{"id":30634,"date":"2026-02-05T09:40:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-05T14:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antechdiagnostics.dv:7890\/?p=30634"},"modified":"2026-02-05T12:39:39","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T17:39:39","slug":"la-sante-mentale-en-medecine-veterinaire-troisieme-partie-cultiver-lautocompassion-avec-le-dr-jen-brandt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antechdiagnostics.tronestaging.com\/fr_ca\/2026\/02\/05\/mental-health-in-veterinary-medicine-part-three-cultivating-self-compassion-with-dr-jen-brandt\/","title":{"rendered":"La sant\u00e9 mentale en m\u00e9decine v\u00e9t\u00e9rinaire, troisi\u00e8me partie\u00a0: Cultiver l\u2019autocompassion avec le Dr Jen Brandt"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is the second episode in a three-part series on mental health in veterinary medicine from the Tails from the Lab podcast, hosted by Brad Ryan (MSC, DVM, MPH), Senior Professional Services Veterinarian at Antech, in conversation with Jen Brandt (LISW-S, PhD), Director of Member Wellbeing Initiatives at the AVMA. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this episode, Drs. Brad and Jen talk about cultivating compassion in your relationship with yourself and why it\u2019s so important for veterinary professionals to be kind to themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe allow=\"autoplay *; encrypted-media *; fullscreen *; clipboard-write\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"175\" style=\"width:100%;max-width:660px;overflow:hidden;border-radius:10px;\" sandbox=\"allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation\" src=\"https:\/\/embed.podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/talking-self-compassion-with-dr-jen-brandt\/id1672468285?i=1000736402994\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Dr. Brad Ryan<\/strong>: <em>In our first segment, we talked about the integral role of boundary setting as it pertains to mental health. Today, we\u2019re discussing self-compassion.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>One thing I&#8217;ve learned in attending your lectures in recent years, Dr. Brandt, is that I didn\u2019t truly understand what \u201cself-compassion\u201d means. I thought it meant attending a yoga class or simply telling myself I&#8217;m good enough, I&#8217;m smart enough and, doggone it, people like me. But obviously that&#8217;s not it exactly. So, let&#8217;s start there. What is self-compassion?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Dr. Jen:<\/strong> Self-compassion is treating yourself with the same kindness, fairness, and gentleness you\u2019d offer someone you love. It\u2019s being decent to yourself\u2014without tearing yourself down or using harmful language toward yourself.<br>It also includes remembering we\u2019re human. We\u2019re doing the best we can with the knowledge, support, and capacity we have available at a given point in time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Dr. Brad:<\/strong> <em>How does self-compassion differ from self-indulgence or performance-based self-esteem? What do those look like and why is it important to know the difference?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Dr. Jen:<\/strong> Self-compassion is the relationship I have with myself on the inside\u2014especially when I\u2019m disappointed or I mess up. It sounds like: \u201cThat was hard. I did the best I could with what I knew then. What can I learn from this?\u201d<br>Self-indulgence is more like, \u201cI want what I want when I want, regardless of how it may impact others and even when it\u2019s not in my long-term best interest.\u201d<br>And self-esteem is often performance-based: \u201cIf I do well and get rewarded or acknowledged by others, then I can feel worthy.\u201d<br><br>The problem is\u2014life is messy, outcomes aren\u2019t always in our control, and having our sense of self-worth dependent on others makes it very fragile. I often hear people in our profession say, \u201cIf I\u2019m not hard on myself, I\u2019ll get lazy or I won\u2019t perform well.\u201d And I\u2019m always curious where that belief came from\u2014because it\u2019s a learned belief, not an innate one. The good news is that what has been learned can be unlearned and replaced with something that helps more than it harms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here\u2019s one exercise that can make the difference really clear:<br>Look at an empty chair (or even a spot on the wall) and imagine in that space someone you truly care about\u2014someone you feel protective of. Now imagine speaking to them the way you tend to speak to yourself on a rough day. Most people immediately feel resistance: \u201cI would never speak to them that way.