This Too Is Rescue: Moral Injury and Staying Human in Animal Care

FortifyU Coaching
  • 5.0 (7)
  • Mental Health

story + research + advocacy + soul If you’re drawn to the raw and real side of animal care, the part that goes beyond saving lives and asks what it means to be human while we do it: this is for you. We’ll explore the human-animal bond, the values that drive us, the morality we wrestle with, and the deeper question of what it means to work in animal care and hold onto humanity in the midst of it all. Jamie McNally, Ph.D, LPC is a mental health professional, wellness coach, trauma expert, moral injury researcher, military veteran, and active shelter volunteer at a high intake city shelter.

  1. 3d ago

    Finding Your Frequency (In Animal Care) - PART ONE Unburying the Wounded Healer

    This is Part 1 Finding Your Frequency, a three-part series about the parts of ourselves this work buries, and how we go back for them.Referenced in this episode: The Seven Frequencies of Communication by Erwin Raphael McManus; Internal Family Systems (parts work) by Richard Schwartz. This episode also lives as a written essay on my Substack, Human + Animal. Listen or read — whichever one reaches you at the right signal. In it together, for the love of all living beings. Disclaimer: This program, including all podcast content and any related materials, is not a substitute for therapy, counseling, psychological services, or any form of medical or mental health treatment. While the host of this podcast is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), she is not operating in the capacity of a therapist within this program. Engaging with this program does not establish a therapist-client relationship. No diagnosis, treatment, or clinical intervention will be provided. The purpose of this program is for education and personal growth—not for mental health treatment. If you are experiencing significant emotional distress, symptoms of a mental health condition, or are in crisis, this program is not appropriate for your needs. You are encouraged to seek the support of a licensed mental health provider in your area.

    17 min

  2. Jun 26

    Are You Being Bullied...Or Mobbed?

    In nature, mobbing protects the vulnerable. In our workplaces, it can destroy them. In this episode, Dr. Jamie McNally discusses the difference between bullying and mobbing in animal care. Disclaimer: This program, including all podcast content and any related materials, is not a substitute for therapy, counseling, psychological services, or any form of medical or mental health treatment. While the host of this podcast is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), she is not operating in the capacity of a therapist within this program. Engaging with this program does not establish a therapist-client relationship. No diagnosis, treatment, or clinical intervention will be provided. The purpose of this program is for education and personal growth—not for mental health treatment. If you are experiencing significant emotional distress, symptoms of a mental health condition, or are in crisis, this program is not appropriate for your needs. You are encouraged to seek the support of a licensed mental health provider in your area.

    25 min

  3. May 21

    Let's Talk About Moral Injury: What Do You Want To Hear About Next?

    This brief episode is a reminder that none of us have mastery over this space. It is vast and complex, and we are all still learning. It's also an invitation to reach out. This topic is massive and the best way to explore it is to ensure we are having this conversation together. The language of moral injury, is never about just one person talking, so if you have something you want to explore on the podcast, or a question you want answered, please reach out. I would love to hear from you! Disclaimer: This program, including all podcast content and any related materials, is not a substitute for therapy, counseling, psychological services, or any form of medical or mental health treatment. While the host of this podcast is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), she is not operating in the capacity of a therapist within this program. Engaging with this program does not establish a therapist-client relationship. No diagnosis, treatment, or clinical intervention will be provided. The purpose of this program is for education and personal growth—not for mental health treatment. If you are experiencing significant emotional distress, symptoms of a mental health condition, or are in crisis, this program is not appropriate for your needs. You are encouraged to seek the support of a licensed mental health provider in your area.

    7 min

  4. May 14

    Oh Sh*t, I Might Be a Bully!": On Perpetration, Shame, Guilt, and Taking Ownership

    We talk a lot about toxic workplaces, toxic people, and how to protect ourselves from harm. But what happens when we realize the person causing harm might be us? In this episode, Dr. Jamie McNally explores how most workplace bullying doesn't come from people who intend to cause harm or find pleasure in it; it comes from people who engage in harmful behaviors unintentionally, and that means we may just be susceptible to engaging in it, too. "Oh Sh*t, I might be the bully!" Disclaimer: This program, including all podcast content and any related materials, is not a substitute for therapy, counseling, psychological services, or any form of medical or mental health treatment. While the host of this podcast is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), she is not operating in the capacity of a therapist within this program. Engaging with this program does not establish a therapist-client relationship. No diagnosis, treatment, or clinical intervention will be provided. The purpose of this program is for education and personal growth—not for mental health treatment. If you are experiencing significant emotional distress, symptoms of a mental health condition, or are in crisis, this program is not appropriate for your needs. You are encouraged to seek the support of a licensed mental health provider in your area.

