Leading Veterinary Teams From the Inside Out
We Don’t Just Coach. We Partner.
At Full Circle Lab, we exist to bring humanity back to veterinary medicine.
Veterinary professionals enter this field with passion and purpose—but the weight of student debt, understaffing, and emotional strain can quickly dim that light. The result? Burnout, compassion fatigue, and a disconnect from the work they once loved.
That’s where we come in.
We partner with practices and individuals to help them reconnect with their purpose, build emotionally intelligent leadership, and create cultures where people—and their passion—can thrive again. It’s about returning to the heart of why they started. And staying there.
Ready to Lead With Clarity and Confidence?
Meet Your Team
Crystal Stokes, MA, LMFT
Founder & Managing Director
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Crystal Stokes, MA, LMFT
Crystal is the founder and managing director of Full Circle Lab. With a background in veterinary medicine, psychotherapy, leadership development and coaching, and business operations, she leads with a blend of emotional intelligence, strategy, and heart. Her work is deeply rooted in evidence-based practices and high-performance coaching, and she's passionate about helping veterinary professionals rediscover purpose, build resilience, and lead from a grounded, values-driven perspective.
Crystal has walked in many shoes—starting as a GP and then overnight ER veterinary technician, then becoming a licensed therapist, director of operations, certified professional coach, and leadership consultant. She understands the unique challenges of veterinary medicine, not just clinically, but emotionally and culturally. That’s what drives her to build stronger, healthier teams across the profession.
She’s also the host of the Vet Med Wellness & Leadership Podcast, where she dives into the heart of veterinary culture, burnout, and what it really means to thrive in this field.
Favorite way to start the day: Sunshine, coffee, and anything natural or animal related (especially being in the ocean or doing something physical).
Fun fact: She also worked as a medical exercise specialist all through undergrad and grad school and lived abroad in Vienna, Austria for 3 years.
Francesca Tocco, MSW, LCSW
Director of Strategy
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Francesca Tocco, MSW, LCSW
Francesca is a licensed clinical social worker with 18 years of experience at the intersection of mental health, social work, and veterinary well-being. She brings an empowering and empathetic presence to her work, supporting clients as they reconnect with their values and create meaningful, sustainable life changes. Her approach is grounded in collaboration, compassion, and a deep belief in each person’s capacity for growth.
Francesca’s path into this work is shaped by both personal and professional milestones—including becoming the first in her family to attend and graduate from college. Her lifelong love of animals, shared with her own pack of five, fuels her passion for supporting those who care for them. She understands the emotional complexity of this work and is committed to helping individuals feel seen, supported, and strengthened in their roles.
Favorite way to start the day: A cappuccino followed by a walk with her dogs.
Fun fact: She’s the proud human to five dogs, who continually remind her of the importance of presence, connection, and joy.
Dr. Ashlee Bruewer, DVM, CVA, CCFP
Leadership & Wellness Coach
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Ashlee Bruewer, HCI-CLC/CHC, CCFP
Ashlee brings six years of experience and a distinctive blend of life and health coaching with veterinary leadership to the Full Circle Lab team. With a strong foundation in client communication and compassion fatigue prevention, she offers a DVM-informed perspective that supports veterinary professionals in navigating their careers with confidence, clarity, and sustainability. Her work is rooted in helping individuals not just survive in the field, but truly thrive.
One of Ashlee’s proudest professional accomplishments is cultivating the BETTER Coach Program and walking alongside clients through life-changing transformations. Her coaching style is supportive, philosophical, and creatively outside-the-box, inviting curiosity, insight, and meaningful growth. She is deeply committed to empowering others to reconnect with their strengths and chart a path forward that feels aligned and intentional.
Favorite way to start the day: Coffee with cinnamon.
Fun fact: She has a longtime love of genetics and has participated in research on equine coat color patterns.
Susan Swendsen Harris, MSSW, LCSW, VSW
Leadership & Wellness Coach
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Susan Swendsen Harris, MSSW, LCSW, VSW
Susan brings over 11 years of experience in social work, including six years as a veterinary social worker, along with nearly three decades of involvement in animal rescue. She offers a trauma-informed and deeply compassionate perspective to her work, supporting veterinary professionals through the emotional complexities of caring for both people and animals. Her background includes specialized certifications in trauma intervention and emotional support, and she is proud to have co-presented trauma-informed trainings at the national level.