\u201d<br><br>That moment is powerful, because it highlights the gap between the compassion we offer others and the way we treat ourselves. The goal isn\u2019t to force fake positivity\u2014it\u2019s to notice the harsh habit, and practice a more supportive, realistic alternative. Something as simple as: \u201cI\u2019m a human being. I\u2019m trying. I can learn from this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Dr. Brad:<\/strong> <em>You\u2019re so right. Veterinary medicine is a profession that demands compassion. We are often walking into an exam room and dealing with people who are in very vulnerable states. We offer compassion up and we are able to give that to the client, and then maybe 30 minutes later, we are being completely vicious in our internal dialogue with ourselves about any number of things that might be happening that day. Why is this so common in veterinary medicine, or do you think it&#8217;s common for us not to be able to take that compassion that we&#8217;re giving outwardly and turn it back around and allow that to flood our own being?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Dr. Jen:<\/strong> I think it\u2019s common in caregiving professions\u2014and especially in work cultures that reward self-sacrifice, emotional \u201ctoughness,\u201d and pushing through no matter what. It\u2019s also very common among people with a perfectionistic mindset.<br><br>And then there\u2019s early modeling. A child might be taught, \u201cBe kind to others,\u201d and genuinely absorb that as a value. But if they repeatedly see a parent being cruel to themself\u2014calling themself stupid, judging their body, shaming their own mistakes\u2014the child learns something else too: compassion is for other people, not for you. Over time, the modeled behavior is often what sticks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Dr. Brad:<\/strong> <em>In your lectures on this topic, you often mention Dr. Kristin Neff, PhD, who runs a self-compassion research lab. She developed an empirically supported training program called Mindful Self-Compassion and co-founded the nonprofit Center for Mindful Self-Compassion.<\/em><br><br><em>Dr. Neff says that self-compassion has three elements. The first is self-kindness, which is what we\u2019ve been focused on here. Next is common humanity \u2014 recognizing that feelings of self-inadequacy are part of being human and not a uniquely individual phenomenon. That acknowledgement can help cultivate self-compassion.<br>And the third is mindfulness, not over identifying with the negative thought that&#8217;s happening \u2014 I am not the thought that I&#8217;m having about myself, I am separate from my thoughts. And that&#8217;s a lot trickier, isn&#8217;t it, for some people?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Dr. Jen:<\/strong> Absolutely\u2014and there\u2019s a lot of complexity underneath harsh self-talk. For one, humans have a negativity bias. Our brains are built to scan for what\u2019s wrong, what\u2019s risky, what could go badly\u2014because that\u2019s how we survived.<br><br>Early development can add another layer. When we\u2019re young, we naturally make meaning in very self-focused ways. If something goes wrong, a child\u2019s brain often concludes, \u201cIt must be my fault.\u201d Over time, those beliefs can become a habit: \u201cI\u2019m not enough. I\u2019m not lovable. I\u2019m not safe unless I\u2019m perfect.\u201d<br>A lot of people try to manage fear or discomfort through control: \u201cIf I\u2019m hard enough on myself, I can prevent bad things from happening.\u201d The inner critic may start as a protection strategy, becoming increasingly harmful over time. And for many people, it\u2019s so automatic they don\u2019t even realize it\u2019s happening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dr. Brad: And yet we know, intuitively, that we want to show up to work and be the absolute best version of ourselves \u2014 the best veterinarians \u2014 that we can be. A lot of that is having the knowledge base, of course, but then there&#8217;s this whole other element of how we take care of ourselves so that we can actually show up for other people and not be a hot mess of a person (as I like to refer to myself sometimes).<br>I think it&#8217;s important for those of us in this profession to understand that the cultivation of self-compassion actually makes you a better veterinarian. Can you expand on that in terms of what we know about decision-making under stress and making sure that we don&#8217;t burn out or completely self-destruct?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Dr. Jen:<\/strong> I sometimes call it being a \u201chot buttered mess,\u201d so I get it! And yes\u2014self-compassion supports better performance, not worse. A lot of us define \u201cbeing the best\u201d as a checklist: no mistakes, perfect outcomes, always having clients satisfied, always having the right answer. But so much of that is outside our control\u2014medicine is complex, clients are human, systems have limitations.