Lawyer Stress Therapy
Licensed New York & New Jersey
AS SEEN IN
For 27 years I have specialized in helping lawyers to ensure stress & career does not consume their identity or damage their health. Work-related stress affects many individuals, but for lawyers, it can be especially impactful, even if you feel that law is your calling. If you never liked practicing law, the impact can be even worse.
Dealing with the psychological battering of opposing counsel and difficult judges, bad reviews by clients, and the vicarious trauma of witnessing other people’s suffering can be draining on your soul.
Many clients come to me feeling obligated to continue shouldering this burden as part of the job—what has been called “paid worries”—but hopelessness & powerlessness have devolved into anxiety, depression, or work burnout.
Similarly, a lack of personal or family time may be causing you to consider changing careers, but you don’t want to sacrifice your earning potential. You are caught in the “golden handcuffs.”
Is Lawyer Stress Threatening Your Well-Being?
It is time to consider therapy when:
Long hours, a competitive work environment, or expectations of perfection are getting to you
Work stress is brought home and is causing family problems
There is no outlet for work frustration other than your partner or children
You are burying stress and it’s showing up in your body as digestive issues, high blood pressure, a compromised immune system, alcohol/substance use, or even an early heart attack.
I understand just how demanding it can be to work in the legal system; however, you don’t have to navigate the stress on your own. With my help, you can learn to separate yourself from work, identify what you need to truly be happy, and find a way to improve your situation.
Practicing Law Is One Of The Most Stressful Occupations In The US
Many legal professionals grow emotionally and physically exhausted from their work.
For a majority of lawyers, this change occurs after ten years of practice.
The responsibilities of starting a family, raising children, and tending to personal lives add additional layers of stress that simply weren’t there during law school. It’s also at this point when lawyers begin to realize that their goal of saving the world one person at a time isn’t as practical or achievable as once thought. Instead, they usually find that the glamor of practicing law, as portrayed in film and television, is wildly out of sync with the gritty reality of being a lawyer.
The constant stream of emotionally taxing court cases, the crucial demands for perfection, and the insistence on solving everyone’s problems slowly begin to erode at a person’s relationships, personal health, and even their sense of identity. But often, lawyers don’t see the obvious signs of burnout.
You are not alone in feeling like this and being affected by lawyer stress. Unfortunately, research indicates that practicing law is, in fact, one of the most stressful jobs in the US, and the resulting internal conflict and work fatigue contribute to a variety of physical and mental health concerns.
According to a 2016 study of lawyer impairment conducted by the American Bar Association’s Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs and the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, over 20 percent of respondents reported problematic drinking patterns that could lead to addiction. Moreover, nearly half of those who participated reported experiencing depression at some point in their career. And a whopping 61 percent of respondents said that they had dealt with anxiety as well.
I understand it may seem as if you don’t have any choice but to stay where you are, both professionally and mentally, but there are steps you can take to protect yourself and your career. With my help, you can learn how to prevent burnout, take better care of yourself, and create options for moving forward.
I Use Psychotherapy So Lawyers Can Think & Breathe Again
I am a therapist specializing in and recognized for my expertise in lawyer stress and burnout. At the heart of my practice is a profound respect for the unique pressures faced by legal professionals. I have spoken at Bar Associations and legal groups, written numerous articles on the subject of lawyer burnout, and conducted resilience building workshops for lawyers.
I understand that you may feel depleted right now, but I will show you how to prevent burnout and protect your job—as well as your health—in the long-run. With time and commitment, we can work together to create greater fulfillment in helping others, as well as satisfaction in yourself.
My Therapy For Lawyers Helps You:
Embrace Your Humanity: Psychotherapy allows you to acknowledge how the past affects you today, vulnerabilities, and imperfections, embracing a full range of emotions. The process grants permission to expand beyond a professional identity. You are so much more than your job.
Build Resilience: Through deep work we will strengthen your emotional intelligence so you are better equipped to manage stress and to regulate your mental as well as physical responses. Tools for resilience often include developing strategies for mindfulness meditation and self-regulation.
Explore Alternatives: Whether you're considering a career change or seeking to find greater fulfillment within the legal profession, we can explore pathways to teaching, corporate roles, starting your own practice, or transitioning to a smaller firm.
Enhance Communication and Connection: Guidance is provided to improve interpersonal skills and connect to values and goals beyond work-related achievements.
ABOUT DR. ELLEN CARNI
With over 27 years of experience as a licensed psychologist, I have dedicated my career to understanding and alleviating the profound impacts of stress and burnout, particularly among lawyers.
My professional journey includes speaking at Bar Associations, writing extensively on lawyer burnout, and conducting resilience-building workshops. This blend of clinical practice, research, and teaching has equipped me with specialized skills to address the intricate dynamics of career and identity that so often affect legal professionals.
My therapeutic techniques are deeply rooted in evidence-based practices, refined through continuous application and research. This ensures a nuanced approach tailored to the unique challenges and relational patterns lawyers face, fostering healing and growth.
Credentials, Licenses, and Trainings:
Postdoctoral Program in Psychoanalysis and Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, New York University
PhD, City University of New York
MA & BA, Columbia University
Certified in EMDR from the EMDR Institute
Perhaps you’re considering professional counseling for lawyer stress but still have some concerns...
I worry about what people will think if they find out I am in therapy.
Some lawyers are so afraid of people knowing they are in therapy that they feel even their insurance carrier will divulge that fact to their employers. In all my years of practicing psychotherapy, I have never seen it happen.
More than likely, you are experiencing lawyer burnout as a personal failure and feel that admitting vulnerability is a weakness.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
The legal profession is still a macho culture and many lawyers get caught up in it in insidious ways. Once you can understand that the culture of the psychological profession is the opposite and that psychotherapy is a safe space in which you can be yourself without judgment, you can begin dealing with stress and building resilience in a way that makes your more confident, effective and at peace.
How long will therapy take?
If occupational stress were the main culprit, then simply providing you with coping skills would solve the problem. Usually, however, work stresses are triggering early traumatic experiences, family expectations, and unresolved prior issues. Chances are good you didn’t arrive at this page thinking there were easy answers.
If you want to figure out how you arrived at lawyer burnout, what you really want to do, and how to get there, it will take some time.
But professional counseling will be well worth the investment; it offers you sustainable healing that can improve your personal well-being, relationships and social life, and long-term career goals well beyond our time together.
What if reducing stress hurts my drive and intensity?
Some stress can be motivating, so I don’t want to take that away from you. However, too much worry reduces productivity and can harm the very aspects of your life that you are trying to enjoy and prosper from.
When you learn to use emotional intelligence, you will become more flexible, accommodating, and self-nurturing in work and life—and far more successful in both.
You are your organization’s most valuable asset; therefore, taking care of your mental and physical health can only help your career, not hurt it.
Don’t Let The Job Become Your Life
If you need assistance avoiding burnout, or if you would like to transition out of your old career, I can help.
Start by scheduling your free consultation. If you would like to know more about the signs and symptoms of lawyer stress, click here for a blog on the subject.