A Psychotherapy Approach to Veterinary Wellness

Presentation Description / Summary: Veterinary wellness has typically concentrated on what can be called the "window dressings" of wellness : Exercise, nutrition, rest/relaxation and good social connections. While these are beneficial, they do not fully help the clinician or technician find meaning in work and avoid burnout. Additionally, these recommendations for wellness are particularly difficult to access when depression, anxiety and other mental health issues are present. There are, however, paths to a different type of wellness that require that we consider our earliest relationships, patterns that have emerged because of those interactions and become aware of how they manifest in our professional and personal lives. In this presentation, we will look at some psychoanalytic concepts (good and bad objects, masochism, fate and destiny, disappointment and hope) that offer a new way of seeing ourselves, our chosen profession and how we interact with others. Introductions to historical and contemporary psychoanalytic writers and thinkers will provide templates for re-engaging with the why of our professional choice and how we can work with professional challenges with clarity anc courage.

Learner Outcomes: Participants will: (1.) Understand how relational patterns, including our earliest ones influence professional choice and professional and personal adult relationships. (2.) Understand the role of the unconscious in our day-to-day work and homelife interactions. (3.) Understand how work choices, satsifaction and meaning making are predicated on early interactions with others.