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Animal Kingdom

Supporting the Mental Health of Animal Care Workers and Advocates

Those who dedicate their lives to caring for animals often do so with profound compassion and integrity. Yet this same empathy - so vital to their mission - can leave animal care professionals, veterinary staff, and advocates vulnerable to psychological distress.

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At our practice, we provide specialised mental health support tailored to the unique emotional, ethical and systemic challenges faced by those working with and for animals. Our services include individual and group counselling, burnout prevention strategies, workshops, and wellbeing-focused organisational support services. 

Clinical Dog Examination

Why This Support Matters

High rates of compassion fatigue, moral distress, and burnout are well-documented in animal-focused roles. Professionals often encounter death, abuse, overwork, and ethical dilemmas on a daily basis, while lacking the institutional support given to other trauma-exposed occupations (Figley & Roop, 2006; Scotney, McLaughlin, & Keates, 2015).

 

  • Veterinary professionals have higher rates of psychological distress and suicide than the general population (Platt et al., 2012).

  • Animal advocates frequently experience moral injury- a deep psychological distress arising when one feels powerless to prevent suffering (Baran et al., 2022).

  • Carers in shelters and sanctuaries may grapple with empathy overload, chronic grief, and organisational burnout (Reeve et al., 2005).

  • Despite these realities, mental health remains under-addressed in many animal-related settings, often due to stigma, time pressures, or the belief that suffering is “part of the job.”

A Compassionate and Informed Approach

We integrate evidence-based psychological approaches - including compassion-focused therapy, trauma-informed care, and mindfulness practices - with sector-specific insight. Our services are designed to:

  • Reduce compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma

  • Address chronic stress and ethical burnout

  • Support identity integration for those whose advocacy is deeply personal

  • Create sustainable pathways to continue working with animals without losing oneself in the process

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We understand the unique language, values, and emotional terrain of this work - because we’ve walked alongside it.

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Led by Lived Insight and Professional Expertise

This initiative is led by therapist Dr. Tani Khara - a mental health practitioner and researcher who brings two decades of experience across corporate, academic, and clinical domains. 

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​Her work bridges psychology and systems-thinking, offering not just therapy but insight into the broader patterns of burnout, grief, and moral distress that affect those in animal service professions. Dr. Khara's research and therapeutic approach centre on compassion, integrity, and long-term resilience.

Building a Culture of Care

Whether it’s a veterinary clinic, wildlife rescue, animal rights nonprofit, or companion animal shelter, our goal is to embed psychological resilience into the heart of animal care organisations.

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By supporting the humans behind the cause, we honour both their wellbeing and the animals they serve.

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References:

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  • ​Baran, B. E., Allen, J. A., Rogelberg, S. G., Spitzmüller, C., DiGiacomo, N., & Webb, J. B. (2022). Psychological distress in animal shelter workers: Examining the roles of exposure to euthanasia, social support, and coping. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 260(7), 783–789. https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.22.03.0123

  • Figley, C. R., & Roop, R. G. (2006). Compassion fatigue in the animal-care community. Humane Society Press.

  • Platt, B., Hawton, K., Simkin, S., & Mellanby, R. J. (2012). Systematic review of suicide in veterinarians. Occupational Medicine, 62(6), 436–446. https://doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqs108

  • Reeve, C. L., Rogelberg, S. G., Spitzmüller, C., & DiGiacomo, N. (2005). The caring–killing paradox: Euthanasia-related strain among animal-shelter workers. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 35(1), 119–143. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.2005.tb02095.x

  • Scotney, R. L., McLaughlin, D., & Keates, H. L. (2015). A systematic review of the literature on compassion fatigue in the veterinary profession. Journal of Veterinary Medical Education, 42(3), 225–234. https://doi.org/10.3138/jvme.0315-078R1

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