Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 4 days ago
To earn.5 continuing education credit from The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement towards CAWA CEs as well as from the National Animal Care & Control Association (NACA) please watch this webcast Maddie's University university.maddiesfund.org/products/doors-wide-open-pawsitive-peer-support-helping-each-other-without-the-heavy-load-on-demand
Host: Aimee StArnaud,
Speaker: Janet Hoy-Gerlach, PhD, LCSW, LISW-S, Director of Veterinary Social Work, Open Door Veterinary Collective
Animal welfare work is rewarding - and often emotionally intense! In this 30-minute webcast, we’ll explore how to support each other in ways that strengthen connection without adding emotional strain. You’ll learn practical tools for peer debriefs that allow space for processing difficult experiences without “trauma dumping”, including strategies to listen with care, respond with empathy, and keep both the speaker and the listener/supporter resilient! Valuable resources are shared that you can immediately use.
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
• Explain the difference between healthy peer support and trauma dumping.
• Use low-impact debrief techniques to process challenging situations with colleagues.
• Apply active listening skills that reduce emotional overload for both parties.
• Understand how to compassionately set boundaries around support provision.
To earn.5 continuing education credit from The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement towards CAWA CEs as well as from the National Animal Care & Control Association (NACA) please watch this webcast Maddie's University university.maddiesfund.org/products/doors-wide-open-pawsitive-peer-support-helping-each-other-without-the-heavy-load-on-demand
Host: Aimee StArnaud,
Speaker: Janet Hoy-Gerlach, PhD, LCSW, LISW-S, Director of Veterinary Social Work, Open Door Veterinary Collective
Animal welfare work is rewarding - and often emotionally intense! In this 30-minute webcast, we’ll explore how to support each other in ways that strengthen connection without adding emotional strain. You’ll learn practical tools for peer debriefs that allow space for processing difficult experiences without “trauma dumping”, including strategies to listen with care, respond with empathy, and keep both the speaker and the listener/supporter resilient! Valuable resources are shared that you can immediately use.
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
• Explain the difference between healthy peer support and trauma dumping.
• Use low-impact debrief techniques to process challenging situations with colleagues.
• Apply active listening skills that reduce emotional overload for both parties.
• Understand how to compassionately set boundaries around support provision.
