601: Not One More Vet with Gigi Tsontos
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What is life really like behind the scenes at your vet’s office? Gigi Tsontos, Executive Director of Not One More Vet, Inc. (NOMV), joins the show to discuss the hidden mental health crisis facing veterinary professionals. Gigi shares the mission of NOMV, the complex stressors vets face, and the resources NOMV provides—from peer support to emergency grants. She also explores how pet sitters and pet parents can shift the culture through empathy, gratitude, and everyday check-ins. It’s a call to action to recognize, respect, and support the emotional toll behind every diagnosis.
Main topics:
Veterinary mental health crisis
Suicide prevention in vet medicine
NOMV programs and peer support
Communicating with empathy and care
Role of pet sitters in advocacy
Main takeaway: “When we as a community value mental health, it creates a wave—it hits everyone, and it keeps going.”
Mental health isn’t just an individual issue—it’s a community responsibility. In the veterinary and pet care industries, small acts of compassion and understanding can ripple outward, changing lives and reshaping culture. Whether it’s checking in on a colleague, expressing gratitude to your vet, or simply listening without judgment, your empathy makes a difference. Let’s be the start of that wave—because when we value each other’s wellbeing, we all rise together..
About our guest: Gigi Tsontos, LCSW, MPA, aka, Angelique, joined NOMV in January 2024. After studying Social Welfare Policy at the University of Kansas, Gigi spent two years in Mali West Africa as a Peace Corps Volunteer, returning to complete a Master of Science in Social Work at Columbia University and a second Masters in Public Administration from San Diego State University. Her career led her to work in social services, homeless services, mental health, victims’ rights, and nutrition supporting administrative roles and becoming a clinical social worker licensed in California and Kansas. Gigi lives in Kansas with her husband and 4 furry children. She sees the world as her home and has traveled extensively.
Links:
Race Around the World: https://nomv.org/race-around-the-world/
On Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@notonemorevet
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A VERY ROUGH TRANSCRIPT OF THE EPISODE
Provided by otter.ai
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
mental health, veterinary community, NOMV, peer support, veterinary wellbeing, suicide prevention, veterinary stress, mental health resources, veterinary communication, veterinary mental health, veterinary support, veterinary mental health support, veterinary mental health tips, veterinary mental health programs, veterinary mental health awareness
SPEAKERS
Collin Funkhouser, Gigi Tsontos
Collin Funkhouser 04:13
Okay, I'm ready. Well, hello everybody, and welcome back. Mental health is a really big issue. It's a big topic that we don't really pay enough attention to. So how can we come together as a community to support people who are struggling or might not really see or know exactly what's going on? How can we come around them in the best possible way? And I'm actually really excited to have Gigi Santos on the show today from not one more vet to talk about the issues of mental health in vet practices, in the pet care space in general, and really how we can build a more supportive and better community together. Gigi, again, I'm really excited to have you on and talk about this topic. I know it's near and dear to your heart, for those who aren't familiar with you or NOMV, can you tell us a little bit more about who you are and what you do. Absolutely.
Gigi Tsontos 05:02
Thank you, Collin. We're really excited to be here. I am the Executive Director of not one more vet, shortened to NOMV, and I've been here for about a year, a little over a year, but NOMV has been in existence just over 10 years. The reason that we came into existence, it was an unfortunate situation where Dr Sophia yen Well, a well known veterinary veterinarian, died by suicide, and a couple of her colleagues and friends came together, including Dr Nicole MacArthur, and said, Hey, let's have some conversations around what's going on, and so not one more bed was born. I came in a little over a year ago as the executive director I have I'm a licensed clinical social worker, a certified coach, and have a lot of experience running mental health nonprofits, as well as in therapeutic settings as well. So came on to help us move to that next level. We started out, you know, in 2014 as a small organization volunteer run. We're able to then become a 501 c3 in 2017 and then our first staff hiring was in 2020 and really looked at, how can we really create a good infrastructure so that nonprofit, so that this nonprofit could be bring wellbeing to the veterinary medical community. So that's why I'm here. Our mission is really to support the veterinary population towards wellbeing and mental health so that they survive and thrive.
Collin Funkhouser 06:45
Now, what specifically attracted you to NOMV and its mission?
