Dr Sarah Golding

Dr Sarah Golding is a mixed-practice veterinarian in rural New South Wales, principal practitioner and co-manager at Gowrie Vet Clinic, and the founder of The Vet Mind Mentor and its Resilient Vet Mastermind program. In her mentoring work, Sarah often finds something specific underneath what veterinarians describe as burnout, overwhelm or imposter syndrome: fear. Fear of failing, looking stupid, facing an angry client, making a costly mistake or receiving a complaint to the veterinary surgeons board. In this episode, we explore where those fears come from, how they influence clinical decisions and client communication, and what mentors and practice owners can do to create a workplace where mistakes can be discussed honestly. Sarah also shares her structured "debrief and dump" process, designed to help veterinary teams take responsibility, extract the lesson from a difficult outcome and then stop carrying it around for the rest of their careers.