Inspired from a young age by the powerful bond between humans and animals—beginning with her pony at age three—Susan has built a career centered on presence, empathy, and connection. She finds profound purpose in walking alongside the kind, dedicated individuals in veterinary medicine. Her coaching style is grounded in compassionate listening, gentle guidance, and unwavering kindness.
Favorite way to start the day: A glass of mango juice.
Fun fact: She loves working with wood, from restoring furniture to building outdoor shelters for community cats.
Dr. Natalie Fayman, DVM, CPC, PCC, CPQC
Leadership & Wellness Coach
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Natalie Fayman, DVM, PCC, CPC, CPQC
Natalie brings over three decades of experience as a veterinarian alongside four years as a professional coach, blending deep industry insight with empathetic, grounded guidance. Her work focuses on supporting professionals through challenges such as imposter syndrome, people-pleasing, and navigating difficult personalities. Rooted in her own lived experience with burnout, Natalie’s coaching is driven by a genuine commitment to healing, resilience, and sustainable growth.
One of Natalie’s proudest accomplishments is earning her PCC credential and walking alongside countless professionals as they reconnect with their sense of purpose and confidence. Her coaching style is empathetic, practical, and growth-oriented, offering both understanding and actionable support.
Favorite way to start the day: Spiced coffee.
Fun fact: She is a 5th-degree black belt in Japanese Ju Jutsu.
Dr. Sonja Olson, DVM, C-MMT
Leadership & Wellness Coach
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Sonja A. Olson, DVM
Dr. Sonja Olson brings over a decade of experience supporting veterinary professionals through crisis care, emotional well-being, and peer mentorship. With credentials including DVM, C-MMT, and MHFA Instructor, she specializes in providing steady, grounded, and compassionate support during some of the most critical moments in veterinary medicine. Her work is rooted in presence, practical care, and deep respect for the emotional weight carried by those in the field.
One of Sonja’s most meaningful career experiences was serving as an emergency clinician and peer supporter during Hurricane Katrina—an experience that continues to shape her commitment to service and community. She is continually motivated by the resilience, heart, and strength of veterinary professionals, and feels deeply called to walk alongside them in times of challenge and growth. Her coaching style is compassionate, curious, and practical.
Favorite way to start the day: A matcha latte made with oat milk.
Fun fact: She’s a big fan of sci-fi books and movies.
Chelsey Nisbet, MSW, ASW
Leadership & Wellness Coach
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Chelsey Nisbet, MSW, ASW
Chelsey brings over 16 years of experience in social work, including six years dedicated to veterinary well-being support. As a grief-support specialist, she is especially skilled in helping individuals navigate loss, life transitions, and moments of profound change with compassion and steadiness. Her work centers on supporting people as they reconnect with their core values and sense of purpose—even during the most challenging seasons.
Chelsey holds deep respect for the people within veterinary medicine and is proud of every student and professional she has mentored along the way. Her coaching style is holistic, nonjudgmental, and encouraging, creating space for growth, reflection, and resilience.
Favorite way to start the day: Iced coffee.
Fun fact: She has a not-so-secret love for all things miniature, from dollhouses to tiny furniture.
Julie Stern
Leadership & Wellness Coach
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Julie Stern, MBA
Julie is an ACC-credentialed coach with the International Coaching Federation and a Certified Professional Coach through iPEC, where she also earned certifications as an Energy Leadership Index Master Practitioner and COR.E Dynamics Transitions & Leadership Specialist. With an MBA from Yale University and 18 years of professional experience, she brings a thoughtful blend of strategic insight and emotional intelligence to her work with veterinary professionals.
Julie specializes in supporting individuals through transitions—career shifts, leadership development, team dynamics, and personal reinvention. Drawing from her background across retail clinics, corporate consolidators, de novo urgent care, and as a co-founder of a mobile end-of-life practice, she offers a warm, direct, and human-centered approach to navigating change with clarity and purpose.
Favorite way to start the day: Coffee, quiet, and Wolfie by her side on the back porch.
Fun fact: Julie never changed a diaper until she was in her 30s… now she’s raising five kids: boy/girl twins and three incredible bonus kids!
Ana Kurashvili
Administrative Assistant
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Coming Soon