Gigi Tsontos 06:49
Absolutely? Well, obviously, I'm very interested in mental health in general, because I think it's important for the entire population. But I also grew up around veterinarians have right Currently, we have five companion animals of our own in our home, and I've had animals my entire life, including since I'm from Kansas, farm animals with my family, and so I've seen a lot of different spaces in the back community. And I thought when I saw this. It just seemed to mirror two passions of mine, people who take care of our animals, and being mentally well. And so that's, that's where I that's where I came on board. And I've loved every minute of it.
Collin Funkhouser 07:35
Well, it's a fantastic mission, and it's doing a lot of really good work. I know, you know, it's, it's, it's pretty silent. It's not a lot. A lot of people talk about this, this issue and this concern going on. And I might, from my take, it seems to be people go, Well, they're in it because they love animals. They're living out their passion. Really, what could the struggle be? From your perspective, why is NOMV, and you know, this organization necessary? Why is this needed these days?
Gigi Tsontos 08:03
Sure. Well, I think it's always probably been needed the veterinary community we do, we think, Oh, it's all kittens and puppies and fun, but really it's the only medical profession where you also have to help people make really life or death decisions. They talk about euthanasia with clients, sometimes for medical reasons and sometimes for financial reasons their days, no matter which type of industry, equine, companion animal, large animal, anything they're dealing with this, these life and death situations in their face all day, every day, their their time. I recently shadowed my the veterinarian that takes care of my animals, and it was amazing. I was only there four hours, and I just saw all of the differences so a hurt animal, they did have a few euthanasias that morning, from also a really healthy animal just getting a regular checkup to a challenging client whose pet was in need. And so throughout that morning, they had to deal with all of these different ups and downs. So I think the reason that NOMV needs to be here is, first of all, it's an industry. You know, these are bright people, brilliant people who love animals. They want to do well, and they come into it with so much love for the science and the and the medical piece of this in the animals themselves. And then they have to deal with large school loans. They have to deal with not getting, you know, not pay. That's not as high as we we anticipate. They are dealing with a shortage of workers. In some cases they're dealing with, you know, I always think it's interesting, they're the only ones. When I go to my medical doctor, I'm not talking to her about what the bill is going to be at the end, somebody else is talking to that to me about that, right? And so their their days are really have have a lot of pieces. And I think historically, culturally, in the US and beyond. We haven't spoken about mental health, and this is a this is a community in which that's been the case as well. And so really, bringing those skills knowledge to the community and developing places where they can gain skill information, get support is key, and so organizations like NOMV, we help get that message out and help change that dynamic so we can prevent mental health challenges in the community
Collin Funkhouser 10:53
well. And what you listed off, there was a long list of both personal and professional challenges. Like, I think that that really goes under appreciated. I was speaking with our vet a little a couple years ago, and I remember them saying, you know, I very rarely see a pet on its best day, yeah? And that really like that hit me in the chest, because it was like, right? Yeah, you come in like they're experiencing pets when they're scared, when they're nervous, when they're dying, right, when there's unknown. You're dealing with anxious owners and people around on top of that, they are running a business, so they're doing payroll, they're hiring, they're worried about what next thing's gonna happen. And if you look at their day, you know you said you were on there for four hours, it's like you didn't mention anything about them. Had, they had time to breathe. They probably didn't. They probably didn't eat, you know, going through this. And so it's like, where's the where's the them time and to sit and reflect on this stuff. And so it kind of sounds like it just it's constantly building and building and adding more and more. Absolutely,
Gigi Tsontos 11:56
they talk to us about long hours, about, like you said, rarely seeing an animal on their best day, even the space in which sometimes they have to work. So if you're an equine vet or a large animal, that you may be in a field working with an animal, and you know, resource activity that that changes the dynamic. You know, even for general practition vets, you know, here clinics with companion animals, you could be walk up in the morning and have a kitten, and then in the next room could be an animal that was injured and that up and down, never getting to breathe. You're right, not taking the meal, having the meal breaks, or feeling like you have the time for a meal break, taking a breath, having some water, chatting with your colleagues to kind of decompress. All of those things are important and key, and so NOMV really works with them in our clear blueprint program to create that space. Like, how do you make those choices to create the space where your team gets lunch breaks other breaks, that from one session to the other, they have a moment to think, take that deep breath, bring themselves back from whatever it was, or a challenging diagnosis or a case that they're trying to figure out. And I think it's really important that we as pet guardians, when we're going to the vet, that we prepare ourselves to for how our conversation is going to go, we need to think about, do we have the means to cover a cost if something is bigger, we need to prepare ourselves for those visits and understand that the vet is coming to us with the best options that they can And us also being prepared to have those conversations with them, so it's not one sided, right? You know,
Collin Funkhouser 14:07
you see it a lot where people go, I went to the vet and such and such, and look at this massive bill. And unfortunately, the vet then gets vilified in a lot of cases for they're trying to price gouge their look how costly they are. And what a lot of people don't understand is just that. I mean, first off, prices have gone up all over the place, but sometimes these Specialty Tests and specialty things like, it's just, it's just very costly, and unfortunately, then it becomes a personal attack against that vet. I mean, we see, I'm sure you see it in Facebook groups all the time. I need to find a vet who doesn't charge an arm and a lot and a leg. It's like, well, you know, like, that's, that's a really unfair characterization of what's going on here. So they get both. They get vilified from this perspective of of owning it for the money, while also being expected to work miracles and be available 24/7 too. So there's also these, these societal pressures that are placed on how they're to operate?
