EquiManagement podcast tackles self-doubt in equine practice
Bottom line
EquiManagement has published a new Business of Practice podcast episode focused on a familiar challenge in equine medicine: the harsh inner voice that can undermine confidence, fuel anxiety, and reinforce imposter feelings. In the May 26, 2026, episode, Amy L. Grice, VMD, MBA, speaks with Julie Squires, a certified compassion fatigue specialist and master certified life coach, about how equine veterinarians can build confidence by questioning self-critical thoughts, using grounding techniques, and replacing reflexive self-judgment with more supportive internal dialogue. The episode also frames confidence as a skill that can be strengthened, not a fixed trait, and ties that work to mentorship and psychologically safe practice culture. (equimanagement.com)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the topic lands in a broader workforce conversation about stress, burnout, and retention. AVMA wellbeing resources note that veterinarians commonly face moral stress and compassion-related strain, while recent research suggests mentorship and psychological safety can support confidence, clinical growth, and staying in practice. That makes this less of a self-help aside and more of a practice management issue, especially for early-career equine veterinarians and teams trying to reduce avoidable distress around mistakes, uncertainty, and performance pressure. (myvetlife.avma.org)
What to watch: Expect continued attention to confidence-building, mentorship, and wellbeing tools as practices look for practical ways to support retention and day-to-day resilience in veterinary teams. (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
EquiManagement’s latest Business of Practice podcast turns to an issue many veterinarians know well, but don’t always name directly: the inner critic. In the episode published May 26, 2026, Amy L. Grice, VMD, MBA, interviews Julie Squires about how equine veterinarians can build confidence, manage anxiety, and respond more constructively to self-doubt. Rather than treating confidence as something clinicians either have or don’t, the discussion presents it as a set of habits, including checking whether self-critical thoughts are actually true and using simple grounding tools when stress spikes. (equimanagement.com)
The framing matters because it builds on a long-running concern in veterinary medicine: high-achieving professionals often work in environments where uncertainty, emotional labor, and perfectionism collide. AVMA wellbeing materials have highlighted how moral stress and compassion-related strain can affect veterinary teams, and broader veterinary literature continues to link occupational stressors, burnout, and perceived inadequacy. In that context, an “inner critic” conversation is really about how clinicians process pressure, errors, and ambiguity on the job. (myvetlife.avma.org)
In the EquiManagement episode, Squires says many veterinarians forget to separate thoughts from facts, arguing that self-doubt is human but not always accurate. The practical advice is straightforward: ask whether the feared conclusion is true, notice when anxiety is taking over, and use sensory grounding, breathing exercises, or even aromatherapy to regulate in the moment. The episode also extends beyond individual mindset by encouraging mentors to ask mentees how they want to be supported, how struggle will show up, and how to create overt permission to be imperfect. (equimanagement.com)
That mentorship angle lines up with newer evidence in the profession. A 2025 qualitative study on early-career veterinarians found that mentorship supports confidence, clinical development, mental wellbeing, and career retention, with several participants describing mentors as a safety net that helped keep them in the field. AVMA commentary aimed at rising professionals has also pushed back on turning “imposter syndrome” into a fixed identity, instead encouraging veterinarians to treat those feelings as temporary, discuss them openly, and build psychological safety through trusted relationships. (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
Squires’ role in this conversation is also consistent with her broader work in veterinary wellbeing. Her professional profile emphasizes more than 25 years in veterinary medicine and a focus on compassion fatigue, burnout, and moral stress among animal care workers. That background helps explain why the podcast doesn’t just tell veterinarians to “think positive.” It connects self-talk to the emotional realities of practice and to systems, like mentorship and team culture, that can either amplify or soften chronic stress. (juliesquires.net)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, especially in equine practice, confidence isn’t only a personal wellness issue. It affects decision-making, communication with colleagues and pet parents, willingness to ask for help, and whether early-career clinicians feel safe enough to keep learning in public. In a profession where stress was identified as a top concern in the 2020 Merck Animal Health Veterinarian Wellbeing Study, and where the AVMA’s 2025 profession report continues to track burnout and job satisfaction, practical conversations about self-doubt, mentorship, and psychological safety have operational value. They can shape retention, onboarding, and the day-to-day culture of practice. (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
For practice leaders, the takeaway may be that “silencing your inner critic” is only partly an individual task. The stronger signal is that teams can normalize uncertainty, coach without shaming, and make it easier for associates to speak up before stress compounds into disengagement. That’s particularly relevant in equine medicine, where solo work, emergency demands, and client expectations can intensify the feeling that every decision is a referendum on competence. This is an inference drawn from the wellbeing and mentorship literature, but it fits the direction of the podcast’s advice. (equimanagement.com)
What to watch: The next question is whether more veterinary media, educators, and employers move from discussing burnout in broad terms to offering concrete, repeatable tools, like mentorship structures, psychological safety practices, and confidence-building coaching, that can be used inside everyday clinical work. (mentorvet.net)