Shame and VetMedIntroducing Shame Competence training, designed just for veterinary professionals
Shame and VetMed · · 4 min read
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We're really excited to share that Professor Luna Dolezal and Dr Will Bynum, co-founders of The Shame Lab, are running an Introduction to Shame Competence course aimed solely at veterinary professionals.
Veterinary work is full of the conditions where shame thrives - uncertainty, high emotion, ethical complexity, client expectations, and regular contact with suffering, conflict and loss. Whether it shows up after a mistake or a complaint, in a financial conversation, around euthanasia, or in the quiet sense of not being good enough, shame shapes how we communicate, make decisions, learn and look after ourselves. Often it does this without ever being named.
This course is a chance to name it, understand it, and learn what to do with it.
What the course covers
- Why shame matters, and why it’s often called the "master emotion"
- The basic psychology of shame, and how it differs from guilt and embarrassment
- The shame compass and "bypassed" shame - how it shows up as withdrawal, attack and avoidance
- How to recognise shaming in everyday practice, policies and culture, and how to reduce it
By the end, you'll be better able to spot shame even when it's hidden, respond to it in yourself, colleagues and clients, and help build psychologically safer, more compassionate workplaces.
Who it's for
The whole veterinary team, at any career stage and in any area of practice - vets, veterinary nurses and technicians, practice managers, students, interns and residents. Companion animal, equine, farm, mixed, emergency, referral and shelter medicine are all welcome.
About the facilitators
Luna Dolezal, PhD, is Professor of Philosophy and Medical Humanities at the University of Exeter. She has researched shame for nearly two decades, including leading the Wellcome-funded Shame and Medicine Project, and has delivered shame competence training across healthcare, social care and beyond.
Will Bynum, MD, PhD, is a family medicine physician and shame researcher. His doctoral research explored shame in medical learners, and he brings both deep expertise in the science of shame and his own lived experience as a healthcare professional.
Why we're so pleased about this
Shame has been hiding in plain sight in veterinary medicine for a long time. Having training built for our profession, by two of the leading voices in the field, feels like a real step forward. Part I is only a few days away, so if you're interested, book soon.