For Animal Care Workers
For the Ones Who Stay
You chose this work because you love animals. Nobody told you about the weight that comes with it, the grief that accumulates quietly, the decisions that don't leave you, the cost of caring so deeply for so long. Whether you're a shelter director watching your team wear down, a worker or volunteer carrying more than anyone sees, or an organization trying to figure out how to take care of the people taking care of the animals, this is the support that was always supposed to exist for you.
WHY JESS SECTION
I didn't come to this work from the outside. I first volunteered with a municipal animal shelter for four years. Then, I was a board participant. And finally, I ran an animal shelter. I know what it's like to make impossible decisions under impossible constraints. I know the particular grief of an animal you couldn't save, the moral weight of resource triage, the way the work follows you home, and the way you'd still never leave it.
I am an ordained Animal Chaplain through the Compassion Consortium, a Reiki Level II practitioner, and a certified Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT/Tapping) practitioner. I've spent nearly two decades in animal welfare, as a shelter director, a foster caregiver, a volunteer, and now as a chaplain. I know this world from the inside, and I bring all of it to this work.
You deserve someone who doesn't need it explained.
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Many animal care workers carry wounds they don't have a name for. This workshop defines and distinguishes moral distress (knowing the right thing but being unable to do it) and moral injury (the damage that accumulates when actions conflict with values) — and gives participants tools to begin processing both. Available as a half-day or full-day workshop for shelter staff and volunteer teams. Pricing based on scope and group size.
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The grief of this work is real, ongoing, and rarely acknowledged. This facilitated group creates a structured, safe space for shelter workers and volunteers to grieve together — the animals lost, the decisions made, the cumulative weight of years in the field. Available as a one-time session or an ongoing series. Pricing based on scope and group size.
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Practical, body-based tools for staying in the work without losing yourself to it. Draws on Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT/Tapping), Reiki principles, somatic awareness, and reflective practice. Designed for people who are already exhausted and need something that actually works — not a list of things to add to their plate. Pricing based on scope and group size.
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Flexible, expert advice when you need it. Book hourly support across a range of topics—from planning to problem-solving. This focused consultation will help clarify your goals, map out next steps, and identify opportunities for growth.
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Every organization's culture and needs are different. If you're a shelter director, rescue founder, or sanctuary leader who wants to build something specific for your team — a retreat, an ongoing support structure, a curriculum — let's talk about what that could look like. All custom engagements are scoped by conversation.
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You've answered the call — now let's make sure you're supported in it. Becoming an animal chaplain is profound, courageous, and often disorienting work. The training gives you a foundation; mentorship gives you a thinking partner as you figure out how to build a practice, hold space for others, navigate the hard moments, and sustain yourself in work that asks so much.
Jess offers 1:1 mentoring for new and emerging animal chaplains — whether you're fresh out of training, building your practice from scratch, or simply needing someone who has walked this path before to walk alongside you for a while.
Free 20-minute consultation
$75 per session
Package options: 3 sessions $210 | 6 sessions $425
Distance sessions available
How can Jess Serve You and/or Your Organizations?You and your organizations care so much about the animals in your care; and you need care, too. Let’s chat about how I might serve you and/or your organizations.