Explore practical strategies for mental wellbeing across the veterinary professions

Mental Wellbeing and Positive Psychology for Veterinary Professionals: A Pre-emptive, Proactive and Solution-based Approach delivers a practical, hands-on guide to mental health and resilience for individual members of the veterinary professions and for those managing entire practices. Divided into 6 sections, the text offers valuable tools, including meditation, mindfulness, and positive psychology, to help readers grapple with the mental challenges presented by veterinary practice. The author has also included a series of case studies and anecdotes from her experience in counselling members of the professions, including a new-graduate vet, a specialist surgeon, and a head nurse, as they encounter issues like anxiety, compassion fatigue, fear of failure, imposter syndrome, and grief. By learning in advance about the common hurdles they will face during their careers, the reader will discover how to prepare for these in positive and proactive ways.

Readers will also find:

A thorough introduction to effective strategies for dealing with the difficulties of the veterinary professions, including mindfulness, empathy, and emotional intelligence
Comprehensive explorations of meditation, including body scan meditation, breath meditation, imagery, and mini-meditations
Practical discussions of specific challenges faced by veterinary practitioners, including moral injury, client complaints, burnout, imposter syndrome, and a loss of confidence
Fulsome case studies, including a veterinary nurse’s journey to mental wellbeing

Dr. Laura Woodward is well positioned to write on the topic, as both a working veterinary surgeon and an accredited counsellor and has crafted a text that is perfect for veterinarians, veterinary nurses, and practice managers. Mental Wellbeing and Positive Psychology for Veterinary Professionals will also benefit veterinary students, student veterinary nurses, and teaching staff seeking a comprehensive resource for veterinary mental health.

Laura Woodward, MVB; CertVR; CertSAS; Dip Couns; MRCVS is the Founder of a counselling and mindfulness practice for veterinary professionals based in the United Kingdom.
She is also a surgical veterinarian at the Hampstead Village Vet Hospital in London.