Gigi Tsontos 15:00
Absolutely, yeah, we see that. And I actually was at a meeting where we were talking about, how much does it cost to keep the lights on, you know, when I turn that light on in the morning, how much does that cost? Then, how much does it cost to do that throughout the week? And, and, and it is, it is quite expensive. And Animal Care is becoming more and more like medical like human medic medical care. There's more opportunity, there's more availability, and vets are really learning and how do I share options with owners so that they can make the right decision for them? But that's not always easy to do when you just learn that your animal has cancer or that they need a lake removed, or whatever it might be. And so to me, I think one thing that we could do as the community is really prepare, like I said, prepare ourselves and understand that this is a business like others, and most vets are not making anything close to a medical doctor, yet they have similar, similar expenses from vet school texts and support staff also have the expenses from their schooling and their life, and So giving them that benefit of the doubt too, and understanding that they're coming to it wanting to give you the best care is really important for us to go into the situation with. So, yeah, yeah. And
Collin Funkhouser 16:33
I know I was, you know, looking into this and just some general reading, I saw everything from, you know, veterinarians have a two to four times higher risk of suicide than the average population. And I know that, you know, depending on which study there's this there's this variant. Why? Why is this so high?
Gigi Tsontos 16:53
So, I mean, we can speculate on why it's so high. One of the reasons given is that there's access to lethal drugs in veterinary clinics, right? So euthanasia drugs are available readily in those clinics. They are supervised, but they're still there. So when you're having a moment, this could be the time when you're when it is more, when access makes a difference. You know, questioning the I have this question, and it's there, and it's easy, easy to access this stuff, I think too, that building in from the get go, the self care, the creating a space in which they get the support they need. We can only control ourselves. So if you have nine clients in the day yelling at you, that's hard to come back from if you don't have any space to connect with I think the pressures that we talked about both personally and professionally, you know, these are the individuals who get into medicine and stuff, you know, they're they're high worth individuals. They are smart and they are perfectionists, usually, often, you know, often, if you think about it, working with animals is amazing. It's a different kind of interaction. But then you add the human element to that, and you may not be prepared for that. Some vets are very great communicators, and some aren't. Just like anybody else, support staff also need their attention. Different things are happening, and so I think the reasons that we've heard are really around that you have access. There's a lot going on depending on what kind of system you work in, what's going on inside and outside. You know, keeping your bills up at home, keeping the office open, not working 100 hours a week. You know, all of those things feed into the opportunity to die by suicide. Do
Collin Funkhouser 19:06
you guys have stats, or is there information on the difference different rates or different impacts from independently owned and operated practices versus more of the corporate bigger structure systems? Yeah,
Gigi Tsontos 19:19
unfortunately, NOMV does not I think the most recent study that I've seen with stats is the 2019 CDC study. I think there's people working on what those stats look like. I think sometimes the way, the way that things are presented, we might not have all that data yet, but I think they're working to try to find that. And what we're really trying to do is, then is be based on whatever, without even that information. We want to work really on the prevention side. So what can we input to these doctors, tech support staff, people who work with them to ensure that they have a way to help themselves before their mental health struggle is so deep, or, you know, before they're feeling like there's no other option.
