August (Part 2)
Updates from Vered
Upcoming Season
I haven’t made the fall schedule yet, but there are two free CEUs left for the summer!
Why have I’ve been cancelling so much?
2026 is kicking my ass (and Daisy’s spine)
My 20-year-old kitty, Daisy.
Near the end of July, I had to take Daisy to the Emergency Cat Room.
Daisy was limping. I didn’t know why.
I’ve had Daisy for over 20 years. For an ancient artifact, she has what would be called excellent provenance - she was found in a friend’s backyard, and then in my care ever since.
She has seen me through my entire education and career as a therapist. Often literally so, seated in her designated “supervisor chair” next to mine.1
I had no idea if I was going to be able to take her home from the vet. Or if…I wasn’t.
After a few terrifying hours, we got good news: they couldn’t find anything wrong with her. This means no broken bones, no obvious signs that she couldn’t come home.
The veterinarian on duty made an excellent diagnosis (that the following days proved accurate). He surmised that Daisy had injured herself due to a failed jump.
Earlier that day, I had seen Daisy try to jump onto the side of the bathtub.2 She missed the jump and quickly scrambled away.
Daisy has since made a full recovery(??!!)3
She is running and jumping again!
I did not expect my elderly cat to move from paralysis to agility in a couple of weeks. My knowledge of corporeal matters did not allow for this possibility. This is a “good event stress,” but it’s still stress
They’re watching, waiting to steal our dinner or our souls?
I process stress by physically resting.
I don’t want to cancel my classes, but pushing myself would be worse. I can’t choose whether my ancient eldritch god of a pet gets injured. I can’t choose to have a lower-stress life. But I can choose to make space to recover.4
I am not the only one dealing with an overwhelming amount of stress. There is literally a Klonopin shortage right now. This sounds too cliche to be true, so I looked it up:
Teva has clonazepam on shortage due to increased demand.
Increased demand. Yikes. Relatable.
I haven’t gotten the Fall CEU schedule out yet. Once I get caught up on rest, I will. In the meantime, I hope we all are able to rest together, in solidarity.
Showing Some Love
Emergency Animal Hospital of Crystal Falls
Not to disclose Daisy’s full medical history, but she was taken care of by the amazing team at Emergency Animal Hospital of Crystal Falls.
This Emergency Vet is located in Leander, TX. They’re a little north of North Austin. If you ever have a vet emergency, they are well worth the drive.
MROWWWW!!
I was so scared. The entire care team was kind, competent, and thorough.
I hope y’all never need to take your animals to the pet ER. But if you need one in the Austin area, I can’t recommend this one highly enough.5
Therapist Volunteer Project
Help families released from detention
Spanish Speakers Needed!
The (creatively named) Therapist Volunteer Project has launched!
We’re matching therapists with clients of legal aid organizations, who have recently been released from ICE detention facilities.
We’re hearing from our partner organizations that there’s an increased need for therapists who speak Spanish.
If you or someone you know is interested in volunteering, read more about the program and sign up here:
Not already on the mailing list?
Monthly Hater’s Corner
Sources Regarding My Ire
a.k.a. please don’t sue me
1 The picture is of her sleeping in the chair!
2 As we all know, doing anything without the supervision of cats is illegal.
3 I am so grateful, but also a little scared. SHE IS TWENTY. Whose life force is she stealing?
4 I talk a lot in my CEUs about how being in private practice is a huge privilege. I used to work in the therapy mines, and I was not able to take the time off that I needed. If you can’t make space to rest, it’s not your fault.
5 They don’t know I’m shouting them out. I’m sure they can’t confirm or deny their patients, but will probably know it’s Daisy if you say an astonishingly old cat sent you.
Until next time,
Vered