People-Pleasing, Burnout & Building a Resilient Mind in Veterinary Medicine

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In this episode of the Veterinary Business Podcast, host Michael Walker sits down with Dr. Natalie Fayman, a pioneering veterinarian and certified positive intelligence coach. Dr. Fayman shares her unique journey from emergency veterinary medicine to coaching veterinary professionals on overcoming burnout, managing stress, and building resilient minds.

They dive deep into the mental health challenges facing veterinarians today, exploring the high prevalence of burnout, depression, and secondary traumatic stress in the profession. Dr. Fayman highlights the common struggle of people-pleasing tendencies and the importance of setting healthy boundaries to maintain well-being. She also offers practical strategies and simple but effective neuroscience-backed techniques to help vets rewire their brains for stress resilience in fast-paced clinic environments. Whether you’re a vet, practice owner, or part of the veterinary team, this episode offers valuable insights on nurturing mental wellness and creating sustainable careers in veterinary medicine.

Key Takeaways:

• Veterinarians face a significant mental health crisis, with burnout affecting over 50% of practitioners and elevated rates of depression and suicide compared to the general population.
• People-pleasing and perfectionism are common traits in vet med that contribute to boundary issues and burnout.
• Setting boundaries and learning to say “no” with tolerance for discomfort is essential to preserve mental health.
• The whole veterinary team’s well-being is interconnected; decisions about work hours and client care impact everyone.
• Awareness and pausing before agreeing to additional demands reduce resentment and improve long-term satisfaction.
• Practical brain rewiring techniques, such as tactile fingertip rubbing combined with positive imagery, can calm the stress response and increase emotional resilience.
• Mental health support can be found through employee assistance programs, reputable coaching, therapy, and peer support groups.
• Open communication about mental health within the practice team fosters a healthy and supportive work culture.

Timestamp

• 00:00 – 02:30: Introduction to Dr. Natalie Fayman and overview of her background in veterinary emergency care and coaching.
• 02:30 – 07:00:  Dr. Fayman’s personal burnout journey and transition from veterinary medicine to coaching.
• 07:00 – 14:30: Discussion on the current mental health status of veterinarians: burnout, depression, suicide rates, and drivers of these challenges.
• 14:30 – 19:00: The role of people-pleasing and perfectionism in veterinary burnout and boundary setting struggles.
• 19:00 – 24:00: Strategies for overcoming people-pleasing and establishing healthy boundaries in a veterinary practice.
• 24:00 – 29:30: Advice on communicating “no” effectively to clients and coworkers while preserving relationships and self-care.
• 29:30 – 34:30: Importance of mental health support systems for veterinarians and entire practice teams; resources available.
• 34:30 – 40:00: Proactive steps for veterinarians to manage burnout when facing demanding clients and work pressures.
• 40:00 – 48:00: Techniques for rewiring the brain to build stress resilience — fingertip rubbing and positive visualization explained by Dr. Fayman.
• 48:00: Practical applications of resilience techniques in fast-paced veterinary environments and closing remarks.

Natalie Fayman, DVM, PCC, CPC

Veterinary Stress Coach | Mental Fitness & Leadership Specialist
Certified Positive Intelligence Coach

Natalie Fayman is a trailblazer in veterinary mental fitness and leadership development, blending more than three decades of veterinary expertise with cutting-edge coaching methodologies. With a 31-year career in veterinary medicine, including 24 years in emergency and critical care, Natalie has an intimate understanding of the pressures, stressors, and emotional toll that veterinary professionals face every day.

Recognizing the mental health challenges within the profession, Natalie transitioned her passion for healing from patients to the people who care for them. Today, as Founder and CEO of No Limits Coaching, LLC, she delivers transformational programs that reduce burnout, enhance resilience, and restore balance for veterinarians, practice managers, and other medical professionals.

Natalie holds the unique distinction of being the only practicing Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in the United States who is also a Certified Positive Intelligence Coach. This rare combination allows her to integrate clinical insight with science-based mental fitness strategies to create lasting behavioral change. Her programs, including the only RACE-approved mental fitness program in the U.S., help veterinary teams improve productivity, strengthen morale, and develop emotional intelligence—within just eight weeks.

In addition to her coaching work, Natalie is a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) credentialed by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and an ICF-Registered Mentor Coach, supporting coaches in achieving their ACC and PCC certifications. She is also a Certified Professional Coach (CPC) through the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC) and a COR.E Dynamics Wellbeing Specialist.

Natalie serves as a leadership and wellness coach with Full Circle Lab Vet Med, a veterinary mentor with MentorVet, and an active member of The Veterinary Coaches Collective. She has been featured in multiple publications and interviews, sharing her insights on stress resilience, mental fitness, and sustainable habit change. Her own journey—losing 85 pounds and reclaiming her life through mental fitness—serves as powerful proof of what’s possible with the right mindset and tools.

Natalie’s mission is simple yet profound: to help veterinary professionals and healthcare providers overcome burnout, rediscover their purpose, and build “suck-free” workplaces where both people and practices can thrive.

Areas of Expertise:

• Veterinary Stress & Burnout Solutions
• Mental Fitness & Positive Intelligence Coaching
• Leadership Development & Team Cohesion
• Emotional Intelligence & Conflict Management
• Habit Change & Personal Resilience
  

Credentials & Achievements:

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University
• Professional Certified Coach (PCC), International Coaching Federation
• Certified Positive Intelligence Coach & Mastery Program Graduate
• COR.E Dynamics Wellbeing Specialist
• Certified Professional Coach (CPC), iPEC
• Approved RACE CE Provider, AAVSB

Connect with Dr. Fayman:

• LinkedIn