Beyond Compassion Fatigue: Make Your Passion for Helping Animals Sustainable!
A raw and authentic podcast for those who work or volunteer in animal care, welfare, or activism, who are struggling with compassion fatigue, burnout, grief and loss, secondary traumatic stress, and other mental health concerns. Through both solo and guest episodes, I blend science, psychology, spirituality, and even a touch of "woo woo" to help you manage compassion fatigue, build resilience, and make your passion for helping animals sustainable. If you're involved in animal caregiving, rescue, trap-neuter return (TNR), sheltering, animal control, cruelty investigations, veterinary medicine, fostering, wildlife or marine rehabilitation and conservation, animal law or lobbying, ethical veganism, or any other role in animal care, welfare, or activism, and struggling with the consequences of caring so much that it hurts, this podcast is for you! The host, Jen Blough, LPC, is a licensed professional counselor, compassion fatigue coach and speaker, and author with more than 35 years of experience in animal welfare and activism. She is the author of To Save a Starfish: A Compassion Fatigue Workbook for the Animal Welfare Warrior and the upcoming book, Beyond Compassion Fatigue.
Episodes
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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 anim...
In 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 respons...
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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 witho...
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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 ...
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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:
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An explanation of Reiki and how energy healing work...
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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 advoca...
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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 simpl...
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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...
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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 ev...
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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 wi...
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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:
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The three core symptoms of burnout
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How burn...
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...
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 profess...
On 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 ...
In 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 misconceptio...
In 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, work...
In 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 o...
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 episod...
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 strategie...
In 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
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