<br><br>What we <em>don\u2019t<\/em> hear as often is: \u201cBeing the best includes how I treat myself under pressure.\u201d Because when I\u2019m stuck in an all-or-nothing mindset\u2014<em>it\u2019s all good or it\u2019s all bad<\/em>\u2014my nervous system is more activated, my thinking gets narrower, and my decision-making gets more rigid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Self-compassion helps us come back to a balanced perspective: \u201cThis is hard, and I can stay present. I can think clearly. I can learn.\u201d That balance supports better judgment, better communication, and better recovery after a hard case.<br><br>And there\u2019s also a ripple effect. In teams and training environments, we often have values like \u201clearning from mistakes\u201d or \u201cwe support each other.\u201d But if what\u2019s modeled in the day-to-day is blame, shame, or harsh self-criticism, people absorb that. Self-compassion isn\u2019t just personal\u2014it can shape culture. When you practice it, you\u2019re more likely to model curiosity, honesty, and accountability without humiliation\u2014and that strengthens trust and psychological safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Dr. Brad:<\/strong> <em>We spoke about this in our first segment on Boundary Setting, but it feels like now is a good time to move on to catastrophizing. Catastrophizing is interrelated with perfectionism in my mind, because if the bar I\u2019ve set is that I can never make the tiniest little mistake, then when I inevitably do, it feeds into the self-talk too, right? Then it&#8217;s this idea that I made this mistake, therefore I am [fill in the blank with something terrible].<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Dr. Jen:<\/strong> Exactly. And when you say the word catastrophizing, most people immediately recognize it. We\u2019ve likely all experienced some version of:<br>\u201cIf I make this mistake, people will laugh at me. I\u2019ll fail out of school or lose my job. I\u2019ll never get another job. I\u2019ll lose my friends. I\u2019ll end up on the streets and die alone.\u201d<br>When we hear that stream of consciousness out loud, it sounds extreme\u2014but it\u2019s a very real pattern the brain can develop in an effort to keep us safe and prevent negative outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The problem is that catastrophizing narrows our options. It pushes us into threat mode\u2014where we fixate on what could go wrong and ignore important tools like self-compassion, vulnerability, asking for support, and reality-checking the story our brain is spinning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Dr. Brad:<\/strong> <em>And of course, all the things that we&#8217;ve been discussing are usually reinforced by at least what has been in the past, the cultural norms around a lot of this. And so by doing this work at the individual level and, hopefully, at the team level, we might actually get there as a profession.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Dr. Jen:<\/strong> Some of the most powerful moments I\u2019ve seen in veterinary medicine have been when an esteemed professional openly acknowledges their humanity. When these real life stories are shared, you can hear a pin drop.<br>I remember an orientation once where a college leader introduced herself and shared two personal facts: she loved chickens\u2014and she didn\u2019t pass her boards the first time. You could almost feel the tension release from the room. Afterward, students kept saying, \u201cWait\u2026 you can still be successful if you\u2019re not perfect the first time?\u201d There was an overwhelming sense of relief, hope, and connection formed in that moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The same thing happens when speakers talk honestly about a medical error they made and what they learned. They still have a career. They still love the work. They\u2019ve gone on to teach countless others how to avoid that same mistake in the future. In a culture of shame and blame, we tend not to hear those stories in that light. But when we <em>do<\/em> hear them, it makes the \u201cexpert\u201d feel more human\u2014and it gives everyone else permission to keep learning. I think we need more space for that, because it changes what people believe is possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Dr. Brad:<\/strong> <em>Absolutely. I&#8217;m 44 years old now. The beauty of life is in all the messiness, the resilience that is being built over time because of these things that came before us. The shared humanity is something that we all have, the vulnerability of just saying, \u201cYes I&#8217;m not perfect, these are the things that didn&#8217;t go as I had hoped in the past and here I am standing tall, living my dream.