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Sep 8, 2025 09:00pm
By Amelia Knight Pinkston
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58 min read

Ep. 88 | What's Not Working in Vet Med and What Can We Do Instead? A Candid Conversation with Dr. Sonja Olson


In this episode of the Life Boost with Amelia podcast, Dr. Amelia Knight Pinkston and Dr. Sonja Olson have a candid conversation about the current challenges in veterinary medicine, tailored for veterinary professionals and pet parents who are curious about the factors contributing to these issues. 

They explore topics such as burnout, rising costs, decreased trust among pet owners, and lack of diversity, discussing steps that can be taken individually and as a profession to address them. Dr. Olson shares insights on trust, communication, and the importance of personal and professional wellbeing. This episode offers valuable resources and practical tips for creating a more sustainable and supportive environment in vet med and highlights the network of professionals working behind the scenes to create positive change.

00:00 Introduction to Life Boost with Amelia

01:02 Challenges in Veterinary Medicine

04:16 Introducing Dr. Sonja Olson

05:56 Sonja's Professional Journey

10:05 The Evolution of Veterinary Medicine

23:55 The Importance of Clinical Empathy

32:18 Efficiency and Wellbeing in Vet Med

35:32 Exciting Developments in Veterinary Care

36:46 Building a Supportive Team Culture

37:43 The Importance of Emotional Intelligence

38:30 Leveraging Resources for Growth

39:35 Embracing Change and Setting Boundaries

41:34 The Power of Teamwork and Seeking Help

43:50 Creating a Healthy Work Environment

51:59 Fostering Diversity and Inclusion

58:13 Trust and Self-Awareness

01:03:31 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Ways to connect with Sonja:

Life Boost with Amelia resources:

Intro

Welcome to the Life Boost with Amelia podcast where we're changing the narrative around what true health and success look like. They should give you energy, not drain it. I'm your host, Dr. Amelia, multi-passionate integrative health and life coach, entrepreneur, and recovered burnout veterinarian. Together, we'll explore the science behind how your brain and body work, including the unconscious mind while also connecting with what your heart needs in order to stand up to the norm of feeling stuck on a hamster wheel-working hard yet feeling exhausted and not where you want to be- and instead live a life that makes you excited to get out of bed in the morning and in love with who you see when you look in the mirror. The reality is if you do what everyone else is doing, you're not going to feel good. Let's break the norm.

Hi, friend. If you're a veterinary professional or a pet parent who has ever wondered why your vet seems rushed, stressed, or harder to reach than you'd expect, then this episode is for you.

I'm so excited to share this conversation that I had with Dr. Sonja Olson. We actually recorded it several months ago, so I am excited to finally be sharing it. In this episode, we have a candid conversation as two vets who experienced and recovered from burnout about some of the biggest challenges we're facing in Vet Med right now, like burnout, distrust between the pet parent and vet, lack of DEI and rising costs of veterinary care. And then we explore some of the factors contributing to those challenges and what we can do about it. I know as you listen to Sonja, you're going to feel her warmth, wisdom, and passion.

If you've listened to some of my other episodes, you know, I talk about breaking the norm and being a unicorn. A unicorn being the type of person who has this positive energy that other people notice and feel. The U in unicorn stands for uplifting and uniting, meaning that we really feel our best when we lift up and support those around us instead of getting caught up in judgment or comparisonitis. And Sonja does a beautiful job of that in this episode, highlighting the many people and organizations that are doing meaningful work to provide support and help our profession to be more sustainable.

And when I experienced burnout, I felt so alone in my experience and I didn't know of any resources available. But in my journey recovering and entering the coaching space, I've started to see that there's actually a really wonderful community of people who are doing amazing work in vet Med.

And it reminds me a lot of the mycelium network. If you're not familiar with it, it's super cool. It's basically a network of fungi that are underground and they help trees in forests to communicate with one another and to share nutrients and resources and to warn of dangers. You don't see it when you're walking through the forest, but it's quietly working to support the health of the entire forest ecosystem, and that's kind of like what's happening in Vet Met. Sometimes there's so much talk about burnout and the challenges that you don't see the incredible community who are creating positive change, but it's there. A community that is working together to support the ecosystem of vet med, meaning the wellbeing of the veterinary team, pet parents, and pets.. In this episode, it's a glimpse into some of the work that's being done, and I'm also working on putting together a resource on my website that lists some of the other incredible coaches, consultants, and healers who I have connected with, so it's easier to find the right resource for you.

While we do need systemic change, know that you don't have to wait for that. Listen for one little tip that resonates in this episode that you can start applying in your own life. Small shifts create huge positive ripple effects.

And that actually reminds me today I was walking through DC and there's this beautiful mural on a building and it said, mother nature shows us anything big starts out small. So I hope you take that to heart as you are listening to this conversation.

I'm going to introduce you to our guest Dr. Sonja Olson and then we'll dive into the conversation. Thanks for being here.

Sonja Grew up in Maryland and graduated from Virginia Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine with a focus on exotic animal and conservation medicine. Her professional path led to over 25 years of practicing clinical small animal and exotic emergency medicine. Her professional journey included formal teaching and mentorship of other veterinary professionals. Despite her best efforts to stay holistically healthy along the way, burnout and the physiologic impacts of that difficult work caught up with her. This lived wisdom combined with the intentional seeking of evidence-based mental health and wellbeing skills and certifications have fortified her resolve to offer care and support for those in the veterinary field. Today, Sonja lives in Vancouver, Washington, and her current full-time role is as veterinary wellness educator and coach for her own business, Heartstorming Wellness LLC. Through her innovative one-on-one heart storming sessions, keynote presentations, and resilience focused writings she shares practical tools to manage change, enhance self-awareness, and foster meaningful connections. She specializes in helping individuals and teams within the veterinary field navigate stress, find balance, and cultivate emotional wellbeing. Combining evidence-based coaching, mindfulness, and her clinical expertise, Dr. Olson creates compassionate, transformative spaces that empower her clients to thrive both personally and professionally. And as you'll hear at the end, she also is the author of a book, creating Wellbeing and Building Resilience in the Veterinary Profession: a Call to Life. Enjoy the conversation.