Collin Funkhouser 20:16
Well, so let's talk about some of those early warning signs, or early signs. You know, as we're pet care professionals, we have friends, we have family, we're in vet offices all the time where we're working to network. What are things that that we can be looking for, or should be working for, educating people on to be if they're struggling,
Gigi Tsontos 20:34
sure. I mean, there's a lot of things to think about. So if someone starts to if their personality changes, that they start to be more aloof, more kind of withdrawn from you. If they if they seem moodier, that can be a reason. Now I'm not sometimes we're just moody, right? So I'm not sure. I don't want to say that, but, but sigh. You know, sign when someone, when you see, changes in someone when they're not when they're not showing up the way they did before, when they seem to have less compassion, and I don't mean that in a in a negative way at all based on them, when they seem to have a harder time walking through that day. Maybe they're your vet, and you've been seeing them for years, and you know them to be chipper and and smiling, or at least very, you know, professional, and they start to come in with a different demeanor, you know, you want, want to check in on them. If they're withdrawing from their social connections, that's a great that's a big time to check in if, in fact, they're struggling. It feels like they're they're saying things like coming to work isn't isn't healthy for me, or I don't feel good coming to work. You want to check in, but I have to say, I want you to check in with everyone every time. How is it going for you? Right? And so those signs are there. But I think what we could do better as humans is check in with each other and in the vet community, I'd love to see us all say, you know, how's it going take those five minutes to just, you know, give someone a breath.
Collin Funkhouser 22:25
Yeah, and you said that phrase, check in. And I think, you know, oftentimes we can be rushed, and so we can do the How you doing? Fine, fine, fine, fine, and we move on with our day. But I think what you're really saying here is just open up that space a little bit and really just, you know, have that moment, you know, how? How else would you suggest we we work on that check in they know, and how to have that initial conversation with somebody? Sure?
Gigi Tsontos 22:47
Well, if you are worried about someone, I think it's okay to say, Hey, I'm worried about you. You seem a little different than normal. Is there anything I can do? Right? So it's okay to ask others, you know, are you doing okay? So I think that's really important. I think just in general, you know, being, you know, trying to show up calmly and listen both directions, but listen to to what's happening. And you know that active listening can help you also to deal with what's going on for you. So I, when I first started at NOMV, my first week, I woke up in the morning with a very sick cat. Had to end up going to the emergency and, you know, I started, I was watching the whole thing going on, and they, the vet came out and said, you know, this is a very sick cat. There's, you know, and my first reaction was to cheer up, because I was like, Oh no, this is I didn't expect this coming and and so but, and they were wonderful to me. And I tried to say what I tried to do in the moment. I, first of all, I said, you know, thank you for being giving me the space. This must also be hard for you, and I can imagine that your day has been full of hard things. So I'd like to do that. And then I just, you know, I think thanking them too, thanking them for being available, and thanking the support staff when you make your appointment, thank you when you hit the office after you pay your bill, even if it's a chunk, and you're like, ah, say thank you, just those kind of small things can make a difference for someone. Yeah, yeah,
Collin Funkhouser 24:34
you're this, this revolutionary term of empathy, right? It's amazing. It's amazing how much that can be. And realizing that there's, like you said, there's two sides going on here. You know, when our when our dog passed away, you know, it was obviously we were just absolutely devastated, just devastated. We're sitting here, and you can't imagine, the vet is over here, you know, how are, how are they feeling? Are this? Is he feeling that, you know, good about the situation, that he couldn't do anything to help save our dog, that we didn't, you know, it didn't work out this time, and remembering that they're going to try their best and to encourage not just ourselves but our clients, remember of of the of the if we're interacting with our clients, if we suggest these things, having these conversations with them, to change a little bit of that culture as much as we can, right? We can only control what we can control, but we do have a sphere of influence that we have to remember. And if we can develop a culture of gratitude and empathy, how much more so is that going to impact our broader community? I
Gigi Tsontos 25:36
love that Absolutely. That's key, I think, in any case. But as, you know, as pet sitters, I think there's, I've done a little dabbling in pet sitting myself, and, you know, I always end up in love with the pets, right? And they're and they're owners. I mean, I have three Boston Terriers and two cats, so I My house is crazy pet sitters, you know, find it crazy, so I always try to overthink them for for hanging out with the with our little ones, but, but that it's absolutely true, and also sharing resources with them like I hated, you know, I know that my dog, one of my dogs, Monty. I know Monty has to go to the vet, you know, do you know? You know, have you heard much about the vet community and and mental health? And, you know, give it open in a conversation with the with the owners, about that. You know, I heard this great podcast, and I learned a lot. And, you know, I it really opened my eyes. So, you know, I'm happy to share that with you, or, like you said, just opening the the feel of empathy or the conversation, or, you know, when someone's saying, you know, I'm having difficult time because my pet needs, you know, 12 medications and it's very expensive, and even saying, you know, providing your clientele with some opportunity to learn about what's going on and what options they have is also a great thing.
