A message from our founder, Sarah Schofield MRCVS

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If you’re here, chances are you’ve seen firsthand how tough it is working in the vet world – physically, mentally and emotionally. 

I get it. 

I wanted to be a vet from the age of 8 and I achieved that dream when I qualified in 2008. 

But it turned out nothing like the dream I had imagined; over time, the pressure, responsibility and emotional load wore down my confidence, my passion and my sense of self. Eventually, I had to step away to protect my wellbeing.

I thought leaving veterinary would be the answer.

But in my new role as a management consultant, the overthinking, self-doubt and not being able to switch off after work continued. 

For a long time, I thought I was just not good enough. Maybe even a bit broken. 

Eventually (after a decade!) I learned that wasn’t true. It was just that my brain had adapted to deal with situations in an unhelpful way. 

I went back to the science and sought to understand the neuroscience and psychology behind what I experienced. I applied that knowledge, and developed a system to retrain my brain to lift me up instead of continuing to drag me down. 

If I'd known all this when I was in practice, I honestly believe I would have had a long and happy clinical career. 

So I became an ICF-certified coach and set up Positivity in Practice to provide people with the support that would have made all the difference for me. 

That being said, the challenges in the vet sector aren't just on an individual level. 

They are systemic. 

People on the front line are struggling; nobody can doubt that. But beyond them, managers feel out of their depth, often being asked to do more with less. And leaders are pressured from above and blamed from below. No one is thriving.

The system is broken. 

But systems are made of people – and people can change! 

Right now, much of our focus at Positivity in Practice is on the individuals in the practice teams, helping them rebuild their self-trust and rediscover their passion for clinical work, despite the imperfections in the system. 

From there, we’ll move on to changing the system by supporting teams, managers and organisations to create healthier, more sustainable and more profitable ways of working. 

Remember that decade of my career, where I was an overthinking management consultant? 

I was helping global organisations to improve their culture, leadership and wellbeing at scale. I’m talking 4,500 people across multiple countries, so I know what I’m talking about when I say system-level change requires a structured and coordinated approach focused on changing the drivers of behaviour, with all stakeholders managed appropriately. Anything else is a lot of effort for not much impact.

Positivity in Practice is a small but mighty business. 

With our expertise, experience and tools we are driving change at every level. 

As we do so, we focus on 3 things 

1. Authentic positivity: Not pretending everything is fine but people genuinely feeling better.
2. Evidence-based: Everything is based on applied neuroscience, positive psychology and proven culture change approaches. We don’t do fluffy, waffle - just stuff that actually works. 
3. Impact: Real, lasting change for busy veterinary people, teams and organisations. 

We're just at the start of this journey, but I am confident that together, we can make veterinary medicine the dream career we imagined.💛

Sarah is a vet turned ICF-certified coach. And somewhere in between, she spent a decade as a management consultant supporting global organisations with culture change.  

Positivity in Practice is a training and coaching business working to improve wellbeing and culture for people throughout the vet world

• Veterinary professionals who give everything and feel it’s never enough
• Managers and team leaders carrying the emotional and operational load
• Independent practice owners and corporates who want healthier cultures and better retention

We use applied neuroscience, positive psychology, coaching, AI-tools and culture-change expertise to create meaningful, sustainable change.