Emotional Well-being for Animal Welfare Professionals
CABI Concise Series

Emotional Well-being for Animal Welfare Professionals

Tamsin Durston
Paperback
August 2022
9781789247794
More details
  • Publisher
    CABI
  • Published
    16th August 2022
  • ISBN 9781789247794
  • Language English
  • Pages 208 pp.
  • Size 6" x 9"
$46.80
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Each year, many thousands of animals are taken into rescue centers and animal shelters around the world. Some will have suffered neglect or cruelty, others relinquished because their owners are no longer able to cope with caring for a much-loved pet. Many owners will require support and guidance in meeting their animals' needs and helping them thrive in environments which can sometimes be challenging. Often animal welfare and veterinary staff are affected deeply by the decisions that they need to make on a daily basis and are at risk from a whole range of emotional health issues.

This book examines the risks to the emotional well-being of animal welfare staff and veterinary professionals. It provides practical solutions, coping strategies and various techniques aimed at restoring a work-life balance as well as giving guidance on creating healthy approaches to self-care for the emotionally challenging work undertaken by anyone working directly with animals. There is:

  • Practical advice on recognizing the risks such as compassion fatigue, burnout, and imposter syndrome

  • Guidance on creating emotional resilience through healthy coping strategies

  • Down-to-earth advice on supporting front line team members and public-facing animal care teams

  • A range of case studies by experts that help give professionals the strength to make positive changes
An invaluable and important text for veterinary professionals, animal rescue workers, pet behavior counsellors and dog training instructors, as well as support, administrative and front-line animal care teams.

Part I: Heart
1: Introduction – why is this topic so important?
2: Emotions, stress, and stressor stacking
3: Risk factors and influences upon emotional health
4: Stress injuries, compassion fatigue, and burnout
5: Self-care
Part II: Head
6: Happiness, wellbeing, and positive psychology
7: Imposter syndrome and the Dunning-Kruger effect
8: Developing mind skills
9: Psychology models, the intention-behaviour gap, and forming new habits
Part III: Hands
10: Resilience, mindset, and mindfulness
11: Strategies for teams
12: Practical toolkit – everyday activities for maintaining positive emotional wellbeing

Tamsin Durston

Tamsin Durston is a Clinical Animal Behaviorist and Dog Training Instructor with over 20 years’ experience as a Registered Veterinary Nurse, working as Veterinary Nurse Manager for Blue Cross Animal Hospital for the majority of this period. While working as Nurse Manager she placed special emphasis on creating an inclusive working environment aimed at optimizing mental and emotional health amongst the team of vets, nurses, receptionists and auxiliary staff which resulted in a highly functioning, emotionally resilient and communicative team. As well as undertaking behavior counselling appointments, Tamsin is Canine Behavior Officer within Dogs Trust’s Canine Behavior and Research Directorate creating welfare driven, evidenced-based educational resources and materials for professionals and owners alike. Committed to animal welfare, she believes in a balanced, holistic approach to nursing, rehabilitation, rehoming and animal behavior modification, appreciating physical, psychological and behavioral health as one.

Emotional resilience; Emotional well-being; Burnout; Constructing; Maintaining; Self help; Sabbotage; Strategies; Stress; Emotional challenge; Evidence-based; Happiness; Compassion; Compassion fatigue; Work-Life balance; Animal welfare; Mind traps; Self doubt; Psychological barriers; Veterinary team; Emotional health