Amelia:

All right. Hello and welcome Sonja. Thank you so much for being here.

Dr. Sonja Olson:

I'm so glad to be back with you. We've been having such fun conversations.

Amelia:

We really have, yeah, it was just a few months ago I think that we initially connected thanks to Dr. Phil Richmond,

Dr. Sonja Olson:

Yay.

Amelia:

Yeah, it's also doing amazing things in the wellbeing space and it, as you said, he has a gift of connecting like hearted individuals. And I think that's so true because we were meant to connect and it just always feels like a breath of fresh air when I get to chat with you. We share similar journeys of working really hard in a profession we're really passionate about and experiencing burnout. And then in the process and journey of recovering, starting to see some of those root issues that are hurting our profession and having that passion to speak out about it and to change it. And the last time that we were chatting, we realized, okay, this needs to be a podcast conversation, so I'm glad we're gonna be doing this today. Really I'd like for this to be like a lifting of the veil for both pet parents and veterinary professionals and an opportunity to talk about what's happening behind the scenes a little bit, especially for pet parents, to give them that perspective and also to be calling out some of the unconscious things that are happening and patterns that are contributing to some of the biggest issues that we have in VetMed. Because once we're aware of those things, we can change it, right?

Dr. Sonja Olson:

Oh, that's it.

Amelia:

yeah. So to get started. I'd love to get your perspective too, but I think some, the biggest challenges that we're facing in Vet Med, I think about the perception that vets are only in it for the money and maybe this growing divide or distrust between pet parents and veterinary professionals. I think of the vet prices are rising, the burnout and suicide rate that we have been experiencing for a long time, understaffed hospitals, and a lack of diversity. Those are some of the, like the things that really top of mind for me. But what about you? Is there anything you'd add to that?

Dr. Sonja Olson:

No, I think that those are that's a deep and rich space for us to explore. I think we could spend a podcast per topic, but I think that where you and I went with this was really just exploring for individuals like ourselves. How was it that we came to be in the space of wanting to be advocates and ambassadors for thriving for veterinary professionals, which then begets healthy people doing great work in a profession for as long as it makes sense for them in whatever way they wanna do it too. They don't have to be in the clinic like you and I, we've chosen a different path, yet we are veterinary professionals down to our cellular DNA. But that's really important. And I think that also what you and I were talking about is that practicing inside the veterinary hospitals is not in a vacuum. That what we're also witnessing and experiencing is that we are humans in the different spaces of our lives and the impacts of what's going on outside the practices absolutely is impacting who we are and how we show up with each other and with our clients. So I do wanna just weave that in as well. You mentioned a really important word, trust, That's something that we'll touch on as we go.

Amelia:

Absolutely. I love that. And I love how you are really mentioning of just everything is connected, right? And so if you are going to solve a problem, it's like you can't just look at one thing or just look at your career because those relationships and the way that you're treating your body and everything is just so connected. So it's like zooming out is so important and that trust too. So I think a great place to start is just to acknowledge that Vet Med is changing, right? And I think it's especially important for pet parents to just be aware of how it is, and I think it, it's exciting. This is a time when we have the opportunity to really be making sure that our profession is making positive changes, to be more sustainable and to support the wellbeing of everybody. We're also at a point where we could go down a different path. We're not going to, but it could turn more into like human healthcare or losing connection to the heart of VetMed and what is so important for supporting everybody's wellbeing. And some of that has to do with the transition of it previously being mainly privately owned practices and more corporate and private equity companies are buying out. And I know you have really experienced that on a personal level. So do you mind speaking a little bit to laying the foundation of what is happening in VetMed and as much as you would want to share how you see that impacting the wellbeing of vets and just our profession.

Dr. Sonja Olson:

Yeah. Again it's a really rich space to, to look at and thank you for setting it up so well. Amelia. I think that we recognize that like any profession, we're on a journey of adapting to the needs of the pet owners, of the animals themselves, of the world that we live in. There's lots of different things that are, like you said, looking at a systems approach. We're not just in a vacuum. So I think that's true. That's part of what's driving our evolution. However, what we are also acknowledging is that much like human medicine acknowledged about 15 years ago, the caregivers themselves are really in need of being equipped and upskilled in their capacities to navigate the occupational hazards as you will of caregiving in highly emotional, highly stressful environments. And that includes understanding things such as empathic strain, secondary traumatic stress. The moral distress that happens with the finances in veterinary medicine and euthanasia, understanding communication. And you and I were briefly touching on relationship centered communication, clinical empathy. Those aren't necessarily new terms in general, yet they're newer to us. So just, those are things that I do wanna make sure we touch upon as far as part of our evolution is us coming into an awareness of what have we experienced to date, what has served us, and in fact, what can we do even better yet, right? To be healthier as we do it sustainably and bring great quality medicine to animals because that's our heart. We wanna bring great quality medicine to animals and do it more effectively as a team. As a team inside the hospital and a team with our pet parents. Yes. How do we do that in the ecosystems of vet med now around the world, what we're seeing is that there are lots of different sizes and shapes of vet teams and practices. That's always been true. What the pendulum has done over the last 10 years is that it swung really far towards corporate owned, private equity owned veterinary groups. They were, there was a lot of acquisitions. They came under the umbrella with the idea being that there would be efficiencies, that there would be maybe even greater resources around practice managers and administrative capacities, inventory, osha, all the things that are not so fun and are time consuming for people inside private practices. Maybe that those things could be handled by another team so that the team in the hospital could focus on medicine. So I do believe that there, there are some really good intentions around some of these things.

Amelia:

Absolutely. I completely agree.

