Hi! I’m Julie.

I’m a Certified Compassion Fatigue Specialist and Certified Life Coach on a mission to transform the world of animal workers. This is my story.

My Path in Veterinary Medicine

I entered the wonderful world of veterinary medicine by answering a newspaper ad!

I was fresh out of college and had a brand new shiny Bachelor’s Degree in Zoology that I didn’t know what to do with. I was extremely eager to learn all I could as a veterinary assistant and feel blessed to have had the most amazing mentor, Dr. Skip Leighton. His love of veterinary medicine was infectious but I also saw the toll that the profession had on him. I eventually left that practice and dedicated years of my career to veterinary sales and training. Throughout my 25+ years in veterinary medicine, I’ve worked in leading organizations such as Nestlé Purina, Bayer Animal Health and IDEXX Laboratories. Life’s funny…years later, I would go back to work for Skip and become his hospital administrator.

There was one thing I noticed all around me in every one of my career milestones: compassion fatigue.

And this was waaaaaay before we even had the term “compassion fatigue”! Many outside this field might not understand the impact of repeatedly bearing witness to the pain, struggle and suffering of animals (and their people), but animal workers, and in particular female and female-identifying professionals, know it all too well.

The Cost of Compassion Fatigue

For much of my career, veterinary medicine was a male-dominated field, which only added to the burden many of my female colleagues and I faced.

Women in this industry not only have to carry the daily burden of heavy decision making, death and grief, and emotionally unregulated clients but also survive the patriarchal and societal expectations unfairly placed on their shoulders. They’re told to meet everyone else’s needs, abandon their own, and “suck it up”. The fatigue and exhaustion I witnessed in myself and my colleagues has been backed up by countless statistics that draw the same conclusion: veterinarians and animal workers experience alarming rates of depression, anxiety, attrition, burnout, and suicide. After suffering myself from mental health struggles for years, I decided that I couldn’t keep living a life that required me to constantly escape from it.

I wanted to thrive and empower other animal care professionals to do the same.

My Approach to Coaching

Working with a Life Coach changed my life! I then became eager to empower others with the evidence-based cognitive tools that helped me so I studied to become a Certified Life Coach and Certified Compassion Fatigue Specialist. Unlike most coaches out there, I work specifically with veterinarians, animal research professionals, and animal welfare advocates who face challenges unique to their industry. I understand what it takes to care and advocate for animals while meeting all the demands that come with that, in and outside of work. Whether I’m coaching someone 1:1:, in a group, or as part of an organization, I hold space and offer compassion, empathy, and a deep understanding to animal workers. I use cognitive tools and practical skills to guide you back toward a life of purpose: where your needs matter just as much as the needs of the animals and people around you.

Something else you should know

I’m a proud feminist and I believe we all benefit as we smash the patriarchy.

Our field comes with some heavy issues, so I don’t like to take myself too seriously. I try to keep it light-hearted and infuse some much-needed humor into my work. I believe that self-care isn’t selfish, joy is non-negotiable, and no one else gets to write the rules for your own life.

certifications

“As new challenges arise, the tools I learned from you are there and ready for me. I have a new lens to live my life through and I feel so very blessed.”

— emily, dvm

"I’ve never been a group person... this is brand new territory, and my life has been enriched by having these women enter it."

— Living A Life You Love group member, Jenn, DVM

“Thank you for understanding the veterinary profession from the inside and outside.”

— erin, dvm

"Being part of a group of women veterinarians is such a freeing experience because we all just get it, we’ve all had similar experiences that we can relate to, and we all want to see each other shine."

— Living A Life You Love group member, Amanda, DVM

"The support, compassion and camaraderie of this group of badass women veterinarians is indescribable and palpable. There is understanding in both shared and similar experiences and support for whatever you are going through."

— Living A Life You Love group member, Seely, DVM

“Your coaching is so practical, wise and unflinching with accountability and it was exactly what I needed!”

— emily, dvm

How to work with me

listen to the podcast

Rekindling with Julie Squires

THE podcast for veterinarians, veterinary professionals, animal welfare workers and all animal advocates who want to make a difference and improve animals’ lives without burning themselves out. I’ll teach you how to rekindle your joy and love your life.

Episode 292

How Can I Enjoy My Life When Others Are Suffering?

Episode 292

How Can I Enjoy My Life When Others Are Suffering?

In the wake of the immense destruction and devastation brought about by Hurricane Helene, a client asked me how can she hold space for the suffering others are enduring while also wanting to enjoy her life.

Listen

Episode 291

What Women Veterinarians Value in Each Other

Episode 291