Positive Psychology in Veterinary Medicine
Interview of Josh Vaisman, Founder of Flourish
by Joanna Chung, CEO of NectarVet PIMS Software
Josh Vaisman has been a valued advisor of Nectar since its inception, weaving in his insights about how to alleviate veterinary burnout and help teams thrive holistically. We sat down for an interview to dig into his expertise in veterinary positive psychology, which has shaped Nectar’s product from end to end.
Joanna: What got you interested in positive psychology for veterinary medicine?
Josh: Before founding Flourish, I was a managing partner at a small animal hospital. My partners and I chased the American dream: multiple locations, growth, success. But the closer I got, the more I burnt out. Depression-level burnout.
I’d never experienced anything like that. I’d always been optimistic. But there I was, feeling alone and lost. And then I encountered positive psychology.
I realized our profession is built on the myth that if we just achieve XYZ-revenue goals, new hires, client satisfaction–we’ll be happy. But each milestone was a destination that never delivered what it promised.
So I started asking: If these things don’t bring happiness, what does? That’s when I discovered the nutrients of a thriving workplace.
Joanna: Why should clinic owners and industry leaders invest in staff wellbeing?
Josh: Because we take an oath to do no harm, and that should extend to how we treat each other. And because the impact is measurable. In our ongoing research, we’ve collected 600 anonymous data points from across the veterinary field. When people say they experience psychological safety at work, they are significantly less likely to want to leave.
The correlation is powerful: when team members score high in the four wellbeing pillars, they report lower intent to quit (correlation score: -0.67, with a p-value less than 0.01). It’s not a theory, it’s data.
Joanna: What is the goal of positive psychology?
Josh: In the veterinary profession, we often talk about mental health and burnout. But it’s important to recognize that mental health and wellbeing are not the same thing. While they live in the same zip code, they reside in different homes.
You can be free of mental illness and still not be well. As Martin Seligman noted, the absence of mental illness isn’t necessarily mental wellness. It’s the same with workplace wellbeing. Many veterinary professionals live in an in-between state–what social scientists call languishing. You might not be burned out, but you’re not thriving either.
Thriving is about working toward the potential of who we are as human beings. It’s not about discontent-free lives. It’s about lives filled with purpose, even alongside difficulty and stress. These things aren’t mutually exclusive; they can coexist. And knowing that is incredibly empowering. But we can’t thrive in environments that suppress that potential. To enable wellbeing in the profession, we have to build workplaces that make thriving possible, even probable.
Joanna: What issues are you seeing with veterinary wellbeing?
Josh: With younger veterinarians and technicians, we’re seeing higher-than-average levels of psychological stress, even death by suicide. The Merck Wellbeing Study points to some of this, but lived experience shows it’s not just about stats. Many of us in this field score higher on the neuroticism scale. Add in long hours, physical exhaustion, emotional labor, financial strain, and burnout rates higher than even human medicine, and it’s clear something’s wrong.
We’ve built a system where we take on significant debt, sometimes $400,000 to $500,000, for a job that may pay $70,000 to $90,000 a year. Clinics are overwhelmed, teams are stretched thin, and talent is bleeding out of the profession.
Now imagine: A miracle occurs. Every vet professional’s debt is paid off. Salaries triple. Work hours drop to 35 a week. No emergencies. No double-booked lunch hours. All your clients are easy and say yes to everything. Even then, 98% of us would still feel something’s missing.
Because wellbeing doesn’t come from just eliminating pain points. It’s something we build, something we cultivate, a nutrient we need in order to grow.
Joanna: So what are the nutrients for cultivating wellbeing?
Josh: Over the years, emboldened by scientific literature and our own research, we have identified some key nutrients for workplace wellbeing. We call them the 5 Ps:
Psychological Safety
Thriving workplaces are bi-directional, meaning voice flows both from the top down and the bottom up. When team members can speak up, share concerns, challenge ideas, and admit mistakes without fear of retribution, they feel safe to grow and contribute. Psychological safety is the foundation of any high-functioning team.
Purpose
Veterinary medicine is a profoundly purpose-fueled profession. But there's a difference between having purpose and feeling purposeful. When people see how their everyday actions contribute to something bigger, and that their work truly matters, they thrive. Purpose is about making meaning tangible.
Path
Every human being is fueled by a desire to grow. We all strive to find evidence that we are somehow a bit "better" today than yesterday. No one enjoys the feeling of hitting a plateau or worse, slipping back down the trail. Workplaces that support ongoing development by helping people set and achieve meaningful, work-related goals, fuel engagement and personal fulfillment. When we can see our path forward, we stay motivated to keep climbing.
Partnership
Even the most introverted among us need connection. In fact, our brains interpret social rejection like physical pain. That’s why workplaces that foster belonging, where team members feel cared for, respected, and seen as people first, see greater job satisfaction, loyalty, and resilience. In fact, the belief that "those in charge care about me as a human being" is one of the top predictors of several workplace outcomes. Relationships are the heart of wellbeing.
Positive Communication
Culture lives and breathes through communication. How we speak (and listen), what we choose to say (and not say), and the tone we set in every interaction shapes the emotional climate of a team. Communication should uplift, energize, and align with the environment we want to build.
Bonus Nutrient: Detachment
Sustainable wellbeing requires more than working well–it requires recovering well. Research shows that the ability to detach from work is critical to long-term engagement and mental health. Thriving workplaces don’t just allow rest; they actively support it.
Joanna: What’s a practical first step that we can take to support our clinical staff?
Josh: Start measuring. You can’t manage what you can’t measure!
We offer an assessment tool at Flourish to help practices gauge their current cultural output and team’s wellbeing. But even a simple eNPS (Employee Net Promoter Score) every quarter can give you insight. Ask your team, “On a scale of 1-10, how likely are you to recommend this as a workplace?”
And then, do something with the results. If your score is low, don’t panic–get curious. If your score is high, figure out why, and replicate it.
Let’s Make Software Part of the Solution
We touch software all day long–why not use it to promote wellbeing?
Nectar isn’t just a practice management system–it’s built to simplify daily workflows and nurture team wellbeing. From AI-powered medical records to automated lab integrations to customizable client portals, Nectar alleviates the manual burden of administrative tasks and emphasizes building relationships. The language used throughout our software is also chosen with care and reviewed by experts such as Josh – to promote well-being and not stress.
Book a consultation with Nectar today to see what a compassion-driven, high-performance practice management software can do for your team.
Josh Vaisman is the Founder of Flourish Veterinary Consulting and author of the book, “Lead to Thrive: The Science of Crafting Positive Veterinary Culture.” You can learn more about Flourish Veterinary Consulting and how they can help you renovate your organization’s culture at www.flourish.vet
