Today, my guest on The Expressive Mom Show is Ellie Laks. She is a renowned animal rescuer, healer, and caregiver dedicated to saving and rehabilitating needy animals.

Ellie has developed her "Gentle Healing" method, which combines animal communication, energy healing, and other holistic approaches to heal animals others have given up on.

Through her work at the Gentle Barn, a nonprofit organization she founded, Ellie has rescued and cared for various farm animals, including horses, cows, pigs, and more.

As an animal advocate, Ellie has encountered the challenge of compassion fatigue, which she describes as a deeper form of burnout that can lead to a desire to quit and walk away from important work.

Recognizing the detrimental impact of this issue, Ellie has developed a "toolbox" of strategies to help herself and others recover from compassion fatigue.

Ellie's expertise and dedication have earned her widespread recognition, with appearances on influential media outlets such as The Ellen Show, People Magazine, and The Huffington Post.

Her mission is to be the voice for animals, share their stories, and inspire compassion within the hearts of humanity. She is also the author of her new book, Cow Hug Therapy.

Through her holistic approach to animal healing and her efforts to address compassion fatigue, Ellie has become a leading figure in the animal welfare community.

She is committed to making a lasting impact and creating a more compassionate world for all living beings.

What Is Compassion Fatigue?

Compassion fatigue, often referred to as secondary trauma or vicarious trauma, is a state of emotional and physical exhaustion that arises from continuous exposure to the suffering of others.

It is especially prevalent among caregivers, healthcare professionals, and those in helping professions who dedicate themselves to supporting individuals in crisis or distress.

Symptoms may include emotional numbness, decreased empathy, irritability, and feelings of helplessness or isolation.
Unlike burnout, which stems from overwhelming workload and stress, compassion fatigue is tied explicitly to the emotional toll of witnessing trauma and suffering.

As caregivers invest deeply in the well-being of others, they may neglect their own emotional needs, depleting their capacity to care.

This can create a cycle of disengagement, reducing their effectiveness in their roles and impacting their overall mental health.
Recognizing compassion fatigue is the first step toward healing. Self-care practices, such as setting boundaries, seeking peer support, and engaging in mindfulness activities, can help restore emotional balance.

Fostering a culture of compassion for oneself and others is essential in mitigating the effects of compassion fatigue and maintaining the resilience of those who dedicate their lives to helping others.

You can connect with Ellie on her website: https://ellielaks.com/. You can also follow her on Instagram, @ellielaks, and Facebook. You can also check out her book, Cow Hug Therapy, on Amazon.

Now you have it, and that is a wrap. Next week, I will be chatting with a guest who is a health coach, and we will cover a lot of the issues regarding the fat acceptance movement.

While it is essential to love and accept your body, there are concerns about this movement. In the meantime, head over to the Expressive Mom website at https://expressivemom.com, on Instagram at anexpressivemom, and on Substack, https://expressivemom.substack.com. You can also find me at medium.com at msmir.medium.com.

Also, follow The Expressive Mom Show. In the meantime, chat next week, and ciao for now.