Animal Activist Support Line
- The Animal Activist Support Line by In Defense of Animals offers emotional support.
This free, private, one-on-one support service for animal activists includes supportive telephone and e-counseling, contacts for local and national activist resources, and referrals for psychotherapists who are sensitive to animal activists’ concerns.
All of the Support Line counselors have been trained in nonviolent communication and are passionate animal advocates themselves. Even if you only have a few minutes, they can help.
Support Line calls last from 10 to 30 minutes. They provide free counseling, rather than therapy. Their counselors can refer you to a list of vegan therapists for ongoing therapy. They may advise repeat callers to contact a therapist.
The Support Line is available to all animal advocates via their toll-free number, 1 (800) 705-0425, or by email at [email protected].
Usual Phone hours: Monday – Friday, 9 am – 5 pm PT (12 pm – 8 pm ET).
They have extended hours on Wednesdays, when they are open until 8 pm PT (11 pm ET).Please leave a voice message if you call the Support Line during closed hours or when a counselor doesn’t answer during open hours. They are closed on major holidays. They will return your call as soon as possible.
Guides
- Self-care as a vegan activist
The Vegan Society describes some key ways vegans can sustainably campaign for animals by avoiding activist burnout.
Source: The Vegan Society
- Four Ways to Cope with Compassion Fatigue
Learn 4 ways an activist headed toward burnout can change course.
Source: Our Hen House
- What every vegan should know about burnout
A list of resources for preventing or overcoming burnout, divided into books, websites, PDF material, and articles.
Source: Have Gone Vegan
- Sustainable Activism Webinars
Learn activist tips and tools to practice self-care, community care, and maintain sustainable activism with experts in the field.
Source: In Defense of Animals
Support Groups
- Animal Activist Online Support Group
The Animal Activist Online Support Group is part of In Defense of Animals (IDA) Sustainable Activism Campaign, providing emotional support for animal activists worldwide. This Facebook support group is a place to share your thoughts and feelings about issues facing animal activists such as burnout, compassion fatigue, practicing self care, and improving our relationships with non-activist friends and family. Their goal is to provide a safe place to express our feelings, receive peer support, and share resources that may be helpful to one another.
Facebook Group
- Vegan Mental Health Support Group
This group is a safe-zone to look within & politely share your experiences, feelings & reactions with one another. This is a group where vegans can self-analyse & support one another in their journey to becoming a more joyful version of themselves.
Facebook Group
Related VegResources Guides
Guide Updated January 11, 2021