A live, interactive workshop to help animal welfare professionals + volunteers tap into Moments of Empathic Delight as a sustainable resource!
Date: May 20, 2026
Time: 8:00–9:30 PM EDT
Place: Zoom (live!)
$35 thru May 8th (use code EARLYBIRD) | Regular Price: $50
Register Now
What if empathy could actually support your resilience?
We talk a lot about empathic distress in animal welfare: the pain and stress we absorb from the animals and people around us who are suffering. And for good reason; that pain is real.
But there’s another side of empathy that we rarely hear about:
Empathic joy.
When we witness other people and animals feeling good, we can feel good too. In our work, we might experience moments of second-hand joy when we get to watch:
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Dogs being silly in play groups
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Horses napping in the sun
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Cats pouncing on a toy
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Coworkers cracking each other up
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People reuniting with their beloved lost pet
- Community members feeling grateful for our services
Empathic joy matters more than we realize...
When we spend so much time witnessing fear, stress, and heartbreak, it’s easy to miss the good moments in our day. That’s because chronic stress and trauma exposure take our negativity bias to another level. Our brains are constantly scanning for pain, problems, and threats.
Empathic distress arrives effortlessly, but empathic joy takes intentionality.
As animal welfare pros, we’re gold medal winners at noticing suffering, but we have a much harder time noticing joy. And yet those moments of goodness aren’t trivial. They’re medicine.
They’re why we call them MEDs:
Moments of Empathic Delight
MEDs harness our superpower of empathy to help sustain us when we intentionally notice, savor, and share in moments of joy, play, connection, and goodness.
And just like medicine, MEDs work best when we remember to take them.
To be clear: this is never about forcing positivity, bypassing grief, repressing difficult emotions, or “looking on the bright side.” Instead, MEDs are about widening the lens to experience a fuller range of emotions and allowing joy to serve as a powerful counterbalance (not a cure) to the pain that comes with this work.
Empathic joy keeps us connected to animals and people in a sustaining way that allows us to keep doing the work. It turns our self-care into mutual care.
Want to see a MED in action?
Here’s a quick example from Darrowby Farm Sanctuary of a caregiver experiencing a moment of empathic delight watching Amigo, a donkey healing from severe neglect, have a little fun!
Watch Now!
This workshop isn’t ABOUT self-care.
It IS self-care.
Animal welfare professionals hear a lot about self-care. Breathe deeply. Take breaks. Set boundaries. All good stuff, but so often it just becomes one more thing on the to-do list.
This workshop is different. Take Your MEDs! isn’t about telling you what you should be doing to take care of yourself. It’s about creating a space where you actually do it, in community.
For one evening, you’ll step out of constant problem-solving and into an experience designed to help you reconnect with laughter, meaning, and the small moments of joy that already exist in this work.
Through breathwork, storytelling, reflection, and connection with other animal people, you’ll practice noticing and savoring Moments of Empathic Delight.
You don't have to figure anything out.
Just show up and enjoy yourself.
What We'll Do:
This isn’t a class. It’s an interactive, restorative, playful experience designed specifically for people who care for animals.
During our 90 minutes together, we’ll:
- Explore why joy can sometimes feel complicated in this line of work and why it matters
- Experience a guided trauma-informed breathwork practice designed to help your body reconnect with joy and playfulness
- Reflect and write about moments at work that made you laugh or lit you up with gratitude
- Share our stories in small breakout groups with other animal people
- Practice a visualization to help those joyful moments land in your body and memory
- Write your Rx for your Minimum Effective Dose of Joy to take with you to work the next day.
You’ll leave feeling lighter, more connected, and reminded that joy still exists in this work (and in the world), and know that tapping into it can help you keep going in tough times.
Use Code EARLYBIRD to Save 30% thru May 8th:
Meet Your Facilitators
Jessica Dolce
Jessica is a certified compassion fatigue and grief educator who has spent nearly 15 years supporting animal welfare professionals as they navigate compassion fatigue and reconnect with meaning in their work. She is the founder of The Compassion in Balance Program.
Katya Lidsky
Katya is a certified breathwork facilitator, creative grief coach, and wellness educator who helps animal people access balance, resilience, and joy through guided tools and community. She is the founder of The Thriving Volunteer community.
Website | IG
Together, Jessica and Katya combine laughter, storytelling, and experiential practices that help these ideas land not just intellectually but in your heart and body.
What to Expect from Breathwork:
Breathwork is a wonderful somatic tool, but it’s not a one-size-fits-all experience. It can be a simple yet powerful way to reset your nervous system using something you’re already doing all day: breathing. By gently shifting your breathing pattern and bringing awareness to the breath, you can calm the mind, release tension, and reconnect with yourself.
Many people experience deep relaxation, emotional release, renewed energy, or a greater sense of clarity.
In this workshop, breathwork is practiced gently and at your own pace. Your body leads the experience. You are in charge (there are no breathwork police, promise!). You can pause, slow down, or return to your natural breathing at any time.
To set yourself up for a good experience, we recommend attending the workshop in a comfy, quiet spot where you can sit or lie down. You may wish to have a blanket, water, and a journal nearby. If your pet wants to join you on your healing journey, great!
Learn more about breathwork here.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Breathwork may not be appropriate for everyone. If you are pregnant or have certain medical or psychiatric conditions (including cardiovascular disease, uncontrolled high blood pressure, epilepsy, or bipolar disorder), please consult your doctor before participating.
THIS WORKSHOP IS FOR YOU IF...
- Work or volunteer in animal shelters, rescues, or sanctuaries, veterinary clinics, or other animal care settings
- Work with people who work with animals (we see you, Veterinary Social Workers!)
- Want to reconnect with joy, meaning, and connection
- Really need to take a break from *waves hands wildly* and have some fun!!
- Would like to connect with other people who understand your work
- Need to DO self-care, not just learn about it
- Would like to experience breathwork and feel embodied joy
- Want to practice self-care that is also community-care!
THIS WORKSHOP IS NOT FOR YOU IF...
- You are in crisis. Please seek help from a therapist or medical professional. For resources, please see the PDF at the bottom of this page.
- Have certain psychiatric or medical conditions (including cardiovascular disease, uncontrolled high blood pressure, epilepsy, or bipolar disorder), which make breathwork dangerous, please consult your doctor before registering
- Can’t stop bitching and complaining about work for one night (we see you, we love you, we get it, but this is not that)
- Hate the idea of talking to other humans (it’s ok to be on the quiet side, but this workshop is, in part, a story-sharing experience)
- Do not work or volunteer with animals
Important:
This is a LIVE experience
This workshop is designed to be experienced in real time, together. To create a space where people feel comfortable sharing and connecting, there will be no recording available afterward.
Please register only if you plan to attend live on May 20.
During the workshop, you’ll be invited to participate in:
- short writing reflections (no skill required, no one will see what you write!)
- small breakout conversations (introverts, you can do this!)
- trauma-informed guided breathwork and visualization
- optional sharing in the larger group
You can always participate at your own comfort level, but this is not a passive webinar to watch later or multitask through.
The value comes from being present with yourself and other animal welfare professionals in the moment.
Use Code EARLYBIRD to Save 30% thru May 8th:
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a recording?
What do I need to join the workshop?
Are there refunds?
Where is the workshop?
Are there CEUs?
Do I have to share a story?
Do I have to do breathwork?
Do I have to be in a good mood?
Need help? Have other questions? Email: [email protected]
