When difficult client interactions stick: Processing their emotional impact

A client’s accusation can linger long after an interaction ends, even when colleagues affirm that the veterinary professional acted appropriately. In this episode of The Resilient Vet: Mind and Body Strategies for Success, Jennifer Edwards, DVM, ACC, CPC, ELI-MP, and Aaron Shaw, OTR/L, CHT, CSCS, explore why these experiences can be so difficult to shake and what can happen when the emotional impact gets pushed aside. They discuss separating the facts of a difficult encounter from the feelings it brings up. They also examine how to recognize when repeated experiences begin to affect interactions with clients and colleagues, and how intentional debriefing can help process difficult moments before they contribute to defensiveness, shutdown, or burnout.