissues, encouraging detoxification and the release of energetic blockages stored in the body. Many people report improved sleep, reduced anxiety, and heightened mental clarity following sessions. For those looking to reset the nervous system and experience deep, restorative calm, sound therapy offers a powerful and non-invasive path to healing.
Business Support
Angie Arora: Helping the Helpers
Angie Arora, MSW, RSW, is a Veterinary Social Worker and founder of Arora Wellness, specializing in supporting high-stress and trauma-exposed animal care organizations and professionals to improve their professional quality of life. She offers extensive training and educational opportunities through workshops, courses, and conference sessions, aimed at enhancing professional wellbeing by addressing empathic distress, burnout, secondary traumatic stress, moral distress, and grief. Angie is also hired by organizations to provide on-site or virtual therapeutic coaching to their employees, further improving their professional quality of life.
Econologics Financial Advisors
Most veterinary owners were taught how to treat patients – not manage money. Most owners never learn the basics of financial management for their practice and their household. This can lead to unnecessary stress, feelings of overwhelm, and conflict.
Econologics Financial Advisors is a new kind of financial advisor. Not only do we help with personal finances (debt management, retirement savings, insurance and investment) but we also keep an eye on the business finances to ensure the practice is financially sustainable. Most owners simply lack a plan for their financial success. With the proper planning and the financial dream team, you can lead the life of your dreams.
Flourish
Flourish provides consulting, workshops, and leadership coaching to veterinary professionals. By cultivating positive work environments and improved leadership, their goal is to help veterinary professionals feel more fulfilled and uplifted in the workplace.
Crisis Intervention
Not One More Vet
Not One More Vet (NOMV) is a vital organization dedicated to safeguarding the mental health and well-being of veterinarians across the globe. With a mission to survive and thrive within the veterinary community, NOMV offers peer support, educational resources, and a range of outreach programs. Their focus on raising awareness and providing access to critical resources aims to help veterinarians navigate the unique emotional and mental challenges they face. Through compassion and collaboration, NOMV empowers veterinarians to seek help, share experiences, and build a more resilient professional community.
