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12 April · May 2012NATIONAL

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Lawyers are stressed sick. They’re succumbing to depression, addiction and burnout and many are afraid to admit they need help, often with tragic

consequences. National examines what lies behind this endemic problem and how the profession is trying to help its own.

~ By Michael Dempster ~

The tipping pointLawyers face a greater than average risk ofaddiction, depression and other issues. So whyis it so hard for them to admit they need help?

hen people read or hear John Starzynski’sstory, they’ll often close their eyes.

It usually happens when they see a reflec-tion of themselves, or someone they know,

tumbling toward depression, addiction or some other black hole.Some make the connection as Starzynski talks about his

early days as a sole practitioner, proud to be a lawyer makinga contribution; married with two young kids, a great wife anda demanding job. Others relate to a later period when dailypressures took control of body and soul; when Starzynksi was“burning to death, night after night,” a cruel nightmare thatrobbed him of precious sleep.

And some look into the abyss as Starzynski describes histwo suicide attempts and how he was hospitalized for stress.

Like so many in his profession, he was conscientious, a per-fectionist, and most certainly a workaholic. Eventually, thestress triggered a bipolar disorder that ended his 14-year lawcareer in 1990.

He never saw it coming. Few do. “I was so oblivious to what was going on,” Starzynski says.

“I just figured I’d get through the day and the next day I’d getup and I’d be fine.

“I wasn’t in tune with my body or my feelings. I didn’tknow what a feeling was. I just kept going on. I told myself,‘this is the way you do it.’”

Starzynski will tell you he got lucky and found help. Since1995, he has shared his experience and knowledge as a tirelessvolunteer with the Ontario Lawyers’ Assistance Program. Aresident of Guelph, Ont., he writes, speaks regularly and actsas a peer counselor, describing a descent that’s compelling —and not that unusual.

“I’ll tell my story a lot because many lawyers think they’rethe only one who have ever had a problem,” he says. “WhenI talk about what happened to me, the heads are nodding inthe audience. People realize they’re not alone.”

He lists symptoms his audiences recognize: the sleep dis-turbances, panic attacks, feelings of inadequacy, loss ofappetite, drinking too and dozing off at parties.

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13Avril · Mai 2012 www.cba.org

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“DENIAL IS SUCH APROBLEM. THERE’S ANARROGANCE AMONGLAWYERS THAT WE’RETHE BEST. WE SOLVEPROBLEMS, SO WECAN’T HAVE THEM.”

John StarzynskiVolunteer, Ontario Lawyers’Assistance Program

03-Wellness_04-Profile 12-04-19 7:14 AM Page 13

April · May 201214 NATIONAL

Research has shown the incidence of major depres-sion in lawyers can be as much as four times higher thanin the general public. Stress is frequently the trigger, acti-vating pathologies such as depression, anxiety disorders,obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stressand, in Starzynski’s case, bipolar disorder.

He remembers his own tipping point. It occurredduring a four-day family holiday to New York, where,in the city that never sleeps, he couldn’t: his nightmareof burning to death was so overwhelming, he wasafraid to lie down and close his eyes.

Once home, he ran into a friend who told him thathe didn’t look well. Starzynski stared at him for a fewseconds and burst into tears.

It was a turning point, a time to ask for help. Sincethen he has learned that his bipolar disorder has chemi-cal, psychological and social elements that require a reg-ular regime of therapy and medication.

Today, when he speaks to an audience about his experience,he warns them that anybody can be at risk of stress-relateddepression and other disorders, no matter how much successthey’ve achieved.

That includes people like Michele Hollins, Q.C., whobecomes the CBA’s second vice-president this August and CBApresident in 2014.

“Yes, even me, the happiest person in the world, wholoves her job,” says Hollins. A single mom, she fell into abad depression for months when her twin daughters went offto university.

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“It was always just the three of us, so that was quite a lifechange for me,” she says. “It hit me hard.

“I had no history or experience with depression. It took mea long time to recognize it. In fact, it took people [from with-in the CBA] coming to me and saying, ‘Look you need to dosomething about this.’”

Hollins recovered. Her co-workers were patient, empathet-ic and helpful. During her acclamation speech in February, shespoke about the need to focus, facilitate and heighten aware-ness around personal wellness.

The support she received spurred her into promoting a peerassistance component within the Alberta Law AssistanceProgram, an initiative that’s gaining momentum.

Starzynski knows first-hand the value of lawyers helpinglawyers.

“These peer support people will sit with you,” he says. “Ifyou need someone to go to an AA meeting with you, or a psy-chologist, they will. They’ll call you every day if necessary tomake sure you’re alive.”