Dr. Sonja Olson:

However, I do feel like there's also perhaps a different awareness of what is veterinary medicine versus human medicine. We are different, so you have people coming from human medicine sectors and trying to apply those models to vet med. It's not such an easy translation. There are some iniquities to us as people, to us and our culture and the relationship we have with pet owners and the relationship we have with our patients. So those are important things to note. What is happening, I think, now, is that the pendulum is starting to swing back for a number of reasons towards people having the courage, the awareness, and the desire to take veterinary medicine back into veterinary hands. I'm excited about that. I'm really excited about it. So my personal journey. Yes, I was in the space of private practice when I first started out of my internship. Amazing full service GP and ER with Avian exotics as well in the Washington DC area. A phenomenal incubator practice. Very intentionally joined what was the flagship hospital of Florida Veterinary Specialists down in Tampa. We grew locally. That's what a lot of specialty and ER groups were doing at the time, is that they were new. They were creating their own specialized kind of care for the community instead of folks having to go to universities. And they were creating training programs, which is why I joined that group. They had internships and residencies. Yummy. Super exciting for me as somebody who really wanted the opportunity to teach and to grow. we grew locally and then over a course of time we grew and partnered with other like-minded, like sized emergency specialty groups, and that's how Blue Pearl was born. And over a course of time, we also got to a size where we knew we needed to have a parent company that would look out and after us. So very intentionally aligned with the Mars family who is privately owned. It's not publicly traded. They have very like valued, like-minded family. So that was the journey. I got the opportunity to be a partner in the journey alongside many veterinary professionals in the flagship group as well as alongside other groups in the Blue Pearl family. It was dynamic and interesting and turbulent.

Amelia:

And when you say turbulent, what was contributing to that part?

Dr. Sonja Olson:

Just the adapting to the needs, like I say again, of the community and also how do we stay viable as a, growing business, each hospital, but also as a collective? That's the journey that many groups have been on, not just Blue Pearl. That's something that they've been looking for different ways of creating spaces of innovation, of different ways of connecting with each other, with a larger industry, but also with the clients. So there's been some really amazing progress around that with really embracing technology and telemedicine. Hello Covid, pushed a lot of really interesting things forward around adapting to that. What I think hasn't translated as well has been really for the veterinary groups. There's been, I have a lot of love for our practice managers and hospital administrators.

Amelia:

my gosh. Yeah. It's a tough job.

Dr. Sonja Olson:

Because they are the translators. They are the pivot point where they're trying to take care of their people and keep their hospitals thriving in all the ways, meet the needs of the pet parents as well. And there are priorities from the larger leadership group and largely those are business goals. So how to meet in the middle and so that both are aware of the needs of the other groups in an effective way. I feel like that is the turbulent part. I feel like that's a really challenging spot and I think that folks are learning how to do that and learned along the way that there are some things that we probably are doing really well around it and things that continue to need us to be attentive.

Amelia:

Yeah, and I think it sounds like you're talking about some of the, like the growing pains, right? with any growth comes some discomfort and those pain points are such an opportunity I think for us as a profession to really embrace, I call them three C's, like compassion, curiosity, and connection, and really going into those points of friction not with judgment, but compassion for everybody. Just as you're talking about that entire ecosystem of the pet parent, the pet and the veterinary team and getting curious about okay, what's not working here? What can we do that's still prioritizing the wellbeing of everybody? Because as you said, we are different from human healthcare and like the only way we thrive in a sustainable way is when we are looking at vet med as an entire ecosystem and making sure that we're taking care of the wellbeing of everyone. And I think sometimes there's the focus on the pet, of course. And then clients, the pet parents, we want them to be happy. And then sometimes the veterinary team, including the practice owners, I see consistently practice owners are really struggling because there is so much pressure on them. And so I think this is a point where we really need to be thinking. Okay, and seeing the veterinary team, their wellbeing is such an important foundation, right?

Dr. Sonja Olson:

So you're pointing to a number of different things, like from the social work lens, they talk about systems and they talk about micro being the individuals, meso being the team or the practice. And then you have the macro, and macro would be the whole organization. And there's even meta, which is like the whole profession, right? So if we look at it at each level, there's really great opportunities to say, Hey, what if we figured out what's working, what's not? What do we need more of? How do we foster bridges through curiosity, courage, and compassion in between these spaces? And That's really part of us, I think, as a collective, shifting from this scarcity mindset, from a blame mindset into a space of real possibility and opportunity, and really also recognizing the benefit of, like you were saying at the very beginning, helping our clients, our pet owners to understand more about what is going on for the veterinary professionals and maybe even some insights into why the cost of veterinary care continues to rise the way that it does. How do we partner more effectively with all animal guardians? So there's that whole conversation of spectrum of care, which really, I think fits so beautifully with our One Health Mission where we serve humans and animals for the benefit of all.

Amelia:

Completely. Yeah. Yeah. And for pet parents who are listening and not familiar with that spectrum of care, that is the willingness to not just do gold standard, right? You don't have to do everything if that's beyond your budget or what makes sense for you for the day. But it really is the veterinary team working with you and finding out what can we do to help your pet that makes sense for your budget and your lifestyle. And, it's just about compromising and working together

Dr. Sonja Olson:

And, lot of respect of, values of beliefs, and that's something that for each and every one of us, that's a lifelong journey of, for each individual and team to really examine where am I, where are you, and where's the bridge? Yeah, exactly right, Amelia. It's the spectrum of care is really looking at where's that land of trust and team. So we're doing the best that we can.

Amelia:

absolutely. Yeah. And I think coming out like as for new grads, that can be quite challenging because we really are selected and rewarded for one thing, for being able to get the right answer, like to be right in order to get into vet school. And then vet school is a lot of taking exams and there's like a right or wrong answer in many cases. And we are at these vet school. hospitals where oftentimes we are able to practice the gold standard. If we could do everything we wanna do, then we get to do that and then we go out into the real world where that is not the case. And so it really can create so much stress in those cases when as a new grad, you're like, I wanna do everything I can for the patient, but now I feel like I have my hands tied and there's a sense of doing things wrong or not making a difference. And so I love that you're talking about spectrum of care, because I think it's so important that as a profession, we're really celebrating that, how that is so key for strengthening the relationship that we have with the pet parent and establishing that trust so we can be working together and recognizing it's that working together, that is what we really need to celebrate there. There is no black and white, just right or wrong.