Collin Funkhouser 27:10
Yeah, as much as we can do to educate on our end, right? Yeah, I love that. I sharing those resources, because, again, if we have, you know, veterinary friends, they're, as we already mentioned, insanely busy. They don't have a lot of time to be going and looking up things and doing their own research outside of this. And a lot of times, what happens is just kind of push those feelings and emotions out just a little bit more. We're gonna delay dealing with that one more day, one more day, one more day. And if we can come in and say, Have you heard about this organization, this association, have you heard about this meeting that's going on? Have you heard about this? Would love for you to be there. How, how impactful that could be just getting resources in front of people? Absolutely,
Gigi Tsontos 27:46
we always say at NOMV, you know, we, we try to make resources as as easy to digest as possible, so that, you know, you don't have to think too much about it, like 10 mental health tips. You know, there you go. Anybody can use those, um, but it's also a great gift to give someone when you're just thinking. So, when I went into my vets and did the the shadowing, I took them a few, a few of our cards, but also, you know, some fruit and nuts so that they could have something nourishing, and also some donuts, because, you know, everybody needs those. But the thing, the thing is, is that just by those small acts, amazing. And I was there the other day, because I do have five animals, so I'm there quite often, and somebody had sent them a little bouquet of flowers, and it was just the sweetest thing. Now you don't have to go that far, but that thank you, that being involved, that getting to know the side of the conversation, thinking about, like you said, thinking about what, what the doctor must have been going through on their end, or the tech when you had, when you had your your pet pass away, you know, they're more like our they're more like family than they've ever been, and so we treat them differently, which also impacts the way medicine is done. You know, the opportunities that we have to give more life saving structures, not that they haven't been there, but I think we're more as a culture, more willing to do that our pets are, sometimes are four legged children and and it makes a difference in how if you understand The other side of the coin, then you can do better going in.
Collin Funkhouser 29:45
I know you mentioned the clear blueprint program earlier. I did want you to share about some of the other programs and resources that you do provide to veterinary professionals. Absolutely,
Gigi Tsontos 29:56
we have, I always say we, we have three basic arenas that we work in resources. Resources are we do support grants for individuals to help them if they're struggling with housing insecurity, transportation issues, food insecurity, mental health or medical bill needs, so just a quick grant to help you get through a difficult time. We have emergency grants for clinics. If there's, let's say, political unrest or fires or damage or hurricanes, we help them stay open to meet the needs of the community. When everyone's struggling, we just give them, we help a little bit to keep them going so that those animals can be taken care of and that they can take care of themselves. And then we have a list of cod NOMV list, and you can do a search. And other vet professionals have given us resources that they've used so that they can really look for VET specific resources. So when you're not familiar with the community, and if you're going for therapy, and the therapist has no idea what the veterinary day looks like, it can be a little harder. So we do have that. And then we have support. So support is mostly peer support. We have a amazing program called veterinary mental health support, which came to NOMV from another another organization early last year and is supported by Zoetis. They provide psycho educational groups to veterinarians for free, six week groups as well as individual psycho education courses that are sessions. These are not therapy. They're meant to be a facilitated discussion where you can learn some skills, maybe think about things differently, and then we do some skill building workshops in there, as well as our lifeboat, which is a program that we've partnered with University of Tennessee and Auburn University to create an online, asynchronous, anonymous peer support program where vets, texts and such, can log in and we pair them with a vet with a group of three vets or techs who've been trained to be peer supports. Again, it's all online, so it's chat. So Collin, you and I could be talking, we would never know, but we're supporting each other in that way. And then that also has some mental health counselors who support the whole entire structure, making sure people have answers to what they need, etc. And we have our forums, which is where we were built. So that is an online Facebook vet group, tech group, support staff group, where they can be on there that's moderated, and they can kind of bring up things that are going on and get feedback from the community. And then finally, education. Education includes our clear blueprint, which, to me, is a certificate. It's an assessment and certification program that allows the clinic hospital to see where they are with providing good mental health, well being, support to their team, and then some inputs on how to adjust, some training and information. And then in our education, we also do talks like this. We do webinars. We have a YouTube channel that's available to anyone so non vets can get on there. And personally, I've learned a lot from it not being a veterinarian, as well as we try to do blog posts and just get out there and spread the word and create materials too that people can have accessible to them, that help them in those times of need.
