How I went from a burnt out and people-pleasing perfectionist to helping veterinary professionals build a balanced life:

I have been immersed in the veterinary profession for as long as I can remember.

Both of my parents are veterinarians, so I grew up working at my mom’s companion animal clinic in a suburb of Edmonton, Canada. At first, I was cleaning kennels and then I was making vaccination reminder phone calls, until I was old enough to answer phone calls and field questions as a receptionist. As I gained more skills and experience, I became a technician assistant and then was a veterinarian assistant after I was accepted into veterinary school at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon.

But despite loving general practice, I felt a calling to do something more.

So, after I graduated from veterinary school in 2004, I moved to the USA to do a rotating internship at Washington State University in small animal medicine and surgery. It was during my internship that I discovered my passion for emergency and critical care that led me to complete a 3-year residency at North Carolina State University. I proudly became a board-certified specialist in small animal emergency and critical care in 2008.

I have always loved teaching and wanted to continue to share my knowledge with others.

Hence I accepted a faculty position at the Ontario Veterinary College where I was Assistant Professor of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine for 5 years. During that time, I helped train ten emergency and critical care residents and mentored interns, graduate students, and veterinary students in clinical research, facilitating their primary or co-authorship of more than 25 veterinary publications. My research and passion for teaching has led me to speak at world renowned veterinary conferences and continuing education programs worldwide.

Despite my success, something was missing, and work-life balance was becoming increasingly more elusive.

I moved to Calgary in 2014 to continue to practice small animal emergency and critical care, while living closer to childhood friends and family. I stayed busy providing locum coverage in small animal intensive care units across Canada and the USA, co-edited the Manual of Veterinary Transfusion Medicine and Blood Banking, and served as Assistant Editor for the Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care. I volunteered on several committees including the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care (ACVECC) Scientific Committee, the Association of Veterinary Hematology and Transfusion Medicine Advisory Board, and the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association Member Wellness Advisory Committee.

Professional life was booming, but burnout hit me hard.

My business was thriving, but chronic stress was taking its toll on my body and mind. A car accident in 2014 served as a wake-up call for me and seemed like a sign from the Universe to slow down. I recognized that I needed to make changes in my life that would allow me to balance the work I love with the life I want to live.

I immersed myself in my own growth and healing, as well as understanding the foundations of personal and professional wellbeing.

I obtained my Compassion Fatigue Training from the University of Tennessee School of Veterinary Social Work, attended several human health and wellness conferences, and began devouring the literature on mindfulness, habit change, and self-care. Given the high rate of suicide in the veterinary profession, I also completed my Mental Health First Aid Training with the Mental Health Commission of Canada and my Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) from the Centre for Suicide Prevention. And after 10 years of a personal yoga practice, I completed my 200-hour yoga and meditation teacher trainings.

Then I began my mission to increase awareness about mental health and wellbeing within the veterinary profession.

In 2016, I hosted my first veterinary wellness workshop and retreat for veterinarians and technicians in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. I dedicated time and energy to spreading the word regarding wellbeing and mental health by writing a monthly blog and e-newsletter. I traveled around the world to veterinary conferences to inspire veterinary professionals to make lasting changes in their lives. I believed that by supporting veterinary care providers with tools for resilience and wellbeing that they would be able to thrive in this incredible profession long-term.

My growth and development as a speaker, facilitator, coach, and advocate continue year after year.

During the pandemic I completed a Life Coach Certificate Program and began supporting practice leaders and team members through their personal and professional wellness challenges. Driven by the intersection of communication and wellbeing, I became certified as a Step into Your Moxie® vocal empowerment system facilitator and American Veterinary Medical Association Train the Trainer Wellbeing Educator facilitator. My passionate advocacy for mental health and wellbeing led me to receive the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association Communication Award (2020) and to be named as an Alberta Blue Cross Face of Wellness (2022). I also recently became a teacher on the meditation platform Insight Timer.

You might wonder what I do when I’m not busy saving dogs and cats in the emergency room or ICU, traveling to speak at conferences, or promoting wellness in the profession.

Not surprisingly, I spend a lot of time investing in my own health and wellbeing by staying active! I enjoy practicing yoga at local studios, walking while I listen to podcasts, swimming laps at the local pool, and hiking in the beautiful Rocky Mountains. I also am an avid reader of self-help and young adult fiction books, and love to watch movies, hockey, and reality TV. And most of all, I love spending time with my daughter Bethany and our Standard Poodle Vivian.

Thank you for visiting my website!

It is apparent more now than ever that if veterinary professionals cannot care for themselves, they will have nothing left to give to their four-legged patients and two-legged pet owners. I hope that I can help you or someone you know in the veterinary field who might benefit from the services that I provide. I look forward to hearing from you!