Dr. Sonja Olson:

That's right. And I think that the opportunity for us, to bring it back to, as we started to say, that you were having that beautiful conversation around clinical empathy and for those that maybe are like, what does that even mean? It's like looking at,'cause there is a difference between empathy and compassion. And our language is becoming increasingly refined. Compassion does not fatigue. Compassion is actually neurologically rejuvenating. What's fatiguing is our empathy, our ability to feel, to align with, to take in and to really wish to help with emotions that may be challenging. And empathy can also be the other side. By the way. It can be like, I'm celebrating your joy. How amazing. And you can get some beautiful neurotransmitter hits, sympathetic joy, right? Yay. And this hard stuff. And sometimes in caregiving particularly, we inadvertently subconsciously let things in. So I think clinical empathy is really skillful, mindful awareness of being in a place where there's a lot of emotions, both very positive and very hard in between with each other as a caregiving team, but also with the pet owners. So clinical empathy is how do we skillfully hold the space of, I see this is hard for you and I care to be alongside you and to be a partner with you in a way that you know that I care about you as much as I care about your animal as we go through this. And I think that's this opportunity. It's happening in some of our veterinary schools. Amazing mentorship programs are developing now where especially our younger colleagues coming out of their training programs are getting upskilled around emotional intelligence and how to ask great, powerful open-ended questions and listen, really actively listen with curiosity and the desire to learn. There's there's a lot of upskilling. And by the way, for those of those that have been practicing for a long time, these are opportunities for us to continue to do better. We've learned a lot and we can continue to refine even more so to make it a better experience for everybody.

Amelia:

Yeah. Yeah. And I love that you're highlighting that because those conversations, like when you do have that kind of the open-ended questions and you're communicating in a way that's just really helping to connect and build trust rather than divide it's not about doing more, it's just about doing things differently. And it's like one has the power to give that energy and really make it feel so fulfilling and rewarding versus if you're not maybe understanding why a client is being difficult and there's judgment and can feel so draining.

Dr. Sonja Olson:

You want a really cool aha? This was something, a friend of mine that I, we were just talking about this the other day. So communication, 80% ish, based on research is nonverbal. And only 20% is actually the spoken word. There's a lot of power dynamics and things happening inside the veterinary hospitals between each other and with our clients. And there's a lot of nonverbals, our facial expressions, the tone and volume of our voices, the body position, what we wear, all sorts of things that are influencing the conversation. And if we make the effort to be aware of those nonverbals and in fact practice noticing them for ourselves, noticing what's happening over there for that human, it creates a space of cultural humility and of a greater space of, again, compassionate curiosity of huh, where am I coming from? Am I coming from the place that I intend right now? Is it landing? Oh, and lo and behold, I might have to ask, how is this for you? Has what I've said so far made sense to you? What additional questions you have leaning into that other human, if they are coming across as difficult, frustrated, et cetera? Why? What's going on? They're, first of all, there's big emotions happening for them and caring about that, not rushing past them because today's medical clinics in veterinary, as it has been in human, there's a real push and drive for people to get in and out of those exam rooms. In some cases, 15, 20 minutes. Oh my gosh, that gives me heart palpitations, just thinking about it. So there's a lot of push for efficiency, and yet I think we can be better skilled and create other spaces for communication. So maybe the conversation starts. We get the ball rolling in those spaces. And then how do we continue to connect outside of the exam room and in a way that we are moving things forward, that everybody feels heard and respected, and again, we're doing the best care possible for the veterinary patient.

Amelia:

Yeah. Yeah. That nonverbal piece is so huge, and this is why I think it's so important that we really normalize a nervous system perspective and, have that fear free approach for people too, because just like you're saying, if we can recognize that a client who is rude or being difficult, if they are just a human in the fight stress response. Recognizing it's not personal. That just means that something in their life is feeling scary or stressful or overwhelming, and being able to bring that curiosity in while also having the self-awareness of okay, how is my body like initially maybe my body is going to react defensively because this is a perceived threat. Just my nervous system is perceiving this as a threat. What do I need to do in order to come into this conversation from a place of safety and where curiosity is such a beautiful way of shifting a little bit out of that threat, fight or flight state into one where you can, that parasympathetic state- where you are actually able to be connecting with pet parents. The more we can do that, the more we can be talking about it and proactive of, again, just creating that safety and trust. mutual respect. It's just a non-negotiable foundation that we really need to build off of, I think.

Dr. Sonja Olson:

Yeah, you're speaking my language, Amelia. All that neuroscience just makes me so happy. So if you see me just going uhhuh. Yeah. It's really this is evidence based and we're also. No matter where you are in the conversation, you know what role you're in and how long you've been doing it. You're a human, you're a human animal. And with that, we have a lot of strengths around how to care for animals. It's just translating those amazing strengths. You and I have talked about this actually, about how do we translate what we know to do with a fractious cat? We do it. We know we can read it. We can read their body language. They're not telling us, but oh, they're telling us, Completely. right? Is that cat a bad cat? Is it a difficult cat? Is it a cat that's scared out of its mind and going to use its resources to go ahead and protect itself? So getting into a place of oh geez, kitty, you must be really scared. You must be, you're feeling really cruddy what's going on over there. We do that really quickly as veterinary professionals towards our veterinary patients. It's interesting how much of a challenge that can be for many of us around the human animal. And so it's just translating those skills. We can do it. We know how, so why should we care? Why should we care enough to do it? Because quite truthfully, you'll be more effective in your communications. There'll be greater likelihood of conversations being efficient and effective between you and clients, between you and your colleagues. There's gonna be a likelihood of less stress for everyone involved. And hey, if it means tethering it to what we're all in this for, the animals can feel this. When we are less stressed, less distracted, that's better for our animal patients too. And we do better medicine. We're less likely to make mistakes to rush, to miss. There's lots of things that are beautiful benefits to celebrate if we're all a little less stressed, a little more focused, and a little more connected.

