Daring DVM

Ep99: Preventing Empathic Strain aka Compassion Fatigue

If you’ve ever felt exhausted from giving so much of yourself to this profession, this episode is for you.
Empathic strain is not something you just have to endure. Yes, it is considered an occupational hazard of veterinary medicine, AND we all have the opportunity to recognize where we are, address our situations, and heal.
And that’s exactly what we are doing in this episode!
This week on the Daring DVM Podcast, we’re going to cover:
How we can make veterinary workplaces more psychologically safe to minimize our risk of empathic strain
What you can do to take care of yourself and others.
 
As you’re listening to this episode, I encourage you to ask yourself:“What is one-small step I can implement today to help me decrease my stress and my risk of burnout and compassion fatigue?”
This episode follows last week’s one on The Five Stages of Empathic Strain.
 
LINKS:
🥳 Celebrating 100 Episodes Coaching Giveaway!!! Enter to win a month of free coaching with me. Click HERE to enter.
Or copy/paste this link in your browser:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScv9VOcmG3GmvCZ4VjS3OySfrDdDEDcMiaJfNUUnBXJd5bgiA/viewform?usp=header
 
Tired of taking on everyone else's stress as your own? Schedule a Coaching Conversation with me to learn how to set boundaries, protect your energy, and create success on your terms.
Visit www.daringdvm.com to learn more about coaching and working with me. You can also find out about team trainings and speaking engagements. And you can subscribe to the Daring DVM Newsletter for weekly inspiration, coaching tools, special offers, and more!
Let's connect on Instagram or LinkedIn

Ep98: The Five Stages of Empathic Strain – What Every Veterinarian Needs to Know

As a veterinary caregiver, your ability to care deeply is one of your greatest strengths—but it can also take a serious toll on your emotional well-being. Over time, the constant exposure to others’ suffering, stress, and high expectations can lead to empathic strain—a gradual erosion of your emotional resilience.
In this episode, we’re breaking down the five stages of empathic strain so you can recognize where you are in the process before burnout takes over.
We’ll cover:
✅ The five stages of empathic strain and how they progress✅ Key signs to watch for at each stage✅ Real-life examples from veterinary medicine✅ How coaching can help you regain balance and resilience
The earlier you can recognize the symptoms, the better equipped you’ll be to protect your mental health and stay connected to the work you love—without running yourself into the ground! So come learn how to spot the signs and take back control of your well-being.
 
LINKS:
🥳 Celebrating 100 Episodes Coaching Giveaway!!! Enter to win a month of free coaching with me. Click HERE to enter.
Or copy/paste this link in your browser:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScv9VOcmG3GmvCZ4VjS3OySfrDdDEDcMiaJfNUUnBXJd5bgiA/viewform?usp=header
 
Tired of taking on everyone else's stress as your own? Schedule a Coaching Conversation with me to learn how to set boundaries, protect your energy, and create success on your terms.
Visit www.daringdvm.com to learn more about coaching and working with me. You can also find out about team trainings and speaking engagements. And you can subscribe to the Daring DVM Newsletter for weekly inspiration, coaching tools, special offers, and more!
Let's connect on Instagram or LinkedIn

Ep97: Stay or Go? Embracing Career Change Without Guilt

Is employee retention a perfectionist fantasy?
In this Daring DVM episode, we challenge the traditional mindset around retention and career loyalty. What if trying to create a workplace that never changes is an unrealistic goal—one that puts unnecessary pressure on leadership and fuels guilt for employees considering a new path?
We explore how shifting our perspective on turnover can lead to healthier workplaces, better leadership, and more empowered career decisions.
Whether you're in a hiring role or contemplating a change yourself, this episode will help you rethink what it really means to stay or go.
 
LINKS:
🥳 Celebrating 100 Episodes Coaching Giveaway!!! Enter to win a month of free coaching with me. Click HERE to enter.
Or copy/paste this link in your browser:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScv9VOcmG3GmvCZ4VjS3OySfrDdDEDcMiaJfNUUnBXJd5bgiA/viewform?usp=header
 
Mentioned in this episode:
Ep1: Success vs Happiness. Listen HERE or on your favorite podcast platform.
Ep54: How to Determine Your Values and WorthListen HERE or on your favorite podcast platform.
Ep55: Who Are You, Really? A Journey to ResiliencyListen HERE or on your favorite podcast platform.
 
