Expert resources to support the mental health and well-being of veterinary professionals

Steve earned his marketing and business insights through many years in both the human and animal healthcare industry, beginning with 6 years hands-on laboratory work as a clinical microbiologist. During an 11-year tenure with an international biotech company based in the UK, Steve rose from Technical Sales Representative to Director of International Sales and Marketing. He then moved to the US and held a role as Business Unit Manager for Centocor, a leading biopharmaceutical company (now Janssen Pharmaceuticals/J&J). His corporate healthcare experience was followed by several years founding and growing his first healthcare agency, which he sold to New York-based Euro RSCG Life (a healthcare division of Havas). Sixteen years ago, he founded Circa Healthcare, and quickly fell in love with the companion animal veterinary industry. He subsequently focused Circa on the dynamic and growing area of animal health.

Circa Healthcare is now one of the most accomplished and successful animal health agencies having helped clients launch and grow more than 70 brands, with over 25 of these being global brands for both companion and production animals. These brands are supported by strategic and creative teams in offices in both Philadelphia, USA and Edinburgh, UK. Steve is fully immersed in animal health, having invested in a startup companion animal veterinary clinic, which he visits often with his two cats and two dogs. He has also invested in a new animal health startup called Antelligence – a data and insights platform for the animal health business. He is also a principal and founder of nurtur, a startup dedicated to elevating communication skills in veterinary teams.

Dr. Ivan “Zak” Zakharenkov is a veterinarian, an entrepreneur and a passionate advocate for the well-being of veterinary professionals. After 12 years in ER and a severe case of burn out, Ivan pivoted to creating products that improve the workflows and experience of veterinary teams. He founded SmartFlow, a workflow optimisation system, and Veterinary Integration Solutions, an executive consulting firm offering a proprietary operating platform for enterprise management and burn out prevention. Pursuing his goal to make a sizable impact on the veterinary industry, Dr. Zak founded Galaxy Vets, a veterinary healthcare system co-owned by its employees and with burn out prevention as a strategic priority.

Along the way, Ivan obtained an MBA degree in International Healthcare Management with a thesis, “Implementation of Lean Thinking to Improve the Employee Experience.” Ivan is the co-host of two podcasts: Veterinary Innovation Podcast and Consolidate That! His hobbies are fishing, badminton, weightlifting and reading. Ivan lives in Canada with his wife, two kids and four ducks.

As one of the first non-vet practice owners in the late 90s, Vicky Robinson has been deeply involved in the veterinary profession for many years. She and her husband Alan run Vet Dynamics who guide independent vets with their businesses and help improve their lives. Vicky is a volunteer for the UK-based charity VetLife and also the newly-formed British Veterinary Chronic Illness Support. She is passionate about giving something back to the profession that has brought so much to her life.

Tshidi is a Wellness Coach, Speaker, Author, Well-being Educator and a Small Animal Veterinary Surgeon with over 18 years of clinical experience in almost all sectors of the veterinary industry. She holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Small Animal Surgery and still works in clinical practice. She volunteers as an elected member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, thus undertakes the governance of the college.

She is the current Chair of the RCVS Diversity & Inclusion Committee and Lead for Global Development. She is a passionate burn out prevention advocate and supports mental ill health initiatives within the veterinary community. Her process uses deep health as the basis for her wellness coaching and stress nanagement practice. She holds an award for mental health awareness and practices as a Mental Health First Aider. She is a mum of two active boys and enjoys walking her dog along the beach for much needed rest and recovery.

Dr Donna Gurney is the Founder of Tutum Psychology. She has over 15 years of experience of working in mental health, both in and outside the NHS. She specialises in adolescent and working age adult mental health. Although her main area of expertise is eating disorders (e.g. anorexia and bulimia), the high prevalence of mood and anxiety disorders (e.g. depression, bipolar disorder, GAD, OCD), and trauma (e.g. PTSD) in ED along with her experience of working with other clinical population groups means that she is also highly competent in working with these clinical presentations.

