It has become apparent that if veterinarians, technicians, and other veterinary professionals do not care for themselves, they will not be able to provide the best care for their patients and clients.
Following her own struggles with compassion fatigue and burnout, as well as seeing several colleagues and friends leave the profession for similar reasons, Dr. Marie Holowaychuk is passionate about fostering wellness within the veterinary team. Dr. Holowaychuk has Compassion Fatigue Training from the University of Tennessee School of Social Work, as well as Mental Health First Aid Training from the Mental Health Commission of Canada. She has attended several human health and wellness conferences and spoke at the Veterinary Health and Wellness Summit in 2016.
Dr. Holowaychuk believes it is pertinent that continuing education opportunities be made available that will provide information regarding self-care and wellness for veterinary professionals. As such, she provides lectures and workshops at conferences, in addition to small group sessions for veterinary clinic teams.
Her favorite wellness topics to speak about include:
- Anxiety, Depression, and Suicide in the Veterinary Profession
- Perfectionism, Burnout, and Compassion Fatigue Among Veterinary Care Providers
- Self-Care for Veterinarians and Technicians: What, Why, and How?
- The Entitlement Generation: Understanding and Working with Millennials
- Compassion Fatigue: When the Healer Needs Healing
- How to Survive (and Thrive) in Veterinary Practice
- Evidence-based Mindfulness and Meditation for Veterinary Care Providers
- Setting Boundaries, Saying No, and Maintaining Work-Life Balance
- Healthy Mind Platter: Maintaining Happy Brains
- Coping with Shift Work and On-call in Veterinary Practice
- Toxic Team Environments: How to Identify (and Prevent) Them
- It’s veterinary practice, not perfection!
- Replacing Perfectionism and Imposter Syndrome with Self-Compassion
- Sleep Hygiene: How to get a good night’s sleep
Testimonial
“Marie brings warmth and sunshine to every group. She combines her incredible intellect with a depth of caring for clients and colleagues. As an academic veterinarian and certified yoga teacher, she has the skills to understand veterinarians and guide them to health and vitality. Marie is truly a gift for Wellness.”
— Carol Hutchison, BSc, MD, MEd, FRCS(C), Certified Yoga Teacher
Associate Professor, Education Portfolio Director, Section of Orthopaedic Surgery
(University of Calgary)