Free Online Compassion Course for Veterinarian Mental Wellbeing
Previous Mind Matters research grant recipients from the University of Surrey, Dr Katherine Wakelin, Clinical Psychologist, and Sarah Corthorne, Trainee Clinical Psychologist, are providing an online compassion course as a free, non-profit resource for the veterinary community.
You can watch back our recent Research Webinar on Compassion and Veterinary Wellbeing, on the RCVS MMI YouTube Channel, to find out more about the research.
The RCVS Mind Matters Initiative have kindly been allowed to host the course. If you have any queries or feedback in relation to this course, please contact Dr Katherine Wakelin at [email protected]
Details about how to access and use this resource, as contained in their original leaflet here, have been set out below:
Who can access it?
Any university student or qualified veterinary professional in academia or practice wanting to enhance their mental wellbeing.
What is the evidence?
Feasibility and randomised control trial research has shown the course to significantly improve resilience and self-compassion and reduce rumination and self-criticism amongst veterinarians (Corthorne et al., in press; Wakelin et al.,2022 https://doi.org/10.1002/vetr.2177)
Why is this available?
The evidence-based course is available to the veterinarian community as a free resource to support mental health due to growing recognition of the challenges the profession face.
What is involved?
- Complete a short questionnaire before starting the course.*
- Watch a 10-15 minute video every day for 14 days to improve your self-compassion skills.
- Complete a short questionnaire upon finishing the course*
*Note: Anonymous data is collected to monitor the continual use and impact of the course within the veterinary community in a service evaluation
Accessing the course
- Complete the short questionnaire before starting.
- Watch a 10-15 minute video every day for 14 days to improve your self-compassion skills
- Introduction: Compassion and Self-Criticism
- Exercise: Emotions and the Three Systems
- Exercise: Posture and Soothing Rhythm Breathing
- Exercise: Mindful Attention
- Exercise: Compassionate Qualities
- Exercise: Expressing Compassion Towards your Struggling Self
- Exercise: Compassion Towards a Self-Critical Thought
- Exercise: Ideal Compassionate Other
- Exercise: Posture and Soothing Rhythm Breathing
- Exercise: Mindful Attention
- Exercise: Compassionate Qualities
- Exercise: Expressing Compassion Towards your Struggling Self
- Exercise: Compassion Towards a Self-Critical Thought
- Exercise: Ideal Compassionate Other
- Complete the short questionnaire upon finishing the course.