Love Your Pet Love Your Vet
Meet Dr Nadine Hamilton, a registered psychologist who is passionate about veterinary wellbeing. Dr Nadine is also the founder of charity Love your Pet Love Your Vet…
Dr Nadine, Tell us a little about your work?
I am a registered psychologist in Australia and completed doctoral research into veterinarian wellbeing and suicide in 2016. Since then I have worked exclusively with the veterinary profession and provide corporate consulting, workshops, and individual counselling and coaching support to veterinary professionals. I am also the Founder and CEO of my charity “Love Your Pet Love Your Vet” which I created and partnered with Royal Canin Australia in 2017, with our official launch happening in 2018.
I would say I am extremely passionate about veterinary wellbeing and a strong advocate for creating a paradigm shift within this profession – one to where wellbeing is the norm, and not the exception, and a focus on reducing the disproportionate number of suicides within this industry. My doctoral thesis was turned into a best-selling book called “Coping with Stress and Burnout as a Veterinarian” which was published with Australian Academic Press in 2019.
This year you received an award. Tell us about that?
I was initially nominated for the Blackmores “Mercie Whellan Women+Wellbeing Award 2020” by a veterinarian colleague, followed by nominations from many others. I was thrilled to be announced the winner of this award in recognition of my work for mental health in the veterinary profession!
How long have you been in business and have you always worked within animal industries?
I started working as a provisional psychologist in 2004 and became fully registered in 2006. Prior to becoming a psychologist I worked in different roles as a dental nurse, administrative assistant, secretary, executive assistant, and office manager across a variety of different industries. Since my registration I have worked in occupational rehabilitation, teaching and lecturing in vocational education and academia, and held different management roles. I also owned and operated my own counselling practice from 2010 until 2015, but then changed the focus to specialising in veterinary wellbeing in 2016.
How does your work help people? And animals?
I used to want to be a veterinarian myself as a young child and adolescent, but quickly realised I was way too queasy to do the work, nor did I think I could cope with the euthanasia of animals. I also flunked high school and left with no qualifications, so it was unlikely I would have ‘made the cut’ to even get into vet school. However, I do like to think that I am now helping the animals by helping those who care for them!
As a psychologist and leading authority in veterinary wellbeing, I have a deep understanding of the issues facing our veterinary professionals and therefore am in a unique position to be able to help address these issues and work with them to regain and maintain their wellbeing.
Animal careers: What to do if you can’t get into veterinary school
What could we all be doing to take care of ourselves?
I believe self-care and self-compassion are essential. Making sure we are kind to ourselves and looking after our physical and psychological wellbeing is really important and I am a firm believer that we need to adopt and implement evidence-based strategies to help us maintain this.
Keeping our stress at a manageable level, learning how to communicate assertively, maximising our time and becoming more organised, building our resilience, having goals, and also using coping and wellbeing strategies are my key recommendations. And most of all – recognising and accepting when we need support, and not being afraid to reach out and ask for help.
Do you have any pets? How do they help you?
Yes – I have a 10yo black Labrador called Jenna. She is an absolute sweetheart and the most affectionate and loving dog I have ever met. I also used her as a therapy dog in my private practice when I was running some wellbeing groups, and she was amazing!
I also have a 9yo diabetic Burmese called Ozzy (yes – aka the “Prince of Darkness” named after Ozzy Osbourne!) who we nearly lost last year when he was newly diagnosed and ended up with some serious complications. He spent four days in the ICU at our local veterinary specialist centre – needless to say that even though I already have the utmost respect for veterinary workers, that was reinforced after them essentially saving his life.
My other furbaby is a 7yo Birman called Panda (aka “Princess Panda” as she thinks she is a princess). She has quite a “unique” personality, but is absolutely beautiful.
There is quite a lot of evidence supporting the benefits of animals, and I can absolutely attest to that. My pets are more than pets – they are part of my family and I cherish each one of them. Being able to talk to them (more-so Jenna as she is always keen for a pat and chat), stroke them, hug them, and yes – smother them with kisses, truly does enhance my wellbeing.
How can people get in touch with you?
My website has a lot of information on my services, as well as a contact form. I also have Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn pages for myself, Positive Psych Solutions, and my charity Love Your Pet Love Your Vet.
Anything else you would like to add?
Be nice to your veterinary professionals – they generally don’t get the recognition they deserve, are not as well paid as people would believe, and have one of the highest rates of suicide in the world – research has shown veterinarians are up to four-times more likely than the general population to suicide, and two-times as likely as other health professionals to suicide).
I would say the majority of veterinary professionals genuinely want the best for your pets and animals, and they are incredibly compassionate, hard-working, and extremely qualified. We can all make a positive difference and help them not just survive, but also thrive, in their profession.
More about Love Your Pet Love Your Vet charity
The Golden Rule of caring for yourself while caring for animals