Other:
Want support in creating your unique, squiggly career? Schedule a Coaching Conversation with me to get clarity on your next step.
Visit www.daringdvm.com to learn more about coaching and working with me. You can also find out about team trainings and speaking engagements. And you can subscribe to the Daring DVM Newsletter for weekly inspiration, coaching tools, special offers, and more!
Let's connect on Instagram or LinkedIn

Ep96: Stress Reduction vs. Resilience: What’s the Difference?

When it comes to managing stress, are you focusing only on resilience while overlooking reduction?
In coaching, we often talk about building stress resilience—using thought work to change how we experience challenges. But what about removing stressors altogether?
In this episode of Daring DVM, host Dr. Amy Grimm explains the key differences between stress reduction and stress resilience and why a balanced approach is essential.
Learn how to leverage the control you do have to minimize unnecessary stress while also strengthening your ability to handle what you can’t change.
If you're feeling overwhelmed, this episode will help you rethink your stress management strategy.
 
LINKS:
🥳 Celebrating 100 Episodes Coaching Giveaway!!! Enter to win a month of free coaching with me. Click HERE to enter.
Or copy/paste this link in your browser:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScv9VOcmG3GmvCZ4VjS3OySfrDdDEDcMiaJfNUUnBXJd5bgiA/viewform?usp=header
 
Mentioned in this episode:
Ep 12: How to Take Action using the Self-Coaching Model. Listen HERE or on your favorite podcast platform.
 
Other:
Are you ready to eliminate stress for good? Schedule a Coaching Conversation with me to create the peace you're looking for.
Visit www.daringdvm.com to learn more about coaching and working with me. You can also find out about team trainings and speaking engagements. And you can subscribe to the Daring DVM Newsletter for weekly inspiration, coaching tools, special offers, and more!
Let's connect on Instagram or LinkedIn

Ep95: How to Deal with Drama and Toxicity

How do you handle a toxic veterinary hospital environment?
What can you do to protect yourself from someone who is always trying to create drama in your life?
The answers may surprise you.
In this episode of The Daring DVM Podcast, Dr. Amy Grimm dives into the topic of drama and toxicity in the workplace and at home.
Amy explores the mindset behind labeling people as dramatic or toxic, the power of self-responsibility, and how managing your own mind and regulating your nervous system can help you break free from negativity.
If you’re ready to stop feeling drained by workplace drama or difficult relationships, this episode will show you how to reclaim your peace—without waiting for others to change. 🙌☮️
LINKS:
Are you ready to say buh-byeee to drama and toxicity? Schedule a Coaching Conversation with me to create the peace you're looking for.
Visit www.daringdvm.com to learn more about coaching and working with me. You can also find out about team trainings and speaking engagements. And you can subscribe to the Daring DVM Newsletter for weekly inspiration, coaching tools, special offers, and more!
Let's connect on Instagram or LinkedIn
 

Ep94: Adriana Cloud - Burnout and Booze! Mindful Drinking for Veterinarians

In this episode of The Daring DVM Podcast, host Dr. Amy Grimm talks with sobriety coach Adriana Cloud about the role alcohol often plays in the lives of veterinarians dealing with stress and burnout. 🍷😵‍💫🍺
This conversation isn’t about giving up alcohol entirely or labeling it as bad—it’s about feeling in control of your choice to drink (or not) rather than using it as an automatic escape from long, exhausting days.
Adriana shares insights on the health effects of drinking, the mindset behind social and stress-related drinking, and practical strategies to create new ways to unwind that align with your well-being.
If you’ve ever felt like drinking is just the default after work, this episode will help you take back control—without judgment, just awareness and compassion for a very normal human experience. 💜
 
Connect with Adriana Cloud:
Website: www.adrianacloud.com 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adriana_cloud_/ 
 
LINKS:
Say goodbye to unhealthy coping mechanisms and schedule a Coaching Conversation with me where we can break old habits and reset your stress response.
Visit www.daringdvm.com to learn more about coaching and working with me. You can also find out about team trainings and speaking engagements. And you can subscribe to the Daring DVM Newsletter for weekly inspiration, coaching tools, special offers, and more.
Let's connect on Instagram or LinkedIn
Are you coping with stress and anxiety in ways you wish you weren't? Download the free guide on Fixing Your Anxious Veterinary Brain to start taming your brain today.

