Contribute

We want this blog to bring to life the breadth of different experiences of shame across vetmed and the many walks of life within it, in a way that is kind, responsible, and inclusive.

If you have a story, reflection, or perspective you would like to share, we would love to hear from you. We suggest that blogs are no more than 1500 words in length.

What we are looking for

We welcome submissions from anyone connected to veterinary medicine, including (but not limited to) vets, nurses/techs, students, reception and admin teams, leaders, educators, and people in adjacent roles.

Content can include:

• lived experience stories of shame and how it showed up for you;
• reflections on shame based themes like perfectionism, imposter feelings, conflict, complaints, mistakes, leadership, training, belonging, identity;
• experiences of shame in client interactions and how it can shape conversations in the consult room.

You can write in your own voice. It does not need to be polished or academic.

A reflective check in before you submit

Because this topic can feel exposing, we ask everyone to pause and consider:

• Do I feel ready for this to be in the world, in any form?
• Would publishing this feel grounding, or would it feel destabilising right now?
• What support do I have around me if this brings things up?

We will always encourage you to share as much or as little as feels right for you.

Anonymity and naming

You can choose to publish: Anonymous, First name only, or Named. If you would like to be named, we gently suggest doing so only if you have had time to process the experience you are sharing.

Confidentiality and protecting others

This matters a lot to us. Please make sure patients, clients, colleagues, workplaces, and specific incidents are not immediately identifiable, even if you do not use names. Sometimes people can recognise a situation from the details or context alone. We may ask you to remove or blur details if there is a risk of identification.

Suggested timeframe

As a general guide, we suggest it is at least a year since the experience happened. That is not a hard rule, but it is an important safety marker for many people.

What happens after you submit

Every submission is reviewed by members of the team before anything is published. This is not about changing your story or your voice. It is about making sure it is as safe and responsible as possible to share. In practice, this may include:

• checking for identifying details;
• suggesting a content note if needed;
• clarifying anything that could be misread as advice, diagnosis, or a factual allegation about an identifiable person or organisation;
• confirming your publishing preference (anonymous or named).

What we cannot publish

To protect you and others, we may not be able to publish pieces that include:

• identifiable people, workplaces, or cases;
• content that makes legal allegations about identifiable individuals or organisations;
• graphic detail that could be harmful to readers;
• anything that reads as providing professional mental health advice or crisis support (that is not what this site is);
• content overtly used to sell or promote a service or product.

If we cannot publish something, we will tell you kindly and explain why.