How Self-Reflection and Mentorship Can Help Early-Career Veterinary Physiotherapists and Animal Therapists
- Aug 9, 2025
- 7 min read
Let’s be honest—stepping into professional life after graduation can feel pretty overwhelming. One minute you’re celebrating your qualification—the next, you’re out in the real world trying to get clients, build a business, and manage tricky cases. It’s exciting, yes—but also full of questions, pressure, and moments where you quietly wonder if you’re doing any of it right.
The good news? You’re not expected to have it all figured out straight away—and you’re definitely not alone! Two things that can really help during this phase are self-reflection and mentorship. Together, they can support your growth, boost your confidence, and help you navigate your career with more clarity and purpose.
In this blog post, we’ll explore how these tools can support you—whether you’re working with a mentor or figuring things out on your own for now, and give you practical tips and ideas to help develop your confidence, clinical skills and veterinary physiotherapy or animal therapy business!
Why the Early Career Phase Might Feel So Challenging (And That's Totally Normal!)
Starting out in veterinary physiotherapy or animal therapy can feel like a lot. You might find yourself second-guessing your clinical decisions, wondering how to build good relationships with vets, or feeling unsure about how to attract and keep clients. Maybe you’re quietly asking yourself, “Am I really doing this right?”
Many early-career veterinary physiotherapists and animal therapists experience these feelings. Working for yourself can feel isolating without the regular feedback and support you had during your studies.
There’s often a big gap between finishing your degree and feeling truly confident in practice and business. You’ve worked hard to learn the theory and pass your exams (well done!)—but now, suddenly, you’re expected to make decisions about complex cases, manage client expectations, communicate with vets, and handle all the practical side of running a business.
It’s completely normal to feel:
Overwhelmed by the business side of things (where do I even start!)
A bit lost when you see a tricky case
Unsure how to approach a vet or professional contact
Like you’re winging it—even if you’re doing better than you think (hello, imposter syndrome!)
Disappointed or worried when clients aren’t coming in as quickly as you hoped
These feelings don’t mean you’re not cut out for this career—they just mean you’re still learning and growing. And that’s okay! The important thing to know is you don’t have to figure it all out by yourself. That’s where mentorship and self-reflection come in—they can be game-changers to help you navigate these early challenges with more confidence and clarity.
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What is Mentorship - And How Can It Help?
Mentorship isn’t about being told what to do. A great mentor doesn’t just hand over answers—they help you explore options, think critically, and build confidence in your own decisions.
Some of the ways a mentor can support you:
Help you reflect on challenges and reframe them as learning opportunities
Talk through clinical cases and share similar experiences (always with confidentiality in mind!)
Support you in developing business skills like systems, your documentation, connecting with vets and marketing
Keep you accountable to your goals and celebrate your progress
Offer honest feedback, encouragement, and practical ideas drawn from real experience
Mentorship can help you feel less alone, more motivated, and better equipped to navigate both the clinical and business sides of the job.
In my own mentorship sessions, I aim to create a supportive space where we can talk things through openly—whether it’s a tricky case (always anonymously and with full confidentiality!), a confidence wobble, or something business-related like pricing or marketing. We explore ideas together, reflect on what’s working (and what’s not), and come up with an approach that feels right for you.
It’s never about telling you what to do—it’s about helping you build the skills, mindset, and confidence to do it your way.
Why Self-Reflection Is So Powerful!
Even if you don’t work with a mentor yet, one of the most valuable habits you can build is regular self-reflection.
Reflection is how you turn everyday practice into deeper learning. It helps you make sense of your choices, notice what’s going well, and identify where you'd like to improve. In mentoring sessions, reflection is something we do all the time—but it’s also something you can build into your own routine.
Here’s why reflection is so powerful:
It boosts your clinical reasoning and decision-making
It helps you learn from both successes and challenges
It builds self-awareness and confidence over time
It prevents you from repeating the same mistakes
It gives you space to celebrate the wins (which we often forget to do!)
In my mentorship for veterinary physiotherapists and animal therapist sessions, I always encourage practitioners to keep notes or a simple diary of challenges and wins. Reflecting on these together often reveals lightbulb moments and deeper learning than we realise in the moment!
