To Save a Starfish: A Compassion Fatigue Workbook for the Animal Welfare Warrior

176 pp. Make your passion for helping animals sustainable! Learn to manage the compassion fatigue, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress so often associated with animal caregiving and protection. Jennifer Blough, a mental health therapist and former animal welfare professional, helps readers to understand: The symptoms and causes of compassion fatigue. The human-animal bond and the grief of losing animals. Secondary trauma and the difference between 'pain and suffering.' Organizational compassion fatigue and burnout. Cultivating compassion satisfaction and a healthy work environment. How to manage compassion fatigue with self-regulation skills, self-care, mind-body exercises, physical activity, changing unhealthy thinking patterns, creating boundaries, sleep, nutrition, and more. An invaluable resource for shelter workers, animal rescuers, animal control officers, humane investigators, veterinary professionals, sanctuary staff, wildlife conservationists/rehabbers, dog walkers and trainers, pet sitters, animal attorneys, TNR volunteers, animal rights activists, vegans, and anyone else on the front lines of fighting to protect animals.