“Let me share that our groups are completely free to attend. They’re confidential. They’re virtual. They’re one hour in length and they are facilitated by clinical psychologists, myself, Dustin, and then we’ve recently been fortunate to add three other experts to our team, and we all have a background in grief and loss, work-life balance, mood symptoms and traumas.”

Our guests today are Drs. Katie Lawlor and Dustin Kieschnick. They join us to discuss the Veterinary Mental Health Initiative, where they both serve as facilitators. Wellbeing and mental health are areas of veterinary medicine that continue to be in the spotlight and the need for more awareness and resources continues to grow. This initiative focuses on peer support with PhD level psychologists facilitating the discussion. They share with us how this FREE program came about through generous support of a veterinary client who saw the need in veterinary medicine. We also discuss how the program is set up and what you can expect from the sessions. It is a great conversation and we are so excited to share this journey with you!

Please note, during this conversation we discuss statistics of burnout, depression and mental health in veterinary medicine. We also briefly discuss suicidology. If you are not currently in a space to hear this information, please feel free to skip this episode or save it for a future listen.

It is important to know that the Veterinary Mental Health Initiative is NOT for emergency mental health intervention. If you or someone you know is experiencing a crisis or considering suicide, please call 800-273-8255 or Text HOME to 741741

If you would like to learn more about the Veterinary Mental Health Initiative, please visit their website: https://www.shanti.org/volunteer/veterinary-mental-health-initiative/

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