How to Start Reflecting on Your Own
Self-reflection doesn’t have to take hours or be perfectly structured. Try setting aside 10–15 minutes after a day or case to jot a few thoughts. Here are some prompts to get you started:
Self-Reflection Prompts for Early-Career Therapists
What felt challenging about this case or day?
What am I proud of?
What did I learn?
Is there anything I would do differently next time?
What feedback (implicit or explicit) did I receive from the client or vet?
What kind of support or CPD might help me in this area?
Then, if you’re working with a mentor, these notes become great talking points for your sessions. If you’re not, they still give you something to look back on and learn from.
Even a quick weekly review using these prompts can help you see patterns, track your progress, and become more intentional in your development.
Areas Where Mentorship and Self-Reflection Make a Real Difference
Let’s look at some key areas where early-career veterinary physiotherapists and animal therapists often benefit from extra support:
Clinical Confidence:
It’s one thing to know the theory—another to apply it in real-world cases. Mentorship gives you a safe space to talk through treatment plans, share ideas, and hear about similar experiences. You start to see that it’s normal to feel unsure sometimes—and that you do have the knowledge to make good decisions.
Business Basics and Growth:
Things like setting prices, getting clients, and creating marketing materials can be really hard to figure out on your own. Mentorship can help you:
Build relationships with local vet practices
Improve your client communication
Develop a professional (but approachable) brand
Set up systems that work for you
Accountability and Progress:
It’s easy to feel like you're going around in circles when you don’t have clear goals. In mentoring sessions, I always help mentees set SMART goals—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. We break things down into small, realistic actions that create momentum.
Mini Goal Setting Checklist For You:
What’s one thing I’d like to improve in the next 2 weeks?
What are 1–3 small steps I can take?
What could get in the way—and how will I handle that?
When will I check in with myself again?
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Here's another FREE download I've put together that has 10 bits of practical advice to help you build trust, grow referrals and develop strong relationships with vet practices!
How to Find a Mentor That Works for You
A great mentor isn’t just experienced—they’re the right fit for you. You want someone who understands where you’re at, shares your values, and helps you grow with confidence and clarity.
Here are a few ways to find one:
Reach out to someone whose work you admire—a polite message can open the door.
Check with your professional register (like RAMP, AHPR, NAVP, IRVAP)—some offer mentoring schemes or can suggest contacts.
Look on social media—many experienced therapists offer mentoring and share insights online.
Ask your university—they may have mentorship opportunities or alumni connections.
Speak to peers—a recommendation from someone you trust can point you in the right direction.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions before committing—mentorship should feel supportive, encouraging, and aligned with your goals.
Where Mentorship and Self-Reflection Meet
Mentorship and self-reflection go hand in hand. A mentor can help you make sense of your reflections, offer perspective, and turn insights into actions. At the same time, developing your own reflective habits will help you get the most from any mentorship or supervision you do receive.
When I mentor people, we often:
Start by identifying short- and long-term goals
Reflect on recent challenges, both with cases and their business
Set clear, achievable actions between sessions
Stay accountable and motivated to keep moving forward!
Tips for Moving Forward—With or Without a Mentor
Whether or not you’re currently working with a mentor, here are some next steps you might take:
Start a reflection journal and set a weekly time to review it
Identify a few trusted peers to talk through cases (confidentially!) or challenges with
Look for CPD that supports your weak spots or interests
Set one small goal this month for your confidence, skills or business
If you're curious about mentorship, explore what's available
Final Thoughts: You Don’t Have to Do This Alone!
You’re building a career that takes real dedication, passion, and resilience. But that doesn’t mean you have to figure it all out by yourself!
Whether you find a mentor, reach out to a peer, or simply start reflecting more intentionally on your work—you’re already investing in your growth as a confident, capable therapist. And that’s something to feel proud of.
If you’re curious about mentorship and think I might be a good fit for you, I offer flexible online sessions tailored to where you’re at right now. Together, we can work on things such as:
Building your confidence
Growing your business with more focus
Navigating challenges with greater clarity
Staying motivated and inspired
...And anything else you feel would be useful to your growth and development!
You can find loads more detail on my mentoring web page, including testimonials from some of my amazing mentees about their experience of our mentorship journey!
But whether we work together or not, I hope this post has encouraged you to pause, reflect, and remember—you’re doing better than you think!
Thank for reading! Any questions at all, please feel free to reach out
Best wishes,
Ceola
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