Ep: 66: You Can Love Your Work and Still Experience Compassion Fatigue with Melissa Sherman and Sunny Gandara

In this episode, I’m joined by Melissa Sherman and Sunny Gandara, hosts of The Whole Pack Podcast, for a conversation about the emotional side of caring for animals. We explore how compassion fatigue can show up in less obvious animal-care roles, why the accumulation of small emotional experiences can be just as significant as major crises, and what happens when our passion makes it difficult to set boundaries. We talk about emotional boundaries, coping skills, morning routines, walking meditation, EFT, the importance of peer support, and more. We also explore compassion satisfaction and why reconnecting with the joyful, playful parts of our relationships with animals can help protect the very thing that brought us to this work in the first place. About the Guests: Sunny Gandara is a certified holistic pet health coach and canine nutritionist specializing in cancer prevention, TCVM food therapy, and whole-food nutrition for dogs, work she built after losing her Cane Corso Nacho to hemangiosarcoma and realizing that the support she desperately needed for pet parents in that position simply did not exist. Based in Beacon, New York she also works at Full Circle Veterinary Hospital alongside an integrative veterinarian twice a week. She bridges the gap between conventional and holistic care through her practice Nacho Average Dog Health Coach, helping pet parents navigate chronic illness, inflammation, and cancer. Free Resource: “From Itchy Skin to Cancer: The Inflammation Roadmap” is a free guide that walks dog owners through the five stages chronic inflammation moves through, starting with things as ordinary as itchy skin or a sensitive stomach and ending at the cellular changes tied to cancer risk. It includes five healing recipes built on Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine food therapy, plus a seven-day inflammation reset checklist to start putting the information to work right away. It's built for owners who want to catch inflammation early, while there's still time to change the outcome. Connect with Sunny: Website Instagram:@nachoaveragegdoghealthcoach Facebook TikTok: @doghealthcoach   Melissa Sherman is an animal communicator and the founder of Calming Creek. She has dedicated her work to helping animals and the people who love them better understand one another, fostering deeper connection, healing, and a stronger bond. Melissa specializes in supporting sensitive animals and their guardians through behavior concerns, grief, and end-of-life transitions. Free Resource: Beginner’s Guide to Energy Healing for Animals: A gentle introduction to simple practices that can help you slow down, ground yourself, and create a calmer, more connected space with the animals in your care. Connect with Melissa: Website: calmingcreek.com Instagram: @calmingcreekhealing Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/calmingcreek TikTok:  @calmingcreek   The Whole Pack Podcast – available on most platforms (Apple, Spotify, etc.) as well as on Substack Instagram: @thewholepack_ Facebook Substack   More Resources: Sign up for my free monthly newsletter here. Got a suggestion for a future topic? Reach out to me: [email protected]. Interested in becoming certified in compassion fatigue? Learn more here! Follow on social media:  Facebook Instagram YouTube Grab your free resources to help manage compassion fatigue here.  Visit my free virtual calming room here.  Get your copy of To Save a Starfish: A Compassion Fatigue Workbook for the Animal Welfare Warrior here.  Pre-order your copy of Beyond Compassion Fatigue: Trauma, Resilience, and Recovery in Animal Care and Advocacy here.