Dr Kathleen Cooney explained this concept and how it can be practiced in end-of-life care
"EuHarmony" is a term coined by the Companion Animal Euthanasia Training Academy, where Kathleen Cooney, DVM, MS, CHPV, CCFP, DACAW resident, serves as the CEO and director of education.
In this dvm360® interview at the 2023 American Veterinary Medical Association Convention, Cooney explains the significance of this phrase and how incorporating it into veterinary euthanasia work promotes mental and physical health benefits.
The following is a transcript of the video.
Kathleen Cooney, DVM, MS, CHPV, CCFP, DACAW resident: I'd like you to take away this idea of "EuHarmony." That's something that the Companion Animal Euthanasia Training Academy coined a few years ago. This idea that you can really lean in to euthanasia appointments and leverage them as potentially one of the better parts of your day, where you really get to slow down, you get to see the beauty of the human-animal bond right there in front of you, to hear those stories.
And because euthanasia should be very slow and controlled, it can actually help you be more resilient in the rest of your work day. So, to reset from what we call sympathetic kind of amped up tone, down to a very relaxed, parasympathetic tone, that's when you know you're really doing good in euthanasia work. And that after the appointment, you're actually more balanced and more fulfilled potentially than when you walked into it. So, the concept is "EuHarmony," and all of us should be trying to achieve that in our euthanasia work.
Dr Cooney will be delivering lectures at the upcoming Fetch dvm360 conference in Kansas City, Missouri from August 25, 2023 to August 27, 2023. Register