Ep93: Needs vs. Wants: A Reality Check for Your Love Life

Happy Valentine's Day!! 💖
This week on Daring DVM, I discuss needs vs. wants in our love lives and explain why you may be sabotaging your efforts to create the relationship you truly desire.
This advice is useful for ANY type of relationship and will be sure to improve your happiness and satisfaction therein. No matter if you are single or coupled up, you are sure to gain some insights into creating long-lasting friendships, partnerships, and romantic relationships.
 
LINKS:
Schedule a Coaching Conversation with me and let's make this year your year to love your love life.
Subscribe to the Daring DVM Newsletter  for weekly inspiration, coaching tools, special offers, and the occasional meme dump. 
Let's connect on Instagram or LinkedIn
 

Ep92: Your First Step To A Better Life

What does a pond have to do with your brain?
Or fish have to do with your thinking?
🐟💦
In this week's episode of The Daring DVM Podcast, you're going to find out!
Plus, I am also sharing my top tip for creating self-awareness, which is THE SECRET to creating a better life. No cap.
 
LINKS:
Schedule a Coaching Conversation with me to explore your better, brighter future today!
Subscribe to the Daring DVM Newsletter  for weekly inspiration, coaching tools, special offers, and the occasional meme dump. This week, we are doing an exercise to help you identify thoughts that sabotage you, and you can sign up for 1:1 coaching to review and explore your answers with me. 
Let's connect on Instagram or LinkedIn
 

Ep91: Compassion Fatigue - What You Need to Know

Today on The Daring DVM Podcast, Dr. Amy Grimm introduces a topic close to the hearts of many in the veterinary world—compassion fatigue, also known as empathic strain.
As veterinarians and caregivers, we give so much of ourselves to the animals and people we serve, but sometimes, that can leave us feeling drained. 😔
In this episode, we’ll explore the basics of compassion fatigue and cover five main points that are important for every veterinary professional to know. This is episode #1 in a series that will cover empathic strain in more depth.
This episode introduces compassion fatigue, the science behind empathic strain, how to recognize it, and most importantly, the first step to managing it so that we can continue showing up for our patients, our clients, our teams—and ourselves. 🐾🩺💜🥼
 
LINKS:
Schedule a Coaching Conversation with me to start your recovery from empathic strain.
Subscribe to the Daring DVM Newsletter  for weekly inspiration, coaching tools, special offers, and the occasional meme dump.
Let's connect on Instagram or LinkedIn

Ep90: Managing Anxiety and Uncertainty About The Future - Inauguration 2025

Anxiety and uncertainty can be quite triggering for our nervous systems, especially in situations in which we feel we have no control. Um, election results, anyone..? 🙋‍♀️🙋🏽‍♀️
This week on the Daring DVM Podcast, I’m sharing
How to manage anxiety in the face of uncertainty
A common lie that our brains tell us about the future that triggers our fight-or-flight response (yes, my brain does this, too!)
Exactly how to overcome that fear
How to feel in control of your emotions
How to respond to anxiety in ways that empower you, as well as take courageous action to protect yourself and help others.
Even if you are happy or seemingly unaffected by our political environment, I still encourage you to listen through the episode because these tools can be used in any situation of uncertainty, no matter if they’re at home, at work, or within the country at large.
 
LINKS:
Learn how to tame your anxiety by scheduling a Coaching Conversation with me.
Subscribe to the Daring DVM Newsletter  for weekly inspiration, coaching tools, special offers, and the occasional meme dump.
Let's connect on Instagram or LinkedIn
Download Fixing Your Anxious Veterinary Brain. Use this strategy on any cause of anxiety outside of work, too.