1. The evolution of the veterinary profession: How did we get here? 2. Caregiver Concerns 3. Being part of a compassionate caregiving community - for better or for worse! Examination of our Veterinary Professional Challenges 4. Tailoring your individual toolbox for self-care and resilience development 5. Change is in the Wind – A New Framework 6. Get excited and inspired! The Veterinary Profession of the Future. Appendix. Recommended Readings. Facilitator’s Guide
Dr. Sonja Olson grew up with her human and animal family members mostly in Maryland, but every summer included time with family in Wisconsin as well. She graduated from Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine with a focus on exotic animal medicine. Her professional path led to over 25 years of practicing clinical small animal and exotic emergency medicine in both private and corporate practice environments. The myriad of opportunities to teach, mentor, and lead that arose during these years were deeply fulfilling but there was also an increased awareness of the far-reaching need for veterinary well-being awareness and skills. This combination fostered Sonja’s passion to better understand, and then support, the holistic health of the veterinary caregivers. She is now focusing her energy on being a health & well-being trainer for veterinary associates through her current work role, podcasts, writing, and collaborative efforts with other like-minded souls. Creating awareness, heightening knowledge, and building compassionate communities will serve as the foundation for a thriving future veterinary profession. Re-energizing for herself comes from enjoying play time with her husband and furry kids, dark chocolate, yoga, running, and deepening her vipassana meditation practices.
Sonja Olson, an experienced Emergency Clinician, veterinary mentor,
and health and wellbeing trainer of veterinary teams, shares her
wisdom, her breadth of experience and knowledge on the topic on
wellbeing and resilience in this book. She also brings to life the
voices of her colleagues across the globe. By doing so, she
normalises conversations around vulnerability and mental health.
Sonja "talks the talk" and "walks the walk" and without ego, will
show how you too, can have a long and fulfilling professional life
and keep a personal life too. This book brings to the reader both
knowledge and experience that is useful to those studying and
practicing in the veterinary profession. This will be a valuable
addition to veterinarians, veterinary technicians, veterinary
nurses and veterinary paraprofessionals. Dr Vanessa Rohlf,
BA(Hons), MCouns&PsychTh, PhD, Counsellor, Psychotherapist, and
Research FellowThis is a great book for the vet community. It’s
chock full of models, resources, questions, practices and personal
anecdotes from those on the front lines. We all want to feel seen
and heard, that someone understands us, and Sonja does a great job
with that, normalizing the experience of the reader. I especially
appreciated the understanding and compassion for what clients are
experiencing, which might also help for us to understand why they
sometimes say and do the things they do. Part textbook, part
self-help, this is the ideal book for any veterinary professional.
Julie Squires, Certified Compassion Fatigue Specialist and
Certified Life Coach, Rekindle, LLCDr. Sonja Olson’s passion is
helping veterinarians thrive, and she is at the forefront of a
grassroots movement to improve the well-being of both individual
practitioners and the profession. A Call To Life takes a
much-needed, comprehensive look at the unspoken codes and culture
of veterinary education and practice. Using humor and compassion,
Dr. Olson charts a path forward to new era of veterinary practice,
one where veterinarians can flourish both at work and at home. This
book is essential reading for every practitioner and student.Karen
R. Fine, DVM, Author, Narrative Medicine in Veterinary Practice,
October 2021This book makes some big - and sometimes hard to hear -
points without lecturing: instead, it feels like having a
heartfelt, non-judgmental conversation. It recognizes that while a
good deal of the onus is on us to change our perspective, there are
outside forces beyond our control (forces identified and addressed
with as much care and importance). Reading this book is an
emotional rollercoaster, but it ends on an optimistic and positive
note without being stifling or overwhelming. A Call to Life is
something we need early on in vet school: it would have changed my
experience so much.Veterinary Surgeon and Veterinary Rehabilitation
Practitioner, BVM&S, MRCVS, Arizona, USAMeeting Sonja and
reading Creating Well-being and Building Resilience in the
Veterinary Profession: A Call to Life is a life-changer for me.