Collin Funkhouser 33:56
I love how you mentioned the specific resources, because even if you go talk to a mental health professional, if they're not familiar with your stresses, your background, your daily life, a lot of the or it can be that some of the recommendations and resources are not going to be quite a good fit. And you can walk away feeling like I didn't really feel seen. I don't really know. I wonder if nobody can help me with this. And so being able to get plugged into a community of not only are there going to be resources here, but these are also people who are living it, and they're, you know, and they're here to support and be supported. Absolutely,
Gigi Tsontos 34:32
we found it's great. I mean, if people, like all of us, you know, we want to, we want to feel connected to the person. If we're going to get therapy, we want to make sure that they have some kind of baseline understanding and and to have that resource, it's been really amazing. The team has really done a lot to make sure that it's really dedicated to the veterinary community. So anybody from the field who's in in that can put can ask us to add resources, and then we vet those resources to make sure there's no issue with, you know, somebody unlicensed, providing therapy, which, you know, all of those things. We just try to do that extra step to keep it up to date as well.
Collin Funkhouser 35:14
I was curious if you could share, if you felt comfortable sharing an example or story from from NOMV and kind of how it so people can get an idea of how this can impact a clinic or a vet. Oh,
Gigi Tsontos 35:27
sure. I mean, I have many stories. A recent one was, I was at a veterinary conference in in Las Vegas, I believe it was in March, and I at the T I get super busy at these and I'm all over the place. And I just happened to be lucky to be at the table at this one moment at the booth for NOMV, and someone came up and said, I just want to say thank you. And we all said, Oh, you're so nice. Thank you so much. And they ended up sharing that, you know, they started in the vet community some time ago, and it's been up and down for them. And they went on to our forums and felt like, Oh, it's good. But at times, you know, they they were like, it was so many people and overwhelming, so I would sometimes get off. So then they jumped into our lifeboat program and said, Oh, wow, that peer support was really helpful. I was in a place where I didn't feel like I could look at my situation without with with good with a good lens. And they said I was able to, you know, connect with the peers and get some some thoughts about other people are going through these things too. It's not just me, and they were able, they said it was, it was really wonderful to have that camaraderie. And then they even shared that their clinic ended up becoming clear certified. And we were like, Wait, hold on, what? And so amazing. We were like, this is a good track. And yeah,
Collin Funkhouser 37:09
they said
Gigi Tsontos 37:10
that really, when they now have searched for a new job since being involved with NOMV, they asked different questions, what is work life balance. To you. How do you how do you make sure that we're supported? If I'm struggling, what opportunities do you have? Do you have an EAP? Do you have, you know, is there someone in the office that I can talk to? How do you feel about time off those kinds of things that really help them interview their employer in a different way than they had before, and so I was really proud of that. It seems very basic, but it really they were like, I feel like that really has helped me grow, and now I feel like I have the bandwidth to help other people too, because I've learned and progressed and processed and all that. So that's just one. Support grantees often write back and say, oh my gosh, thank you so much. That $500 meant me either losing my place to live or my car, and now I get to keep both, right and so, you know, those really basic needs, if we can start there, then we can build off of that. So, yeah,
Collin Funkhouser 38:32
well, and you the the amount of impact that I'm just reflecting on, the kind of questions you'd ask an employer. Because imagine that employer if, if they start having not one, but 234, people asking these questions about mental like, Okay, I need to change something right? Or I need to do something different now, and how this influence can start working its way out into the system. And that does start with going and those questions don't come from somebody who doesn't value those I think that's what's really important of when you get access to resources and you can see you go, wow, I actually do need to value my time, and I do need to value my mental health. So I'm going to ask different questions, not just about pay and benefits and how often you know, what are the advancements like going to be in the clinic, but other things that are going to give me a better balance, and that really does start again, changing that culture and community around the clinic itself. Of instead of going, well, this is a you come in, you get you give everything, you leave everything on the floor, and there's nothing left of you, and it just drains you immediately, because that's what we have to do. We go, Well, what if I'd like to be able to show up tomorrow and the next day? And what? What does that actually look like?
Gigi Tsontos 39:44
Absolutely Collin, you're, you're right on. And I think when you, when we as a community, value it, it becomes, like you said, it it's the it's the wave it, it hits everyone, and it keeps going.