During his most difficult days as a sole practitioner,Starzynski didn’t have peer support. He had no sounding

board. And he didn’t feel comfortable opening up to just any-one, fearing it would be seen as a sign of weakness or thatword might get out that he wasn’t well.

“A sole practitioner is isolated, even more so because thingsare always so busy,” he says. “In my case, I felt responsiblefor staff, worried about liability, not answering a call . . . allthose things.”

He now understands that he was losing a piece of himselfevery day. Even though his wife Marg — “she loves meunconditionally” — tried to talk to him, he rebuffed her sug-gestions. When he finally did agree to counselling, he dis-missed it as hokum.

“Denial is such a problem,” he says. “There’s an arroganceamong lawyers that we’re the best. We solve problems, so wecan’t have them.”

Today’s stress levels aren’t easing and Starzynski says he’s

“YES, EVEN ME, THE HAPPIEST PERSON IN THEWORLD, WHO LOVES HER JOB.”

Michele Hollins, Q.C.Partner, Dunphy Best Blocksom LLP, Calgary

1. Take care of yourself so your body functionsproperly: Get eight hours’ sleep, exercise, eatthree meals a day, cut out or cut down on caffeine and alcohol and drink water.

2. Talk to somebody who understands you and will not judge you. Share your hopes, dreams and disappointments.

3. Ask yourself where you fit in. Try to discoverwhat gives you satisfaction, ignites your passionand makes you a whole person.

John Starzynski’s three-point program for physical, emotional and spiritual health:



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Once an alcoholic “hanging by his fin-gernails,” LaCroix is now the execu-tive director of the Lawyers’ Assis -tance Program of B.C., a team thatworks with about 400 lawyers every

year. He is well-acquainted with the factors thatmake it so difficult for lawyers to seek help:Whether it’s drugs, alcohol, depression, maritalissues, gambling, ethical or legal issues, or someother difficulty, he says, members of the legal pro-fession have a disturbing blind spot when it comesto their own personal challenges.

“Treatment centres tell me lawyers are the mostdifficult patients,” LaCroix says. Lawyers can rea-son and rationalize why treatment is not really forthem, even when they’re in a program, he observes.

Those who accept that they need help, on theother hand, become a counsellor’s dream. Whenthey enter treatment, they will do things properly,the way they’re instructed, he explains. “They’responges. They want to learn. So once they get past[the denial], recovery rates are high.”

LaCroix knows the behaviour well because helived it. He is a recovered alcoholic who has beenthrough detox, relapse, bankruptcy and divorceand been hospitalized for physical and emotionalproblems. It took a drunken brawl to get him backon the road to recovery. When he squinted into themirror the next morning and saw two swollen,black-and-blue eyes, it finally hit home.

“I had these bad black eyes and because ofthem, I couldn’t pretend something bad hadn’thappened,” he says. “I look at is as being kind oflucky because who knows how long you can con-tinue to limp through, kind of doing recovery butreally not.”

Now, says his wife, Maureen, his life experiencehelps him bring joy and empathy to a job he loves.

“terrified” by the stories he hears of growing suicides withinthe ranks. The number of reported cases is small, but there areother deaths that aren’t characterized as suicides. Regardless,he says, one is too many.

He urges people who see themselves in his story to call their

provincial or territorial law assistance program for free, confi-dential help tailored to their needs.

“There’s the expression that a lawyer who represents him-self has a fool for a client,” he says. “The same goes for gettinghelp. Lawyers do need other people. We can’t fix ourselves.”

Derek LaCroix Q.C.Executive director, Lawyers Assistance

Program of B.C.

Beyond the abyss

One in three lawyers will experience amajor mood disorder or addiction dur-ing school or their career. DerekLaCroix has been there and back. Butfirst he had to admit he needed help.


criminal lawyer who had just been elected Canada’s 13thprime minister.

In 1974, he earned a law degree from the University ofBritish Columbia. A strapping 220-pounder, he also played onthe UBC football team. While he fancied himself in the moreglamorous role of running back or linebacker, coaches madehim a starting offensive lineman.

The socially outgoing LaCroix didn’t miss many parties.He tasted his first drink at 13 and took to it immediately, but


“In sharing his experience, he helps people recognize thatthere is help beyond, there is an alternative, a way out of theirsituation,” she says. “It’s important because sometimes it canseem like they’re caught in a big black hole.”

Socially outgoingBorn in Vancouver in 1949, Derek LaCroix was only ninewhen he bookmarked law as his career. He remembers beingintrigued and inspired by John Diefenbaker, a Saskatchewan

une chance: qui sait jusqu’à quand j’aurais pré-tendu être en rémission, sans l’être vraiment? »

SOCIALEMENT ACTIFNé à Vancouver en 1949, Derek LaCroix avaitseulement neuf ans quand il a décidé qu’ilferait du droit. Il se souvient d’avoir étéintrigué et inspiré par John Diefenbaker, un avocat criminaliste de la Saskatchewanqui venait d’être élu 13e premier ministre du Canada.