Amelia:

so true. And I love that you are talking about that efficiency because zooming out a little and looking at how all this is connected. We do know how to treat that fractious cat in that fear free approach. And yet sometimes there can be that resistance or we don't do that because there is that time pressure to just get things done and that feeling like that's going to take too long. And even backing up a little bit more, you had mentioned the heart palpatations, along with short appointment times and in some cases with the like private equity kind of purchasing some of these practices, there is sometimes a focus on efficiency, but looking at the numbers and the money and then that is leading to maybe shorter appointment times where the veterinary team, it feels hard to do everything that they need to do in the allotted amount of time. And that is one of those scenarios where it's harming everybody's wellbeing, right? It's like that pressure for the veterinary team of oh my gosh, I have so much to do. I want to treat this scared cat in a way that is helping them to feel more safe and supporting their health. And yet I know that I have other rooms or frustrated pet parents and that I think is an example of where we lose sight of the whole point of vet med. Because as you're saying, it actually is more efficient when we do it this way, when we are prioritizing the wellbeing and taking a fear free approach. Like we aren't having all of the problems. We're decreasing the chances of the client who is going to leave a review or is going to be frustrated because of the way that you handled their pet or because of the long wait time. And we're helping to make sure that pet is going to be able to be touched the next time they come. If we don't manhandle them. And it's so much more sustainable for the veterinary team if we're not ending the day just being like, I feel like I was hit by a truck. Like I just couldn't keep up. I feel like I wasn't able to practice, vet med in the way that I wanted to. And so I love that you're highlighting that efficiency because I think we need that mindset shift of establishing safety and prioritizing that is the most efficient and also so important for sustainable success

Dr. Sonja Olson:

Yeah. Beautiful. And when I say efficiency I definitely thank you for bringing in, I don't mean so that we can be, just more efficient cogs in a well-oiled machine. That's not what I mean. I mean that we are able to meet the demands of our job and of our workflow in a way where we are more resourced and present and we're not diverting energy into distress and fear of, so that's really the efficiency piece is that we're being more thoughtful and aware of our energy investment. So in that, what are the things that I'm seeing and hearing that just gets me super excited about where we are. There's a lot of great conversations around para staff development, around how we can utilize telehealth more effectively to communicate with our pet parents and with each other in between times so that we can be really, again, teaming more effectively and our pet parents feel like we're available to them. Again, the conversation may start in an exam room, but we're gonna keep it going. Also really excited about hearing managers and teams talk about how we can cross train our people, and so there's greater awareness of the stressors and the roles and the demands on each seat. I think that's part of building a culture in our practices of, again, yes, efficiency, but also of real care for one another. Real respect for what each of us does and is. So I think there's some beautiful opportunities to really learn from different caregiving spaces and to really honor our capacities to be deeply compassionate, smart, problem solving individuals.'cause that's who we are.

Amelia:

Yeah. Yeah. I think that is so key, right? It's just when you are aware of other perspectives, that's so true. Sometimes there can be that divide in a veterinary hospital, like the, front desk compared to the, techs and those seeing appointments. And sometimes there can be a lot of friction or even bullying in the workplace because they feel like they're not really supporting one another. And what you said is just so key. It's helping to increase the perspective or just understanding everybody's role and everybody being involved in that same thing and working together is so important for creating that culture that is working together as a team, supporting everyone versus this feeling of like, can't win. Everybody against each other, which, that's just not sustainable.

Dr. Sonja Olson:

I wish that, honestly, that it was part of our skill building, right from the very get go going into caregiving, that emotional intelligence and psychological safety were just things that we all were super in Conversant and that we had the language, the awareness for ourself and our own wellbeing, but also just how to really more effectively navigate those spaces with other humans in more positive, uplifting ways rather than it being a source of conflict. We know, communication and lack of awareness is really what serves a lot of conflict and it really feeds that engine that can distress us. And if we can perhaps as teams lean into where are those skills and strategies? Boy, they are out there friends, getting into those spaces of reading and podcasts and YouTube videos, as well as through our professional organizations, whether it's through the A VMA or VMAs or other sort of satellite groups, that are doing consulting work and helping to support the individuals and the teams.

Amelia:

Yeah.

Dr. Sonja Olson:

There's so many more resources today, Amelia, than there have ever been. And look at you and me look at what we're doing. How cool is that? Two folks that you know thought we would probably be doing clinical medicine forever, yet that wasn't our journey, was it? We got to a place where, for our different reasons our journeys shifted and we decided to contribute in really, I think, important and meaningful ways. And I love that we're doing that. And I love that there are others around our entire veterinary community that can see that there's the potential for that and a need. It's wonderful peer support. Hooray. It's good stuff.

Amelia:

Yeah, absolutely. Like working together. And I think it is so important to just emphasize that the sky's the limit in vet med, right? In terms of how you are contributing and what you are doing. And or anyone that's feeling stuck, just really embracing that curiosity and having that compassion for yourself to get curious about what is the part of vet Med that really lights you up and how can you be working in that way and really embracing that. And I think for me right now, I see like the work that we're doing is all about supporting the patients on a huge scale by noticing the things that our profession has normalized and offering new ways of doing them. Calling out how the old way of doing things is not working. And one of the big things I think about is a self-sacrificing culture and lack of boundaries. And that is something that I really encourage everyone to see boundaries and increasing that self-awareness like you were saying, and starting to see that as being a part of creating really important positive change in our profession and helping to really redefine what being professional looks like in our profession, not Self-sacrificing and working endless hours and feeling totally depleted. But what do you need in order to have this be sustainable? In order to go into work, actually wanting to take care of your patients, having the energy to work with clients, and even for your brain to be working because it's all affected and like, how can we have energy to do our job instead of feeling resentful or depleted.

Dr. Sonja Olson:

And I am gonna call out'cause I heard it again and everything you're just saying and yay for all that you just brought forward. Hello, my fellow not so great at help seeking friends out there in the veterinary profession. It's been something that's been really highly researched. We're not great at it. And there's lots of reasons why personality traits as well as just what we've been conditioned to do and to be. And the reality today is that you don't need to go it alone. Vet met is a team sport. The more that we acknowledge and recognize that we have a lot more in common with each other than we might possibly imagine. Decreasing stigma around feeling challenged or not feeling equipped or knowing, you know what it's all about moving into that growth mindset, right amelia? Where we. Have the capacity to change the more, again, neuroscience, neuroplasticity is real and we can learn and develop our entire lives and together as teams we can lean into that I'm individually going to learn how to take better care of myself and to have the boundaries I need so that my yeses that I say are quality yeses and I'm really present for them in my personal and professional life. We say that as a team, we have values around our health. So that's something As a vet, I hope a, a vet value sort of mission for all of us around the world. I hope that we're leaning into the benefits of having a culture that really celebrates the health and wellbeing of the veterinary teams and creates the circumstances for those individuals and teams to thrive. That is where I think we are, is figuring out the how. How do we create that? While also meeting the needs of that there are many pets that need to be cared for, that the clients have the actual work, right. and need to be, you know, have their questions answered and to feel cared for themselves and to have a profitable business. Wow. That is a lot. It's a lot. And again, we are smart, we are creative, and I genuinely believe in our capacity to adapt. We deserve it and it's needed. So I think that's where we are right now.