Prior to setting up her private practice, she worked as a Consultant Clinical Psychologist in an inpatient CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service). Her earlier roles include working in the NHS as a Highly Specialist Clinical Psychologist for Early Intervention Service for Psychosis, and as a Clinical Psychologist in the Non-Psychosis Pathway (specialist service for those with enduring mental health difficulties such as personality disorders, severe mood and anxiety disorders, and trauma. Prior to becoming a clinician, she was working as an academic at the University of Birmingham for a number of years. Her academic background has taught her the value of evidence-based practice in her clinical work. Her approach to therapy is collaborative, person-centred and integrative, which means that her clinical work is based on the unique needs of an individual, a mutual therapeutic relationship and scientific evidence that supports efficacy of treatment.

She is an HCPC- (Health and Care Professions Council) registered Clinical Psychologist, which means that she is a legally recognised clinical practitioner, and her clinical practice complies with the Council’s rigorous standard of conduct, performance and ethics. She is also a BPS- (British Psychological Society) registered Chartered Clinical Psychologist, which signifies that she has achieved the highest standard of knowledge and expertise in Clinical Psychology. Both her years of experience of working in Mental Health and her own lived experience of mental health difficulties moulded her into becoming the clinician she is now.

Naveesha is a current 4th year veterinary student at Universiti Putra Malaysia who has always been passionate about the preservation and improvement of one’s mental well-being. She started getting involved in the International Veterinary Students’ Association (IVSA) back in 2019 as the Project Manager of IVSA’s Wellness committee. She then was appointed Chairperson for the Wellness committee for the 2020–2021 term while also serving as the Chairperson for IVSA’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) Taskforce that was established in 2021.Naveesha hopes that her involvement in the Vets In Mind Alliance will allow her to pave the way for a more mental health-conscious future in the veterinary community.

Kate graduated from the University of Bristol in 2023. As a new graduate veterinary surgeon, she hopes to bring some newer perspectives to the board as well as represent the voice of students and new graduates into the discussions and decision-making processes. Kate grew up surrounded by adults with mental health illnesses, in her late teenage years she found herself suppressing her own needs and emotions as her parents both severely struggled with their mental health after losing everything they had during the 2009 recession. As a consequence, Kate struggled to keep up with her studies and did not get the necessary grades in her A levels, however, Kate took the opportunity to work abroad with horses and travel. When Kate returned to the UK, she tried to think of another job she would like to do as she had always had her heart set on becoming a vet. After trying several things, she decided to look at alternative routes into the veterinary realm and found an Access to Higher Education 1-year college course.

After completing this, she undertook a veterinary course at Bristol. Throughout her degree she had to support herself financially working a number of jobs alongside her degree, this led to burn out and Kate was diagnosed with both depression and severe anxiety. She continued to struggle through the course on medication and was put on a long waiting list to receive therapy. Kate became acutely aware of the struggles of being a student on the veterinary course through her own experience and those of her peers. This is why Kate became an advocate for mental health amongst her peers. She took up the role of Welfare Representative for the Association of Veterinary Students, where she ran some great initiatives with professionals advising on the management of mental health amongst other things. Kate also joined the RCVS Education Committee as a student member, hoping to voice her concerns and make changes in the best interest of students.

Kate was forced to take a year out after completing her 4th year, and was fortunate enough to be offered a job working with Vets; Stay, Go, Diversify, which is a Facebook community built to support veterinary professionals with challenges they face in their career, it was astounding to Kate the turmoil that the profession was in and the sheer number of people who had burnt out, disliked their work, were treated poorly at work and who ultimately wanted to leave the profession. Kate now works for Garden Vets at Keele, which is a brand-new veterinary model with the view to change the profession. It is based around the people who work there as well as improving the welfare of animals. Kate wants to be a part of change; she realised the best way she could help animals and improve their welfare was by helping the people who treated them.