Collin Funkhouser 39:58
Yeah, well, and even mentioned the out the perspective of why that community, of getting that person, got plugged into the clear blueprint, and they got included in this stuff, and all of a sudden, what it allowed them to do was see their perspective through a different lens. And that's one of just the biggest things that being plugged into a community that peer support. What that gives you is they even mentioned, I didn't see my situation in a good light. And man, how often have we been there where it doesn't matter what good things are happening in our day, we just it's all crummy, it's all bad, and everything's horrible. And to have somebody come alongside you and speak life into that situation and give an outside perspective, really like that that can mean so much in just in somebody's life, 100%
Gigi Tsontos 40:47
just like the check in, just like, you know, being there, yeah, absolutely.
Collin Funkhouser 40:54
I was curious, what just kind of misconceptions Do you see most often that people have in in the vet industry that you'd like to kind of speak out against. So
Gigi Tsontos 41:05
do you mean people who are working in the industry, or people who are looking at the industry? Ooh,
Collin Funkhouser 41:11
let's do both. We'll start with people. Let's start with people outside the industry, and then we'll move in absolutely
Gigi Tsontos 41:19
so like I said earlier, I think a lot of us think, oh, veterinary medicine, first of all, they're making tons of money. They have a cush job. It's so easy to play with animals all the time and do all this stuff. There's so many types of veterinarians, and it doesn't matter companion animal to Zoo vets, they're all dealing with struggle. Think about if you've been caring for an elephant for two decades and something happens to them that is just devastating. I, as you said, your your dog passed. I've had animals path. It's, it's devastating for me. So they're, they're feeling that. So we, I think other people look at it like a cush job, that you make a lot of money, you get to have a lot of fun and do all these things, but it is a really taxing job. And in different arenas of it, it's taxing in different ways, but it's, it's all to the same, the same vein, and in that, you know, they're overworking themselves at times. You know, keeping the lights on it are important, etc. And you know, their their costs, their their vet, vet school costs are super high. So most people don't leave without, you know, some some of that. And then for veterinarians, looking out, I think when you come into the field, it's good to know that you have to work with people. You will be working with people, because people generally are the caregivers of animals, and so that's important to remember, and that it is important, I think historically, it's been okay at times in many industries to kind of let certain things go, you know, oh, that person just, you know, has that kind of personality. They're just rough around the edges kind of thing. But I think it's important that we help people to learn better communication skills. And I think that's going into the industry when you're in school, texts, etc. I think we should do a better job of creating skills, even talking about communication de escalation, how to talk to someone about difficult situations. And if you put those skills in early on, you'll do a lot better, you'll feel a lot better. Your clients will feel better, and even those hard days will be easier.
Collin Funkhouser 43:52
No, I love that, because it's much more of a holistic approach to what life is actually going to be like. As a veterinarian, it's not just problem solving cases, you know, giving sutures and, you know, and figuring out medication dosages. It is the communication with people. It's the it's the working through relationally, because that, yeah, I mean, just as, I mean, we're dog walkers and pets. I've never been called by a dog to go for a walk, and the cats never paid me for after I scoop this litter box, right? That's this, once that happens, all bets are off. But no, we, you there are people coming in, and if we don't have those skill sets to go, man, this person in front of me is bawling their eyes out, or they are beyond, you know, filled with grief or rage that something can't happen. Or, man, I what you're right like, what if you don't have skill sets, or somebody in the office, in the clinic to deal with that? What do you do? Where do you turn and how does that actually work itself out? And I do think that that's why a lot of people get slapped with the oh, they just have no bedside manner, or some of that they just had to turn off eventually, because they didn't know what else to do. They didn't have any other skill sets to lean back on
Gigi Tsontos 45:01
Absolutely. And I love that you said somebody in the office, because I think that's the other thing. Is for all of us, leaning on other people is important. So if a vet has a tech who's particularly good at some kind of conversation, you know, leaning on that person if, if a tech is having a difficult time, or the support staff is having a being able to lean on your colleagues and say, You know what, today is the kind of day that's really hard for me, or or that, or having someone that you know you guys, that does have those skills who can help with those conversations. We don't have to do everything. That's the other thing. We don't have to be perfect. But I think the more we develop and build, I mean, I'm learning every day, some days I do things wrong. Some days I look at myself and think, Gosh, I could have, you know, shown up so much better. And I think every human has that feeling. And then I look at my dogs, and they look at me like, I've done everything in the world, right? And I think, okay, there is some, you know, there's something great. So I think that point that you made, I really want to keep that at heart, is you have a team, and if you can work in a team that will help your mental health too,
Collin Funkhouser 46:16
yeah, just like we go to the community for support for ourselves, we can lean on others for their gifting, their giftings, their talents, their abilities, and realize, I mean, I have enough on my plate. Sometimes the first thing that I need to do is ask for that help with just outsourcing something instead of, you know, taking one more thing on in my life, going, how do I get this off? And sometimes that's the space we need to spend time on a forum or to spend time on a phone call with a friend instead of focusing on this other stuff. Love it.
