VetPsyche

14/11/2025

I’ve found it so emotional this week hearing about the highs and lows of Sara’s epic run and all the support she has received. 135 miles covered across 5 days - the woman is a legend!!! Well done Sara - the nation is so proud of you!!!!!X###

07/11/2025

Looking forward to this event today. https://www.adisorder4everyone.com/ad4e-festival
Challenging the dominant culture of psychiatric diagnosis and medicalisation of emotional distress.

02/11/2025

This is such an important topic and I'm so glad it's being talked about more.

21/09/2025

Today I had the very sad and unenviable task of guiding and supporting my mum as she made the decision to say good bye to her beloved canine companion. My mum is elderly and lives alone so we made the decision knowing that this will be her last dog.

It has made me reflect on the myriad of emotions that as veterinary professionals we experience, particularly when we face decisions about our own or our loved ones pets. We somehow have to remain focussed on making the right decision clinically, but from a headspace that is often far from rational. In these times it is so important to seek support from those around us. For me that support came from colleagues who were able to remain centred on acting in the best interests of the animal, for which I am so grateful.

So I am dedicating this post to Bella for being a loyal companion to my mum over the years. RIP little lady, you were much loved and will be greatly missed.

17/09/2025

Thank you Oscar for this amazing effort to support Vetlife!!

In September and October, Oscar will cycle across all 12 veterinary schools in Great Britain, hosting talks and wellbeing evenings for students at each university.

Here’s how you can help:

👉 Ride alongside Oscar for part of the journey, or meet up for a coffee and chat at one of the stops. Email fundraising@vetlife.org.uk to let us know you’re interested.

👉 If your practice is near the route and you’d like to arrange a Vetlife visit, reach out to fundraising@vetlife.org.uk.

👉 Follow Tour De Vet School on social media for updates.

👉 Donate to support Oscar’s incredible journey.

Find out more at 🔗 https://www.vetlife.org.uk/tour-de-vet-school-2025/

12/09/2025

The weekend has arrived and this week has certainly been a busy one! Though I often find it difficult to relax, I'm looking forward to some down time, which for me means getting more sleep, walking the dogs and spending time with family.
Relaxation is important for our physical and mental health through lowering our stress hormones. It improves emotional regulation, sleep quality and can enhance mental clarity and cognition.

What will you be doing this weekend to take care of yourself?

12/05/2025

This week is Mental Health Awareness and this year's theme celebrates the power and importance of community. I feel incredibly fortunate to belong to the veterinary community and have shared my working and volunteering days with individuals who have enriched my life in many different ways, though I know this is not the case for all.
The theme allows for discussions to be had around how we can promote safety, positivity and kindness within our veterinary communities.

29/03/2025

*** SHAME ***

"A negative self-conscious emotion involving the actual or perceived critical judgement by others"

Though similar to guilt, shame is a feeling that we attribute directly to ourselves rather than our behaviour.
Interestingly, we have evolved to feel shame as a protective mechanism - an early warning system signalling a threat to connection and acceptance within our tribe.

Shame is interwoven into our work as veterinary professionals and can be a detrimental and long lasting experience, re-played again and again in our minds. Admission of shame, an expression of our core vulnerability, can in itself be shameful so often we lock it away rather than talking about it.

It can show up in many areas of our working lives from perfectionism, how we deal with mistakes, how we feel about our personal traits and characteristics, to our attitude to taking time off for ill health.
Shame can also be experienced by our clients, for example, if poor husbandry practices have led to clinical disease or if they have insufficient funds to pay for veterinary care.

What can help to reduce shame in veterinary practice?

* Cessation of shaming learning practices in educational institutions
* Having a non-judgemental workplace culture where we are able to talk openly about our experiences of shame
* Having leaders who are courageous enough to be open about their mistakes and vulnerabilities
* Having awareness of power dynamics both between colleagues and our clients
* Respecting and celebrating difference and diversity
* Having workplaces where it feels safe to talk about mistakes without a name, blame and shame approach
* By showing compassion towards our colleagues and clients
* By not attributing negative labels to people

Shame is sadly a huge barrier to seeking support for mental health difficulties within our profession.
If you would like to speak in confidence, within a non-judgemental and compassionate space please contact me cate@vetpsyche.co.uk

www.vetpsyche.co.uk

21/03/2025

Jamie Laing, the former Made in Chelsea star ran five consecutive ultra marathons in five days - 150 miles in total - from London to Salford raising over £2M for Comic Relief!!! Amazing Jamie - it must have taken immense courage, determination and resilience to complete this incredible mission!!! 🥳🥂

Lucy Claire Illustration

06/03/2025

As a Vetlife volunteer I am tremendously proud of the work the charity does to support members of our community.

Please remember that Vetlife is there if you are struggling, providing confidential emotional support via Helpline 24hrs a days, 365 days a year.

Please reach out if you need support, there is always someone to talk to.

01/03/2025

***Let's Talk About Burnout***

Veterinary professionals in practice experience many day-to-day pressures; seeing patients, calling owners, writing notes, reviewing x-rays and lab results, visits, working out meds, helping colleagues, dealing with emergencies etc. etc. The list can sometimes feel endless and overwhelming.

When we consider additional pressures we might also have outside of work such as juggling family commitments, caring for relatives, financial worries or studying for exams, it can sometimes feel like there is no time to switch off.

However, prolonged periods of stress can ultimately lead to burnout - a state of emotional, physical and mental exhaustion where we feel drained and unable to continue to cope with life's constant demands.

Burnout can look like:

* Having no energy and feeling constantly tired
* Becoming cynical and losing our sense of optimism
* Disordered sleep
* Altered eating habits
* Experiencing muscle tension and headaches
* Feeling numb and disconnected from ourselves and others
* Experiencing anxiety and panic attacks
* Experiencing low self esteem and self-doubt

Things that can help include:

* Setting boundaries in our professional and personal lives, which may include saying "no" to unreasonable demands
* Reframing what success looks like
* Letting go of people pleasing
* Practising self compassion
* Learning to recognise what energises us and what drains us
* Bringing our attention fully to what we are doing in the moment
* Not taking on too much
* Exercising regularly
* Having a clearly defined boundary around our 'work time' and 'personal time'
* Recognising when we are not ok and permitting ourselves to take time off
* Seeking support from family, colleagues, friends or mental health professionals

If you are experiencing signs of burnout and would like to talk confidentially within a safe and non-judgemental space, please contact me via my website www.vetpsyche.co.uk or email cate@vetpsyche.co.uk.

https://mentalhealth-uk.org/burnout/

19/02/2025

The following quote has popped up a few times on my FB feed recently and the words really resonate with me:

"In our darkest moments, we don’t need solutions or advice. What we yearn for is simply human connection—a quiet presence, a gentle touch. These small gestures are the anchors that hold us steady when life feels like too much.
Please don’t try to fix me. Don’t take on my pain or push away my shadows. Just sit beside me as I work through my own inner storms. Be the steady hand I can reach for as I find my way.
My pain is mine to carry, my battles mine to face. But your presence reminds me I’m not alone in this vast, sometimes frightening world. It’s a quiet reminder that I am worthy of love, even when I feel broken.
So, in those dark hours when I lose my way, will you just be here? Not as a rescuer, but as a companion. Hold my hand until the dawn arrives, helping me remember my strength.
Your silent support is the most precious gift you can give. It’s a love that helps me remember who I am, even when I forget."
Ernest Hemingway

As a counsellor it is a privilege to be with someone in their time of need - not to fix or change them, not to minimise or become their feelings - but to sit beside them so they know they're not alone.