En 1974, il a obtenu un diplôme en droit del’Université de Colombie-Britannique. Unjeune homme de 220 livres, il jouait aussi pourl’équipe de football de l’UCB. Socialement àl’aise, le jeune LaCroix était de toutes lesfêtes. Il a bu son premier verre à 13 ans et l’aaussitôt apprécié, mais il est resté à l’abri desproblèmes grâce à l’école et aux sports.

Les choses ont changé après son admissionau Barreau en 1975. Me LaCroix a travaillécomme procureur pendant trois ans, puis adémarré son propre bureau. La boisson et lespartys faisaient toujours partie du portrait, enplus de la consommation de drogue, au pointde devenir un problème. De 1984 à 1986, ilpratiquait à peine.

La réalité l’a frappée en plein visage le 19avril 1987. Il a pris une décision: de se dévouerà la sobriété avec la même détermination quepour le droit.

LE RÔLE DE LA PERSONNALITÉ Me LaCroix est aujourd’hui le premier et seuldirecteur du Programme d’aide aux avocats dela Colombie-Britannique. De puis 1996, ses col-lègues et lui ont aidé des centaines d’hommeset de femmes à retrouver le chemin de la santé,par l’entremise de traitements personnalisés.

Pourquoi tant de gens se retrouvent endétresse? Ça commence par la personnalité,juge l’avocat. La profession juridique attiredes individus aux caractéristiques sem-blables: naturellement motivés, intelligents,altruistes et tournés vers la communauté.

Mais ces valeurs altruistes peuvent chan -ger rapidement, souvent dès la premièreannée d’université, où la motivation prendle dessus.

Selon le Dr Larry Richard, psychologueorganisationnel de Philadelphie et ancienavocat, la profession juridique attire aus siun pourcentage extrêmement élevé degens susceptibles. Ses données indiquentque neuf avocats sur 10 tombent dans ladernière catégorie lorsqu’ils sont testéspour la résilience, ce qui signifie qu’ils sontsouvent sur la défensive, plus aptes à être blessés et prennent généralement malla critique.

Dr Richard croit que le niveau croissantde stress dans la profession et une capa- ci té réduite à encaisser les coups sansbron cher est une combinaison qui peut deve - nir un facteur, lorsqu’un avocat développedes problèmes.

Derek LaCroix abonde dans le même sens.« Pour ma part, c’était à ce point horrible, jene savais même pas à quel point j’étais an -xieux. Si vous opérez avec un certain niveaud’anxiété pour une longue période de temps,ça devient la norme. »

Au cours des 25 dernières années, il aappris des techniques pour réduire le stresset l’anxiété. Quand la journée est finie, ilréduit la cadence, part en randonnée, passedu temps avec sa conjointe ou s’investit descauses qui lui sont chères. N

Les avocats qui se font traiter pourdes difficultés personnelles peuventêtre les pires patients imaginables

— ou les meilleurs.Derek LaCroix a été les deux.Autrefois un alcoolique au bord du gouf -

fre, LaCroix est maintenant le direc teurexécutif du Programme d’aide aux avocatsde la Colombie-Britannique, une équipequi travaille avec quelque 400 avocatschaque année.

Me LaCroix est bien au fait de ce quicomplique la vie des juristes et les pous seà chercher de l’aide: la drogue, l’alcool, la dépression, les problèmes conjugaux,les problèmes de jeu, les questions juridi -ques ou éthiques…

« Les centres de traitement me disent queles avocats sont les patients les plus diffi-ciles », note-t-il.

En effet, les juristes peuvent raisonner etrationaliser pourquoi les traitements ne sontpas vraiment pour eux, même lorsqu’ils sui -vent un programme.

Mais ceux qui acceptent qu’ils aientbesoin d’aide sont des patients de rêve. « Cesont des éponges. Ils veulent apprendre.Donc passé la phase du déni, les taux derécupération sont élevés. »

Me LaCroix connaît bien ce comporte-ment, parce qu’il a déjà eu le même. Il est unalcoolique qui est passé par la désinto x -ication, la rechute, la faillite, le divorce etl’hospitalisation. Ça a pris une bagarred’ivrogne pour le mettre sur le chemin dela rémission.

« À cause de mes yeux au beurre noir, jene pouvais pas prétendre que rien n’étaitarrivé, dit-il. Je le vois aujourd’hui comme

Au-delà de l’abîmeUn avocat sur trois fera face à de sérieux troubles de l’humeur ou à un problème dedépendance durant sa carrière ou ses études. Avec la chance de Derek LaCroix, ilsobtiendront de l’aide avant qu’il ne soit trop tard.


