Trail Breaker Veterinary Wellness Services
Those of us in the caretaking professions are used to giving our all each day to those in our care. We work with patients who cannot advocate for themselves, and our passion is to advocate for them. Let's make sure you can keep doing this work, which the world so needs, by investing time in your own wellness and mental health.
Alaska Adventure Wellness Retreat
August 14-20, 2024
Trail Breaker's very first wellness retreat in 2023 was most successful than we could have dreamed. We are honored that 5 brave, open, and generous humans took a chance on us and traveled to our chalet space in Kodiak to trust us with their minds, bodies and hearts. Diedra, Stacey, Shana, Karen and Toni - we cannot thank them enough for participating in this retreat with a true spirit of friendship, healing, and adventure.
Big thanks to Joseph in Gustavus for letting us use his beautiful music
"Amazing experience with some amazing women who I think will be close to my heart forever! So many wonderful experiences and adventures and amazing food. Really special to spend time with women dealing with big decisions and big experiences and be able to share and get such great support from each other. Hannah and Emily did a wonderful job as leaders and I would do it again in a heartbeat!"
-Karen M (2023 participant)
What this retreat is about:
We know first hand that a career in a care-taking profession can take toll. The people who choose these professions are passionate and big hearted and often find their own well-being at the bottom of their priority list. We are carving out a space and time for you to exit your routine, chuck your comfort zone, leave behind limiting thoughts and tell any stifling voice in your life or in your head to step back. You can fly to Alaska and have an adventure. You deserve it. We want to immerse you in beauty and emotional safety. We'll validate the heck out of your frustrations and fears and hopes. We know you're exhausted. We know it's hard to say yes to this and follow through. We promise it's worth it.
Our retreat themes are:
Burnout Prevention and Recovery
Compassion Fatigue Prevention and Recovery
Inspiration through Time in Nature
Community and Friendship Building
Loving and Appreciating the Human-Animal Bond
Support through hardship and big decisions
Who we are looking for:
Alaska is beautiful and animals are wonderful, but it is group dynamic that makes this experience unique and potentially life-changing. We want each member of our group to come with an open heart and spirit. We work very hard to foster an environment that will make it easy for you to be trusting and feel safe. The retreat should be restful, but also give you opportunities to experience some discomfort, perhaps both physical and emotional, in order to discover new things about yourself and your way of creating the life you want. We prioritize tolerance and respect each other. You MUST love animals - you might close your eyes and feel a dog fighting for space on your yoga mat, a cat drinking from your water glass or jumping in the singing bowl, and we might just pick up a shelter pet to go on a hike (and she'll lay on you in the van and yes she is muddy). If you are smiling reading that last sentence, this retreat is for you.
Please check out the resources below and do not hesitate to reach out to us with questions.
- Hannah and Emily
2023 Testimonials
We can't thank Deidra and Stacy enough for letting us film their testimonials! It takes a lot of bravery to be open and honest on camera! We hope their words inspire you.
"By far, the best experience of my life. I felt welcomed, included, supported, and taken care of every single day. The beauty of Kodiak and the kindness of its people is not to be missed. Even before I arrived I knew there was a tremendous amount of thought and care put into the planning of this event, and they did not disappoint. I honestly wish it had been longer. I can’t stop talking about it and encouraging my coworkers to attend in the future. I made new friends, learned things about myself and others…I hope to make this an annual gift to myself. Absolutely loved it!"
-Toni (2023 Giveaway Winner!)
Veterinary Life Coaching
Dr. Emily Iacobucci offers flexible, accessible life coaching services for veterinary professionals. What is life coaching? Why might you benefit from signing up? Check out the video! My goal in providing this service is to give other veterinarians a space to share their challenges, doubts, dreams, and aspirations in a private and actionable way. I want to create a space that is just for you, without judgement, and with a very close understanding of the unique pressures faced by veterinarians. If you feel stuck, trapped, or frustrated with the trajectory of your life and career, I want to help you work through the hard feelings, celebrate the wins, and find out what steps to take to make every day more rewarding. Within my own experience in this profession, I can see that we are in a season of pressure and flux. There are not enough of us, most of us are overworked and exhausted, and in general, we are not taught to advocate for ourselves. It is near impossible to make big, brave changes when you are constantly on the edge of burnout - but this is what we need: big, brave, paradigm shifting change. I cannot change your life for you, but I can walk with you and help hold you up as you identify what you need to thrive and find the courage to take each step on a new path.
I will be practicing as a coach under the mentorship and collaborative business of my own amazing life coach, Danielle Miles of Roots and Wings. Details will be available on her site, linked below.
25% of income from my life coaching sessions to be donated directly to Not One More Vet. If you are in crisis and need more immediate support, remember 988 is the new National Suicide Prevention Hotline. LifeBoat from NOMV offers peer veterinary crisis counseling. Vets4Vets offers emotional and psychological support services for veterinary professionals.