Foreword xvi

How the Book and Ideas Were Developed xxii

How to Use This Book xxiv

Part 1 Strategies 1

1 Mindfulness 3

What Does ‘Mindfulness’ Mean? 3

Paying Attention to the Present Moment 3

Mindful Living 4

Mindfulness: How to Do It 6

An Introduction to Mindful Meditation 8

Mindful Meditation: Paying Attention, On Purpose 9

Mindful Meditation: Non-Judgement of Emotions 11

The Case for Mindfulness Versus I’m Already Too Busy 14

Mindfulness in the Veterinary Practice 17

Mindfulness and Management 20

2 Emotional Intelligence 21

The Five Competencies of Emotional Intelligence 21

Self-Awareness 23

How Do I Become More Self-Aware? 23

Motivation 27

Empathy 28

Social Skills 29

3 Empathy 31

The Three Types of Empathy 31

Leadership and Empathy for Line Managers 34

The Evidence-Based Case for Leadership: Empathic Concern Versus Empathy Alone 39

Acceptance and Proactivity 39

So How Do I Do It? 40

What’s Not Helpful 40

What Is Helpful 41

The Empathy–Profitability Link 42

4 Secular Buddhist Concepts 45

Basic Elements of Secular Buddhism 45

Reference 52

Part 2 How to Meditate 53

1 How to Meditate: Part 1 55

Introduction 55

Gain Control of Your Mind 57

Mindful Drinking 58

Mindful Breathing 58

Mindful Body Scan 58

Loving Kindness Meditation 59

Hand-On-Heart Meditation 61

2 How to Meditate: Part 2 63

Observe an Emotion 63

Anger 63

Anxiety 65

3 How to Meditate: Part 3 67

4 How to Meditate: Part 4 69

Opening Shutters Meditation 69

The Fortress 71

The Heavy Bucket 71

Climbing Up the Branches of a Tree 72

Conveyor Belt Meditation 72

Part 3 Difficulties and Applying Strategies 75

1 Anxiety 77

2 Fear of Failure 80

The Dalai Lama Advises 81

So How Do I Stop Fearing Fear? 81

Disputing Irrational Beliefs and Doing Our Cognitive Homework 82

Change Your Language In Order To Change Your Thought Process 83

Exercises for Attacking Shame 83

Imagery and Role Play 84

Desensitisation 84

3 Loss of Confidence 86

4 Perfectionism 88

5 Imposter Syndrome 93

Feel Like A Fraud? 93

So What Can I Do? 94

Recognise Your Expertise 94

Remember What You Do Well 95

Talk About It 95

6 Compassion Fatigue 96

What Are The Symptoms of Compassion Fatigue? 98

How Do I Prevent or Recover From Compassion Fatigue? 99

References 101

7 Lack of Assertiveness 102

Empathy 104

Motivation 105

8 Social Media and Doom Surfing 106

How Do I Stop Doom Surfing? 108

References 100

9 Yearning, Striving and Wishing Things Were Different 111

‘Letting Go’ Of Striving 111

What Is Striving? 111

Blissful Happiness 113

10 Moral Injury 116

What Can We Do About Moral Injury? 118

Moral Courage 119

References 120

11 Identity 121

When Being a Veterinary Professional Is Your Whole Identity 121

How Do You Know If Your Identity Has Become Enmeshed With Your Career? 122

Start Small 122

12 Bullying 124

Cancel Culture 125

How to Refrain From Punitive Actions 126

13 Conflict And Client Complaints 127

14 Team Dynamics 131

Team Dynamics and Difficult Colleagues 131

Team Dynamics and Helping Colleagues 133

15 Depression 136

16 Anger 138

So, What’s Normal? 139

Knowing How and When to Express Your Anger is a Skill Worth Developing 141

Sleep On It 141

17 Grief 142

How to Grieve Mindfully 143

Competitive Grief 144

Comparative Grief 145

18 The Emotional Burden of Error 147

Guilt 147

Fear 148

Isolation 148

19 Guilt 151

I Feel Guilty 152

What Is Guilt? 152

Misuse of Guilt 153

Helpful Guilt 153

Misplaced Guilt 153

20 When Your World Falls Apart 156

References 161

21 Euthanasia And Suicide 162

References 164

22 Chronic Pain 165

References 167

23 Burnout 169

The Three Dimensions of Burnout 169

Emotional Exhaustion (Focus, Language and Posture) 170

Depersonalisation 172

Disconnection from Purpose 173

Summary of Burnout 173

Neuroplasticity and Reversing Burnout 174

The Evidence Base 175

Suicide, Burnout and Chronic Stress 175

Recognising Burnout 175

Mindfulness and Burnout 176

References 178

24 Management And Mindfulness 180

Mindfulness as an Evidence-Based Tool to Prevent Stress, Burnout and Depersonalisation 180

So How Do We Promote Mindfulness Training In Our Practices? 183

Reference 183

25 Suicide in the Veterinary Professions 184

The Neuroscience of Suicide 184

The Perfect Storm in Vets 185

So How Do We Increase Our Production Of Oxytocin? 186

Understanding the Steps Towards Suicide 187

References 188

Part 4 Therapy 189

1 Cognitive Behavioural Therapy 191

Rational Emotive Behavioural Therapy 191

2 Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction 193

Evidence Base for MBSR 194

The Aims of MBSR Are As Follows 194

References 195

3 Acceptance and Commitment Therapy 196

4 Acceptance and Commitment Therapy And Cancer 200

5 Animal-Assisted Therapies 202

Communication 204

Collaboration 205

Respect 206

References 206

Part 5 Case Studies 207

Introduction: The Counselling Process 209

1 Ann (A New Graduate Vet) 211

First Session 211

Acceptance 214

Second Session 215

Homework 217

Third Session 218

Summary 220

2 Ben (An Experienced Vet) 221

First Session 221

Second Session 225

Third Session 227

Summary 227

3 Darren (A Specialist Vet) 229

First Session 229

Second Session 233

Third Session 235

Summary 237

4 Claire (Head Nurse) 239

First Session 240

Second Session 243

Summary 244

Part 6 Positive Psychology 245

1 Gratitude 247

What Gratitude Isn’t 247

Grateful For Nothing 248

References 250

2 Kindness 251

We Can Perform Small Acts of Kindness Every Day in the Simplest of Ways 251

How Do Random Acts of Kindness Increase our Sense of Happiness? 253

References 253

3 Mindful Gift Giving and Receiving 254

How to Practise Mindful Gift Giving 255

Mindful Receiving of Gifts 256

4 Pride and Profitability 257

Self-Focused Pride and Other-Focused Pride 257

Positive Psychology 258

Enhancing Self-Focused Pride 259

So How Do I Notice The Mini-Victories? 259

References 260

5 Stubborn Optimism 261

What Can I Do? 263

6 Resilience 265

Positive Emotion 267

Engagement 267

Relationships 267

Meaning 268

Accomplishments 268

References 269

7 Two Ways of Looking 270

Hate 270

8 How Mindfulness Can Improve Cardiac Health 272

References 274

9 Self-Compassion Versus Self-Care 275

Mindfulness 276

Loving Kindness towards Yourself 277

A Sense of Common Humanity 278

10 Being Ready For Some Good News 279

Why We Tend to Ignore the Good Moments 280

Three Practices to Help Us Notice the Good News 280

11 The Use of Language 282

Internal Monologue 282

External Words to Self 283

External Words to Others 283

12 Exercise And Work–Life Balance 286

Mindful Versus Mindless Exercise – Your Call 286

Lacking In Motivation? Find an Exercise You Actually Like 287

Reference 288

13 Learning From Our Pets 289

Lesson One – The Importance of a Good Routine 291

Lesson Two – Feel What I Need to Feel When I Need to Feel It 291

Lesson Three – How to Truly Be Present 292

14 Resolutions and Intentions and Mindfulness-Based Eating Awareness Therapy 294

New Year Intentions 296

15 Postponing Mindfulness and Self-Compassion 300

Index 000

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