We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Katie Lawlor a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Katie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear the backstory of how you established your own practice.

Founding of the VMHI:

In the Fall of 2020, a beloved rescue dog named Mia had a terrible accident and succumbed to her injuries. Mia’s Veterinarian, Dr. Kathy Gervais, encouraged Mia’s guardian Emily Scott to reach out to me. I was working at a Stanford-affiliated women’s clinic at the time as a Doctor of Clinical Psychology who specializes in grief and loss. During our initial conversation, it was brought to Emily’s attention that veterinarians and staff can suffer from high rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation as a profession, given the often traumatic and heartbreaking nature of their work. Dr. Gervais confirmed these statistics, adding her own personal experiences, as well as the struggles and loss of colleagues. Despite these documented challenges, veterinary professionals remain severely underserved with regards to mental health care and support.

Together the 3 of us immediately resolved to do something about this crisis, and it was from this collaboration the Veterinary Mental Health Initiative (VMHI) was founded.

Best advice I ever received from a supervisor:

The morning I was preparing to meet with my first ever patient, I was incredibly nervous. I checked in with my supervisor, who is a brilliant and kind clinical psychologist at the Palo Alto VA. He reminded me that if I showed up “as a good human,” everything else would fall into place.

Whenever I find myself anxious now before an important meeting or public speaking engagement, I say his words back to myself. This reassurance helps me shift my focus to the meaning and purpose in my work.

Katie, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I hold a doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the joint program between the Stanford University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the Pacific Graduate School of Psychology. I trained at both the Stanford University Medical Center and the VA Palo Alto Health Care System, focusing on human-animal interactions (HAI), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), neuropsychology.

Prior to my career in clinical psychology, I held positions with NBC News in Beijing and New York City, the U.S. Department of State in Washington DC, and the Governor’s Office of California. Arnold Schwarzenegger was actually my very first boss!

As an animal lover, veterinary medicine professionals are my heroes. I wanted to specialize in working with this population as they treat and care for those we love.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I quit a job 6 months in. I had never quit anything before in my life! It was a renowned consulting firm with a tremendous paycheck and fancy title….but I wasn’t fulfilled. I absolutely dreaded going to work each morning and once cried in the broom closet. One Friday afternoon I mustered the courage to give my boss my notice after a particularly dismal day. When I left the office and stepped outside, I immediately felt a surge of relief. I only wish I would have left sooner, once I realized the role was not a strong fit for where I was in my career and what I was hoping to accomplish. It’s absolutely ok to walk away from something that it not right for you.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

Tuesdays with Morrie. Without giving the plot away if you haven’t read the book, I too have found the most important life lessons we learn come in the quiet and humbling moments, as opposed to on the grand public stage. When faced with a challenging decision or option for course of action, I ask myself what’s most important to me, knowing that my time on this earth is limited. What impact would I like to make?

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.shanti.org/programs-services/veterinary-mental-health-initiative/
• Instagram: @petlosspsychologist and @veterinarymentalhealth
• Facebook: Shanti’s Veterinary Mental Health Initiative (VMHI)

Image Credits
Katie Lawlor Barry Kipperman, DVM Kathy Gervais, DVM