    16 min

  5. May 7

    Psychological Safety in Animal Care: Creating Cultures Where Speaking Up Is Possible

    In animal care, we ask people to speak up for animals who cannot speak for themselves. But what happens when people don't feel safe enough to speak up at all? Psychological safety, a term coined by Harvard professor Amy Edmondson, refers to a shared belief within a team that it is safe for interpersonal risk-taking. It means you can ask questions, admit mistakes, raise concerns, and offer ideas without fear of being punished, humiliated, or dismissed. But when psychological safety is missing, the resulting problems are detrimental to human and non-human animals alike. In this episode, Dr. Jamie McNally explores what psychological safety is (and isn't), why it matters in high-stakes animal care environments, and discusses both the individual and organizational-level responsibilities involved. Disclaimer: This program, including all podcast content and any related materials, is not a substitute for therapy, counseling, psychological services, or any form of medical or mental health treatment. While the host of this podcast is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), she is not operating in the capacity of a therapist within this program. Engaging with this program does not establish a therapist-client relationship. No diagnosis, treatment, or clinical intervention will be provided. The purpose of this program is for education and personal growth—not for mental health treatment. If you are experiencing significant emotional distress, symptoms of a mental health condition, or are in crisis, this program is not appropriate for your needs. You are encouraged to seek the support of a licensed mental health provider in your area.

    21 min

  6. Apr 30

    Bigger Than You Think

    Animal care work is bigger than you think. And to engage ethically with it, we need to begin having some hard conversations. Disclaimer: This program, including all podcast content and any related materials, is not a substitute for therapy, counseling, psychological services, or any form of medical or mental health treatment. While the host of this podcast is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), she is not operating in the capacity of a therapist within this program. Engaging with this program does not establish a therapist-client relationship. No diagnosis, treatment, or clinical intervention will be provided. The purpose of this program is for education and personal growth—not for mental health treatment. If you are experiencing significant emotional distress, symptoms of a mental health condition, or are in crisis, this program is not appropriate for your needs. You are encouraged to seek the support of a licensed mental health provider in your area.

    12 min

  7. Apr 23

    Becoming

    This week we're talking about what happens after the decision to be brave, and how every version of who you're becoming depends on what you choose today. The future you is real. And they're counting on you. Today. Disclaimer: This program, including all podcast content and any related materials, is not a substitute for therapy, counseling, psychological services, or any form of medical or mental health treatment. While the host of this podcast is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), she is not operating in the capacity of a therapist within this program. Engaging with this program does not establish a therapist-client relationship. No diagnosis, treatment, or clinical intervention will be provided. The purpose of this program is for education and personal growth—not for mental health treatment. If you are experiencing significant emotional distress, symptoms of a mental health condition, or are in crisis, this program is not appropriate for your needs. You are encouraged to seek the support of a licensed mental health provider in your area.

    11 min

  8. Apr 16

    Moral Courage in Animal Care: Living into Values in the Presence of Fear

    In animal care work, we face constant ethical challenges. We see wrongdoing. We sense when something isn't right. We know things should be different. The gap isn't usually in our knowing. The gap is in our doing. Moral courage is the bridge between the two. In this episode, Dr. Jamie McNally explores moral courage and the willingness to stand up for and act according to your ethical beliefs even in the presence of risk and in the absence of ethics codes, committees, and clear policies. In the absence of external structures, moral courage often becomes a largely individual journey, but it's one you can take while being clear in your values. Disclaimer: This program, including all podcast content and any related materials, is not a substitute for therapy, counseling, psychological services, or any form of medical or mental health treatment. While the host of this podcast is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), she is not operating in the capacity of a therapist within this program. Engaging with this program does not establish a therapist-client relationship. No diagnosis, treatment, or clinical intervention will be provided. The purpose of this program is for education and personal growth—not for mental health treatment. If you are experiencing significant emotional distress, symptoms of a mental health condition, or are in crisis, this program is not appropriate for your needs. You are encouraged to seek the support of a licensed mental health provider in your area.

    13 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

story + research + advocacy + soul If you’re drawn to the raw and real side of animal care, the part that goes beyond saving lives and asks what it means to be human while we do it: this is for you. We’ll explore the human-animal bond, the values that drive us, the morality we wrestle with, and the deeper question of what it means to work in animal care and hold onto humanity in the midst of it all. Jamie McNally, Ph.D, LPC is a mental health professional, wellness coach, trauma expert, moral injury researcher, military veteran, and active shelter volunteer at a high intake city shelter.

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