Just when I thought I knew it all, Sonja entered my world and
taught me more, much much more. She deep dives into what makes us
tick as vet pros, naming to tame the occupational hazards we
encounter through all walks of vet life, our complex challenges as
an industry, and what toolboxes are available for an individual
approach to building personal optimal well-being. For me, it is
like having a personal care Merck Veterinary Manual at my
fingertips for help with daily diagnosis, therapies to consider,
further readings, and continued success to remain a healer in the
profession I love. I would recommend it to everyone in the
profession to pop on your self-help shelf. A really lovely and
personal read, with so much input from so many in the profession
who are doing great work for change, from someone with so much
heartfelt aroha. Well done Sonja!Megan Alderson, BVSc, Veterinary
Professional Wellbeing Advocate, vetThrive, The Strand Veterinarian
in Parnell, Auckland, New Zealand
Sonja Olson, an experienced Emergency Clinician, veterinary mentor,
and health and wellbeing trainer of veterinary teams, shares her
wisdom, her breadth of experience and knowledge on the topic on
wellbeing and resilience in this book. She also brings to life the
voices of her colleagues across the globe. By doing so, she
normalises conversations around vulnerability and mental health.
Sonja "talks the talk" and "walks the walk" and without ego, will
show how you too, can have a long and fulfilling professional life
and keep a personal life too. This book brings to the reader both
knowledge and experience that is useful to those studying and
practicing in the veterinary profession. This will be a valuable
addition to veterinarians, veterinary technicians, veterinary
nurses and veterinary paraprofessionals. Dr Vanessa Rohlf,
BA(Hons), MCouns&PsychTh, PhD, Counsellor, Psychotherapist, and
Research FellowThis is a great book for the vet community. It’s
chock full of models, resources, questions, practices and personal
anecdotes from those on the front lines. We all want to feel seen
and heard, that someone understands us, and Sonja does a great job
with that, normalizing the experience of the reader. I especially
appreciated the understanding and compassion for what clients are
experiencing, which might also help for us to understand why they
sometimes say and do the things they do. Part textbook, part
self-help, this is the ideal book for any veterinary professional.
Julie Squires, Certified Compassion Fatigue Specialist and
Certified Life Coach, Rekindle, LLCDr. Sonja Olson’s passion is
helping veterinarians thrive, and she is at the forefront of a
grassroots movement to improve the well-being of both individual
practitioners and the profession. A Call To Life takes a
much-needed, comprehensive look at the unspoken codes and culture
of veterinary education and practice. Using humor and compassion,
Dr. Olson charts a path forward to new era of veterinary practice,
one where veterinarians can flourish both at work and at home. This
book is essential reading for every practitioner and student.Karen
R. Fine, DVM, Author, Narrative Medicine in Veterinary Practice,
October 2021This book makes some big - and sometimes hard to hear -
points without lecturing: instead, it feels like having a
heartfelt, non-judgmental conversation. It recognizes that while a
good deal of the onus is on us to change our perspective, there are
outside forces beyond our control (forces identified and addressed
with as much care and importance). Reading this book is an
emotional rollercoaster, but it ends on an optimistic and positive
note without being stifling or overwhelming. A Call to Life is
something we need early on in vet school: it would have changed my
experience so much.Veterinary Surgeon and Veterinary Rehabilitation
Practitioner, BVM&S, MRCVS, Arizona, USAMeeting Sonja and
reading Creating Well-being and Building Resilience in the
Veterinary Profession: A Call to Life is a life-changer for me.
Just when I thought I knew it all, Sonja entered my world and
taught me more, much much more. She deep dives into what makes us
tick as vet pros, naming to tame the occupational hazards we
encounter through all walks of vet life, our complex challenges as
an industry, and what toolboxes are available for an individual
approach to building personal optimal well-being. For me, it is
like having a personal care Merck Veterinary Manual at my
fingertips for help with daily diagnosis, therapies to consider,
further readings, and continued success to remain a healer in the
profession I love. I would recommend it to everyone in the
profession to pop on your self-help shelf. A really lovely and
personal read, with so much input from so many in the profession
who are doing great work for change, from someone with so much
heartfelt aroha. Well done Sonja!Megan Alderson, BVSc, Veterinary
Professional Wellbeing Advocate, vetThrive, The Strand Veterinarian
in Parnell, Auckland, New Zealand This is a necessary book for the
veterinary community. In a time where the role of veterinarians and
veterinary caregivers extends beyond the exam room, this simple yet
informative book creates a living narrative in which readers can
relate. In six easy-to-read, informative chapters, this book takes
readers on a journey in the cultivation of self-awareness,
self-worth, and self-compassion.The author comments that this book
is not the end-all-be-all of the pathway to mental wellbeing, but
that it can help readers to develop and implement their own skills
of reframing, mindfulness, and care strategies specific to the
wellbeing of the veterinary community.
Danielle E Strahl-Heldreth, BS, MSEd, DVM, MSVMS, DACVAA,
University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine
 |
Ask a Question About this Product More... |
|