Amelia:

Completely. Yes. Yeah. That, and not just deserving, right. we do need it. And I think that does go down to the basics. And I think one issue in our profession is that there's so much talk about mental health when it comes to burnout, but we are seeing physical and mental health as separate, and they really are not. They're so intimately connected. And I think a really important piece is looking at the environments that we've normalized in, hospitals and in vet med and looking at are we making it convenient to be healthy or unhealthy? And even looking at what is the food that is readily available and is that food, food that is depleting energy making everybody feel exhausted or causing a blood sugar or spike and crash because that can contribute to anxiety and irritability and feeling depressed as well. And just little swaps like looking for what changes can we make, for my clients, when they start to just go for a short walk during lunch break, that can be so huge.

Dr. Sonja Olson:

Little. Yeah. So mindful, there's a I love this topic because it's just so available and there's so much out there for people to grab hold of that would suit and serve. And they're not, they don't have to be expensive. They don't have to be add-ons. They could be things that just really fit with your lifestyle and who you are. So what works for me may not necessarily work for you, but there's only one way to find out mindful micro breaks is what I call these. So just peppering them throughout the course of our day, whether we're in the practice environment or whether we're in a different space, really intentionally making room for checking in. What am I feeling? How am I doing? What do I need?'cause quite truthfully, as you say, I might be really dehydrated. I may not have taken the time to eat something. I may be feeling stressed out because some of something else that's going on in my personal life, or a tough conversation I had with a client or with a colleague earlier, what would help me move through those of my emotions? So really thinking about that as a collective and creating a space where we are permission giving to ourselves and to one another, that that's actually a really great strategy. To help us be our healthiest, most available selves at work and to not feel so trashed when we go home to the rest of our lives, to our partners, our kids, our pets, and hobbies. Maybe

Amelia:

Yes.

Dr. Sonja Olson:

what,

Amelia:

Have life outside of work.

Dr. Sonja Olson:

I know.

Amelia:

Yeah. I love that you mentioned those, just little moments to check in with ourselves because that is something that we are not used to listening to our body, like checking in with how we're feeling with body, mind or heart. We have really normalized, even ignoring when we have to go to the bathroom or if we're hungry, we're working through lunch breaks or we're too busy for these things. And I think as you were saying, it sounds like vet schools are doing more of this in terms of like emotional intelligence, but I know when I went through vet school and even not until I reached burnout, was it even on my radar of like, oh, I deal with a rollercoaster of emotions throughout the day and I've never really learned how to process those. Like my only way of dealing with stress is running and working out a lot, and that was actually stressing my body too. And so just normalizing those little moments to check in with ourself, like how are we doing? What do we need? And just as you said, it's also individual, but just paying attention to what are little things that give you a little energy boost, give you a little mood boost. What are the things that are draining and how can you have more of the things that are boosting your energy than are training it throughout the day?

Dr. Sonja Olson:

So for folks that are listening, especially our veterinary colleagues that are listening, please get curious. Like we were saying about the resource toolboxes that are out there, there's all the abundance of resources that are coming through our professional organizations, but there's also veterinary coaches. There are mentorship groups. There are consulting groups. There's the opportunity to go outside of vet med and upskill around mental health first aid, stress first aid. There's Get Motiveted, with Quincy Holly and Renee Michaels, who are working on really fortifying teams to have better awareness and skill preparation. There's, like I say, a lot of beautiful things and it's not just here in the US. Wow. The Australia Veterinary Association the British Veterinary Association, the CVMA out of Canada, each one of them is adding in resources that all of us can grab hold of, and for our pet parents to know that we want to be a resource for you and your animals. We really do. And if we are pushed and pulled, we're working on it behind the scenes and have some, maybe some awareness and compassion for us as well. If we come across as hurried or distracted or upset, please also don't take it personally, know that we have a lot going on behind the scenes and maybe in our own lives. So it's really an invitation for us in America particularly, to take a breath, to recognize that as humans, we're doing the best we can in the moment and to really hold each other in a space of grace, and that we really deserve it. Everybody does a little bit of grace, giving it to ourselves, giving it to each other. This is how we navigate those challenging moments. And that's true outside of the vet practice walls. And it's true when we come together inside the exam rooms.

Amelia:

Yeah, it's so true. That part of us all coming together and really supporting one another is just so key. And I think it is important to acknowledge that for a lot of us, we have been a rewarded for, that being right, that perfectionism. And sometimes there can be that judgment too that causes this divide in our profession or like feeling judged by colleagues or bullying. And I think we, we need to acknowledge when that's happening and. And really just embracing that, that compassion and curiosity, right? Of like, how can we work together? And I know you and I in past conversations have even talked about we are coaches, right? And we also are so passionate about seeing positive change in this profession. And yet there can be like a little bit of should we like, are we like competing? You know, Because, and when in reality like these conversations are so important and we are so much stronger together, right? And we all offer different strategies and different ways for making those sustainable positive changes in Vet Med. But I think going back to the start of the conversation, our profession is changing and in some cases, not in all cases with the corporations or private equity companies, but in some cases they are focused on the numbers and that's disconnecting us from what really matters in Vet Med. At the same time, there are a lot of hospitals and individuals doing really awesome things to create positive change, and I think we all need to join together in making those messages really loud and celebrating those who are doing really positive things so that we can be a positive force to make sure that our profession is going in the direction that is sustainable and the direction that helps us to all feel good.

