The animal training and behavior field is facing a crisis of compassion. We enter this field because we want to help animals. That passion often drives us to pour all of our empathy and compassion into our non-human companions. As a result, we may neglect the nurturing and development of compassion for humans—both ourselves and others. This can lead to burn out and the creation of an unwelcoming and stressful social environment. The good news is that kindness and compassion for ourselves and others will greatly expand our ability to endure the stresses inherent in the field—and continue to help the animals for as long as possible. This talk explores the impacts of mental health on our well-being and explores the science of positive psychology so that we can put on our own oxygen mask in order to continue to make the world a better place for our animal companions.

Sponsor:IAABC Foundation
Speaker(s):Kristina Spaulding

Contact:
 Email: questions@iaabcfoundation.org
 Web: https://iaabcfoundation.org/animal-behavior-conference