Does your life ever seem like it’s just one long billable hour?

Does the stress of practicing law, particularly in the recent economic climate, sometimes seem like more than you can/want to handle?

Becoming a lawyer took hard work, dedication and commitment over a period of years. It’s not for the faint of mind or heart. But sometimes the very skills that allowed you to become lawyer can work against you in creating a satisfying life.

For most people, a rewarding professional life occurs as one part of mosaic that includes other elements such as the personal, the physical, the creative and the spiritual. The single-minded focus that may have served you so well to get you where you are today may not be what you need to live a full, enriching life.

As a former practicing lawyer, I have personally experienced many of the unique pressures and stresses that are part and parcel of practicing law. I also know that the legal culture has typically viewed questions and doubts, either professional or personal, as a sign of weakness or lack of commitment. To survive, most of us had to learn to suppress our feelings, and sometimes even our humanity.

The consequences of suppressing our concerns can range from simple dissatisfaction to depression, anxiety, substance abuse (alcohol, drugs, etc.), and problems in our personal and family relationships.

Add on top of this the uncertainty created by the recent economic downturn, and life can begin to feel more than a little overwhelming.

Don’t wait until things get out of hand. Call me for a private, confidential consultation about how to handle the stresses you are facing.

I provide consultations and ongoing counseling to lawyers regarding their personal and professional concerns.

Here are some great resources for lawyers:

Why Can’t Lawyers Relax? – And How They Can, by Karen Caffrey, LPC, JD

A Lawyers’ Guide to Healing: Solutions for Addiction and Depression, by Don Carroll, J.D.

The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal, by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz

What Can You Do With A Law Degree?: A Lawyer’s Guide to Career Alternatives Inside, Outside & Around the Law, by Deborah Aaron

Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers-Connecticut, Inc., an IRS Sec. 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation created pursuant to C.G.S. Sec. 51-81d to provide crisis intervention and referral services to Connecticut lawyers.

 

Karen Caffrey,  LPC,  JD Psychotherapy and Counseling in West  Hartford, CT 06107