Uncertainty gets a bad rap. It’s often tangled up with anxiety, hesitation, and imposter syndrome—but what if uncertainty is actually a strength?

In this episode, we dive into the uncomfortable (but inevitable) reality of not knowing, especially in a profession built around being the expert. Whether you're faced with a complex case, a curveball question, or that familiar sense of “I should know this,” we explore how to shift your mindset and respond with confidence—even when you don’t have all the answers.

You’ll learn:

• Why uncertainty is a sign of growth, not weakness

• How to handle both external and internal uncertainty in clinical settings

• Practical communication tools for expressing uncertainty with credibility

• Why clients trust you more when you don’t pretend to know everything

• A strategy (and a handy website!) to help you find answers on the fly in consults

If you’ve ever worried about not knowing enough, or panicked mid-consult when a client drops an obscure term you’ve never heard of—this one’s for you.

👉 Tune in to reframe uncertainty, build trust, and communicate like a pro—even when you’re still figuring it out.

Please consider leaving a review or sharing with a friend that this episode might help. The farther we can spread this information, the more lives we help. Feel free to reach out to me with any questions, comments, or thoughts.

Instagram: drjesseburgess

LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/jesse-burgess-723071209

FEATURED WEBSITE (Your clinical decision-making personal assistant): www.thevetcloud.weebly.com

Chris Voss ex-FBI Hostage Negotiator - https://www.youtube.com/@NegotiationMastery

Jump into the importance of being skilled at breaking bad news, and how it impacts us and our clients. We look at a framework and set of principles for breaking bad news and I run through a case example that I had last week to demonstrate these principles at work. The rundown: - The AMAZING impact we can have if we're skilled enough

- The SPIKES model and why I don't use it - Prepare yourself

- Prepare your client - Have direct and digestible communication

- Empathise

- Getting defensive and justifying your actions when things go wrong

- A real case example

- Main points

If you find this episode useful, please share it with a friend or leave a review. It really helps us to reach more people and make a larger impact.

Reach out to me if you have any QUESTIONS, SUGGESTIONS for future episodes, or STORIES you'd like featured:

Instagram: drjesseburgess

LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/jesse-burgess-723071209

Your clinical decision-making personal assistant: www.thevetcloud.weebly.com

An exploration on how to change someone's mind and how to constructively disagree with someone.

This episode includes:

- how to disagree in a way that reduces your anxiety and pressure

- strategies from world-renowned negotiation experts and psychologists on how to change someone's mind

- how to tackle challenging topics like raw feeding, anti-vax, QOL discussions, the 'obesity chat', 'he's not in any pain', force-free

Breakdown:

- When to disagree

- The winner's mindset going in

- The first step: Rapport and Safety - Help them feel understood - ask, mirror, paraphrase

- Find common ground

- Tactical questioning

- Street epistemology and motivational interviewing

- 'How' and 'What' questions and Confidence scales

- How to share our thoughts - Lessons from expert negotiators

- Binary bias

If you find this episode useful, please share it with a friend or leave a review. It really helps us to reach more people and make a larger impact.

Reach out to me if you have any QUESTIONS, SUGGESTIONS for future episodes, or STORIES you'd like featured:

Instagram: drjesseburgess

LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/jesse-burgess-723071209

Your clinical decision-making personal assistant: www.thevetcloud.weebly.com