Dr. Sonja Olson:

And I wanna bring it all the way back to the very beginning where you also were just really pointing out the opportunity to evolve around diversity, inclusion and equity in our profession. And that means serving all clients. That means really preparing a space of safety and of welcome and again, of cultural humility in our practices. All different animal segments all around the world. And that means we really take ownership of who we have been, who we are today, and who we want to be. That is us as a veterinary team, a collective of veterinary professionals, all around bringing our passions, our unique lenses, and our, again, our individual contributions to the conversation to create the veterinary medicine of tomorrow that we believe is possible. Take it back to the places that we feel like we are the most effective, the most aligned. And that means also recognizing where we weren't so skillful before. Stoic, perfectionist. Help not seeking help, not collaborating effectively. What emotions I don't have emotions? Just those things don't serve. So we too are learning. So again, it's, I think, an opportunity for us in this conversation, Amelia, to bring folks towards, look it's still messy. There's a lot that we are working with and through, but isn't that life? And isn't that just being human? That we are doing the best we can, again, with what we know for the moment, right? And with that, let's keep the conversation really open and respectful and so that we can keep questions moving, be willing to quote unquote fail forward so that we can innovate and grow in a way that serves all.

Amelia:

Yes. That failing forward is so key. And I do think when it comes to diversity, I think our profession has a lot of room for improvement. And one thing I've been learning more about allyship, how can I be a good ally? And learning about the difference between cultural competency versus cultural humility. And I think that perfectionism is really getting in the way of our profession growing and improving so much when it comes to that because that cultural competency is this belief of, okay, I'm gonna take this training and I'm gonna know everything there is to know and I'm going to say all the right things and I'm not going to, offend anybody. And that cultural humility is recognizing I don't know what I don't know. And like I am always learning and there is never this ability to know everything there is to know about somebody else who is not you, even ourselves. There's endless things to learn. And so I think it's so important that we are willing to have conversations where we don't have the answers or we're willing to make mistakes, like you said, so that we can be calling out what's not working and just making sure we're not being hard on each other if we say something that's the wrong quote, unquote wrong thing.

Dr. Sonja Olson:

And speaking up so we, we don't have to be hard on each other, but it is important to speak up. So if there are microaggressions or micro hurts that occur, that we make the space safe enough for those conversations to be had and for us to co-learn. That's really beautiful across the board in every regard, right? And so I love the phrase experiential humility, you're learning, you're growing. Be humble. Along the way, there's, there are some things, that you're really quite good at. Yay. And there's a lot maybe that you don't know, you don't know, but it's through experience that we figure it out. So creating the conditions for the growth mindset, for cultural humility, that's, again, that's that emotional intelligence and psychological safety really holds. But also just to just toss in another little phrase that we're learning is this trauma informed care approach. Which is again, really acknowledging that in the world of today, all humans are experiencing things, have experienced, are experiencing inside and outside of the veterinary practice there's a lot we can do with our language, with our beingness that can support folks. So that, again, it's just acknowledging, respecting and creating, again, an environment of genuine care really, in all regards. So that's, I hope, where folks listening to our conversation today, we've mentioned all sorts of things that they maybe get a little curious if they heard something they hadn't heard before. When we say DEIW, that's diversity, equity, inclusion, and wellness, we're now bringing those concepts more together'cause they belong together. If you don't know yet a lot about psychological safety, there's some beautiful resources around psychological safety and trauma-informed care around positive psychology. About mindful micro breaks and neuroscience and that idea around neuroplasticity and the growth mindset.

Amelia:

Yeah. That is huge. I love all things nervous system and brain because it's so exciting and empowering that our brains are so capable of learning new things and that trauma informed and, just being able to recognize when we or those are around us, or creatures around us are in that threatened state What can we do to reestablish that Safety is so important. I love everything you said

Dr. Sonja Olson:

all the way around to something I feel like I'm talking about so much is trust and trusting yourself, your ability to know, to adapt, and to ask for what it is that you need. So trust your intuition. Trust your knowing. Trust your wisdom. Right? To guide you trusting each other, right? Going into a space where I see you and I trust that you care about me. We're going to get through this, whatever this is together. And oh by the way, we're also gonna celebrate. I feel like I can trust you with other pieces of me

Amelia:

Mm. And my

Dr. Sonja Olson:

life.. So being your authentic whole self, you know what matters to you. And the trust then that we practice in these spaces and in our communities, I hope will maybe ripple out into these other spaces of our lives and into our greater society where trust is really strained right now. So what a beautiful opportunity for us to model and to practice the communication, the listening, the being that goes along with'cause the world needs that so much right now.

Amelia:

So much. Yeah. It's where that putting your oxygen mask on first, right, has the power to start such a positive ripple effect. And one thing, I love that you're speaking about trust'cause that's everything, but along with a growth mindset, one thing that I want to mention is that I used to trust the thoughts in my head a lot. Like I thought I knew how to do it right in everything. And that actually led me to burnout. And so it did involve a journey of learning how to trust my body. One thing I think is so important, and it took me a while to realize is your body is the one thing in this world devoted to taking care of you. And so even though we're in this world where we're maybe taught to think of our body as this inconvenience or the enemy that needs to be controlled or ignored, the reality is that our body can be such an important guiding light of the path that we should go on and what we need or when we are starting to go down a path that's not in alignment with what's most important to us. And so again, tuning into that energy, right? And starting to increase that self-awareness of how does my body feel? What are even the most basic things that my body is telling me, like hunger, needing to go to the bathroom because when we do really listen to all of us body, mind, and heart, just like you're saying, that is when we can connect with each other, support one another, and also just being able to ask for help sometimes I think, or being able to be witnessed and just having that real genuine connection. I always enjoy connecting with you and chatting because I feel very seen and heard by you. That is the kind of thing that really has the power to change, not just our profession or our own lives, but the world. That's what our world needs right now, I think.