\u201d And there&#8217;s the beauty of life from my point of view.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Dr. Jen:<\/strong> Oh my gosh\u2014same! I love sharing my mistakes, often with some humor woven in. Because with time and distance, you discover what was so profoundly human and relatable to what you experienced. In the moment it\u2019s not funny, but later? Sometimes it really is.<br>I\u2019ve been in conversations where instead of trying to one-up each other with achievements, people share their \u201cbest mistakes.\u201d Like, \u201cOh, I\u2019ve got a doozy for you\u2026\u201d And the room fills with laughter\u2014and relief. That relief matters, because it reminds you: you\u2019re not alone. Being human is part of this. And it\u2019s in those types of moments I feel most connected to others, and more a part of this thing called life.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Dr. Brad:<\/strong> <em>Absolutely. I\u2019d like to reflect on how, when we get to a place of self-compassion individually, the ways in which we flourish as a result. Once again, this is a lifelong process, it&#8217;s not like we can check five boxes and suddenly we&#8217;re self-compassionate people, right? Usually it&#8217;s two steps forward, one step back, hopefully, but when the net effect is moving forward on that trajectory, what are the outcomes?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Dr. Jen:<\/strong> First, I love that you named it a process\u2014because it is. It\u2019s not something you \u201cachieve\u201d and then never struggle with again.<br>Over time, self-compassion can reduce perfectionistic thinking and soften that harsh inner critic. And when those layers ease up, you get more access to curiosity, vulnerability, and actually listening\u2014to yourself and to other people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It also supports better decision-making under pressure. When the main focus is \u201cI can\u2019t make a mistake,\u201d we often get more activated\u2014and ironically, more likely to miss something. When the focus becomes, \u201cI\u2019m going to do my best, and if something goes wrong, I can respond, learn, and get support,\u201d it reduces panic and increases clarity. And yes\u2014quality of life improves, at work and at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the team side, self-compassion supports psychological safety and trust. When people aren\u2019t terrified of being shamed, judged, and punished, they\u2019re more willing to speak up, ask questions, and learn.<strong>Dr. Brad:<\/strong><em>Thank you, Dr. Brandt for joining me in this discussion<\/em>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This is the second episode in a three-part series on mental health in veterinary medicine from the Tails from the Lab podcast, hosted by Brad Ryan (MSC, DVM, MPH), Senior Professional Services Veterinarian at Antech, in conversation with Jen Brandt (LISW-S, PhD), Director of Member Wellbeing Initiatives at the AVMA. In this episode, Drs. Brad [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":32433,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[82],"tags":[],"service-area":[],"class_list":["post-30634","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-07-19 08:24:17","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/antechdiagnostics.tronestaging.com\/fr_ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30634","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/antechdiagnostics.tronestaging.com\/fr_ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/antechdiagnostics.tronestaging.com\/fr_ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/antechdiagnostics.tronestaging.com\/fr_ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/antechdiagnostics.tronestaging.com\/fr_ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30634"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/antechdiagnostics.tronestaging.com\/fr_ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30634\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/antechdiagnostics.tronestaging.com\/fr_ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32433"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/antechdiagnostics.tronestaging.com\/fr_ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30634"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/antechdiagnostics.tronestaging.com\/fr_ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30634"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/antechdiagnostics.tronestaging.com\/fr_ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30634"},{"taxonomy":"service-area","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/antechdiagnostics.tronestaging.com\/fr_ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/service-area?post=30634"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}