46:48
You are absolutely right.
Collin Funkhouser 46:51
So Gigi, if somebody is listening to this, and either they themselves are struggling, or maybe, maybe they know somebody who is what would you want them to hear most?
Gigi Tsontos 47:02
You're not alone. That is the biggest thing that NOMV wants you, wants everyone to hear, is you're not alone. Reach out if you know someone who's struggling. Reach out to them, even if you don't know what to do, even if it's just sitting with someone that can be the best thing ever. If they do say, I'd like some help, then, you know, be prepared to take them, you know, to medical facility or whatever they might need. In the US, we have our great 988, which is available, 24/7, you can call for any. You can call and say, you know, I need someone to talk to. That's why they're there to prevent you us from going down, down the road that we, that we, that we struggle too much on our own, and they'll have great people to talk to you about different things if you yourself are struggling, 988, is great giving someone else that number is great. If you feel like you're struggling, look at who you can count on in your life, and try to go to them. If we have resources, other people have resources. Find the one that feels good to you, the community that feels good to you. If you find yourself backing away from being engaged in the community. Try one small thing. I talk to people about this all the time, one small thing to make that change, even if it's Hey, Collin, do you have five minutes? And even if you don't want to talk with about what's really on your mind, having that five minute con conversation with Collin can help you feel differently too.
Collin Funkhouser 48:43
Yep, being there, finding support and being being support, and you mentioned just the impact of sometimes just sitting with somebody in silence can be the mean the world to them because of they know somebody's there, and I know I we have two kids, and a child's book that we read years ago was called the and the rabbit listened, right, okay, like, and the kid, the thing falls down, and the elephant comes in, and they're all trying to problem solve or get angry or blame, and yet the rabbit just listened. And the power that that had of letting the boy feel seen. And it just that we need that in our lives so much more than we ever expected or even recognize of we need somebody that we can talk to, and whoever that's, find that person have their number on speed. Oh, right now, before you think you need it and build and have that, those those relationships and and I think importantly, what you're also expressing Gigi is to be that relationship for somebody else when they need it to
Gigi Tsontos 49:47
absolutely. I mean, I don't know how many times just a call, a random call, someone's called and said, I was just thinking about you, and I was like, I really needed that, and I didn't even know it. Yeah, or, you know, those kinds of things are really, really important, so you're never alone, and there's always someone, there's always someone. Well,
Collin Funkhouser 50:08
Gigi, I really want to thank you for coming on and talking about this topic and stressing to us the importance of community staying connected, and the resources that are out there for people and that we aren't alone for those who want to get in touch, follow along. Find more resources that you all have. How best can they do that? Well, we
Gigi Tsontos 50:27
have a great website that is much, very much easier to review than it used to be. So it's n O, N, v.org, which is very easy usually if you if you put not one more vet in Google, you'll get us pretty quickly. So all of our resources can be found there. That's really the best hub to get started. We We have what's coming up, actually, in at the beginning of May, for the month of May, we're hosting what's called race around the world. It is a virtual get moving for mental health activity where we're trying to bring awareness to the community. Anybody in the world is invited. I know last year we had over 20 countries involved, and people from all over sharing. And it's also a little fundraiser for us. So it's an easy way to give back by just getting on the app and learning and seeing people, and then if you walk your dog, you can write that you went a mile that day or not. And it's a great way to build community and hear and learn more about not only our resources, but just tips in general. So we're going to be sharing great information from other people too that can help you connect. And I will say, Even though NOMV is meant for the veterinary industry people I know, my friends, my family, they really love seeing the materials that that the team members and volunteers create. They really get something out of it. So hopefully you'll join us and visit us at not one nomv.org
Collin Funkhouser 52:10
wonderful. I will have those links in the show notes and on our website, to the website, the race, the YouTube channel and your social media accounts as well, so that people can start following along and get connected and share those as well, because I think that's what's really important. So Gigi, this has just been such a wonderful conversation and a real blessing. So thank you for coming on today. Colin,
Gigi Tsontos 52:32
thank you guys for reaching out. We're so we're so honored as NOMV, to be here and to be talking to your community, and you pet sitters do a great job. So thank you for doing all that. Too.