Dr. Sonja Olson:

In a nutshell to feel seen and heard. That in a nutshell is it, isn't it? That's the key message. And we start at home with ourselves. Am I seeing and hearing myself? Do I even know how to do that? This is a great space of opportunity for folks who aren't as familiar to explore that with a coach or a therapist. No shame folks. No shame at all. In fact, that's smart. It's strategic. You cannot, as Amelia say, know everything. You can't. So how about you lean into the wisdom and the expertise and quite truthfully, the real passion to support of other individuals around you, and so that you are then more informed and better equipped than you were before you did that. So what do we have the opportunity then to do, to really listen that somatic sensing, listening to what your body has to say to you, and it really is pointing into our values. And what is the most meaningful to us? Do you even know what your values are? And if you don't, that's an exploration because sometimes what we're feeling and big motions show up or they happen with a client and there's a, some sort of a conflict. It could be a values conflict. So what is happening here? Getting, again, as we keep saying, get curious about what is that for me? And I think those are, again, beautiful parallel spaces of reflection of upskilling that we can then model and ripple out as ambassadors to the people in our lives that we care about and on, right?

Amelia:

Yeah.

Dr. Sonja Olson:

The see one, do one, teach one, right? Like we say in VetMed all the time.

Amelia:

Completely. Yeah. Yeah, I think getting clear on your values is so important. My first podcast episode was on core values.'cause that is such an important guiding light, and something worth exploring. I have loved this conversation, but I also wanna be respectful of your time. So I have a couple closing questions to wrap things up. The first question I love to ask everybody, when do you feel most alive?'cause I feel like that gets to the root of what really matters, but sometimes isn't prioritized.

Dr. Sonja Olson:

I honestly, I feel the most alive- these are things that I've figured out again,'cause I was paying attention when I'm outdoors. When I'm doing something that is moving my body and I'm active and I'm feeling connected with my body and with the environment, and it's even more fun if I'm out there with animals doing something right and even better yet is if I have some human, companions along. To me, that's just a real space of aligning with my desire to feel connected in all those different ways with the earth, with myself, with animals, with the human animals. So I feel most alive when I'm in those spaces and we're enjoying something and we're really present for it, whatever that is.

Amelia:

Yeah, I love that answer and I love how you highlighted that connection. I think that's a great way to wrap this up, but it really is just that sense of being present and connected to the things that really matter. I think that's a beautiful answer. Also I would love for you to share some of what you're doing. I know you wrote a book and that is probably a great way to dive into some of these things we've chatted about. So what would you like to share or how can people find you

Dr. Sonja Olson:

Oh, thanks Amelia. So my website is Sonjaolsondvm.com. It's a way of finding out more about where I've been, what I'm doing, where I'm going. There's more about my book, which is Creating Wellbeing and Building Resilience in the Veterinary Profession. A Call to Life that was published in 2022 and behind you may see some sticky notes on the wall. That is book number two under Construction, which is the practice book to go with the first book. Same publisher with Taylor Francis, CRC press, probably a late 20, 25, early 2026 publication there. I'm also super excited this year, I didn't expect it, but I've had the opportunity to learn how to do micro learnings and trainings alongside Royal Can. Especially out of Australia to bring concepts towards our veterinary communities in a virtual way and writing for Blackwell and King veterinary wellness concepts, culture concepts. There's mentorship books that I'm gonna be involved in. There's a new veterinary mentorship book that Danny Rabin is gonna be the editor for, which is super exciting. So That's beautiful stuff coming and I didn't. Honestly folks, I had no idea I was gonna be writing so much and contributing in that way, but I'm finding it really fun. So those are some of the things. And then just connecting with folks through podcasts, through facilitated trainings. Yes, I speak at conferences and do workshops and it's my pleasure when I have the opportunity to mentor. I'm particularly active in the mentor vet community and coaching. So I'm on a coaching journey more formally. And I will hopefully be in a seat of being ready to get my International Coaching Federation accreditation later this year. So lots and lots of good things happening that I'm excited about. And, it just keeps evolving and I just keep open-minded to what feels right, what feels aligned, and like I said before, making my yeses count. So I have to say no occasionally to things, right? So that I can make room for quality yeses. And outside of Vet Med, I am back into training for the Portland Marathon. So that journey is beginning and I'm excited about it and we'll see where that goes this year. So yeah, so great opportunities to be in the world, in spaces that are meaningful to me. And I think it's just, that's for each of us, right? It's what really makes you and creating space and time for it.

Amelia:

Yeah. That's beautiful. So many exciting ways and exciting things that you're doing and that's such a great example of you don't have to know what the path forward next necessarily looks like, but when you are connecting with yourself, your values, listening to your body, it's like you will know the opportunities to say yes to, and that can lead you to the most beautiful place. So thank you so much. That was such a great conversation. I always enjoyed connecting with you.

Dr. Sonja Olson:

It was all over the place in such wonderful ways. I love that. And I knew that's where, what would happen. It was very organic. And so for those that are listening to this, thanks for coming along on the journey and we hope that we. Maybe sowed some seeds with you about what's possible piqued your curiosity and hopefully got you excited and hopeful and optimistic about where you are and where we are going in vet med. Because obviously Amelia and I are in that space, we wouldn't be doing what we're doing if we didn't have those feelings deep in our own hearts of what is possible. So thank you Amelia.

Amelia:

Absolutely. Yeah, you're welcome. And just wanna highlight like we both experienced burnout, right? Where we were feeling really stuck and that can lead you just to the most amazing places.

Dr. Sonja Olson:

Growth is on the other side. Just push through. Push through. Yeah. With help. With help, yes.

Amelia:

Perfect way to end. Thank you.

Dr. Sonja Olson:

Thank you.

If you enjoyed today's episode, please share it with someone who you think could benefit. And if you're enjoying this podcast, it would mean so much to me If you would take the time to leave a review so that others can find me. And as I thank you if you leave a review, send me an email, letting me know, and I'll send you a free guided meditation for mental rehearsal. So that is exactly what elite athletes, executives, incredible surgeons all use at the scientifically proven way to improve performance. And the reason this works so well is because when you are mentally rehearsing, the same area of your brain is lighting up as if you were actually doing it. And so it's a safe and effective way to be preparing and practicing and improving your skills for when you're actually living it in the moment. So send me an email at amelia@lifeboost.Today if you leave a review and i can't wait to share that with you cheers your inevitable health happiness and success

Sep 8, 2025 09:00pm
By Amelia Knight Pinkston
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58 min read
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