Avril · Mai 2012

managed to keep any serious problems at bay because ofschool and sports.

Matters changed after he was called to the bar in 1975.LaCroix worked as a prosecutor for three years, then startedhis own firm. Drinking and partying was always part of themix and by 1982 it had become a problem along with druguse. From 1984 to 1986, he barely practised.

A year later he came face to face with reality at the end ofsomeone’s fist. It was April 19, 1987. He made a decision. Hededicated himself to sobriety with the same perseverance thathe had applied to law school.

He attended Alcoholics Anonymous or NarcoticsAnonymous meetings every day for years. He invested anyspare money and time attending othergroups and monthly retreats at a per-sonal growth centre called the Haven,where he now leads groups.

He attributes his eventual recoveryto this personal and spiritual growth,which is now an important part of a“fabulous” life that he shares withMaureen, his third wife. They’ve beenmarried for 15 years.

The role of personalityLaCroix is the first and only directorof the Lawyers’ Assistance Programof B.C. Since 1996, he and his col-leagues have helped hundreds of menand women find their way back tohealth through personalized treat-ment strategies.

Usually, he’s the first contact withthe severest cases.

A big reward, he says, is helpingthose in distress to recover and rediscov-er the “awesomeness” of being in theprofession. He’s also intent on spreadingthe word about why so many peoplefind themselves in distress.

It begins with personality, he says.The legal profession attracts individu-als with similar characteristics: theyare naturally driven, smart, altruistic

and community-minded.But those intrinsic values can change quickly, often in the

demanding first year of law school when drive flourishes andaltruism fades.

LaCroix points to U.S. researchers Kennon Sheldon andLawrence Krieger who have detailed how law students pro-gressively lose their intrinsic motivation beginning in firstyear. Many students become more extrinsic, interested inprestige, appearance, competition and future salary.

“I make it very clear to the students I speak with that theyneed to be aware of their values,” LaCroix says. “This job isjust too hard to do if it’s only about the money.

“My friends . . . who see the importance, who respect the

“IT’S A GRIND TOALWAYS HAVE TO

MEASURE UP. I’D SAYTHAT 90 PER CENT OFPEOPLE I SEE THESE

DAYS HAVE VERYHIGH LEVELS OF ANXIETY.”

Derek LaCroix Q.C.

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17www.cba.org


which means lawyers are defensive, more readily hurt and nor-mally don’t take criticism well.

Richard says increasing stress levels in the profession and areduced ability to “roll with the punches” is a combination thatoften crops up as a factor when a lawyer develops problems.

LaCroix sees it too. A huge percentage of the distressedpeople he meets in the lawyers’ assistance program are“incredibly worried” about what other people think of them.

“It’s part of that external or extrinsic validation. If theydon’t get approval, or get disapproval, it really bothers them.”

Lawyers are super-achievers, he adds, admitting he wasthe same — driven to excel in everything he did and thin-skinned in the sense that he could hardly handle the slight-

est criticism. His “inner critic” pushed him and

gave him the energy to tough it out.That drive that makes lawyers success-ful also wears them down, he says.

“It’s a grind to always have to mea-sure up,” LaCroix explains. “I’d saythat 90 per cent of people I see thesedays have very high rates of anxiety.

“In my case, I was so horrible, I did-n’t even know how anxious I was. Ifyou operate at a certain level of anxietyand worry for a long time, it becomesthe norm.”

Over the past 25 years, LaCroix haslearned techniques to reduce his stressand anxiety. When the day is over, work’sdone, he says. He shifts gears, hiking,hanging out with Maureen and dedicat-ing time to causes close to his heart.

The couple are heavily involved in BeThe Change Earth Alliance, a non-prof-it group they helped co-found to inspireand support people in making lifestylechanges and re-creating healthy com-munities. He is also president of theMultifaith Action Society, bringing dif-ferent faith groups together to betterunderstand one other.

Maureen has a master’s degree in eco-psychology, a discipline that helps peopleconnect with nature to enrich their lives.She says her husband doesn’t strugglewith his previous addictions, and insteadthrives in a life-long study to better him-self and serve others.

“It doesn’t end for him,” she says.“He’s constantly reading, he hasmountains of books everywhere. He’san avid learner.”

She notes that over the years LaCroixhas built an impressive peer network ofvolunteer lawyers (about 300), many ofwhom he has helped, and who now sup-port others in distress.

“What I see in Derek is that he has agreat empathy for others . . . anexpanded sense of self, where peopleget beyond their small ego self to recog-nize the importance of relationshipswith others.”

April · May 2012

General Counsel

MacEwan University

Edmonton, Alberta

Founded in 1971, MacEwan University is a vibrant, innovative educational

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Reporting to the President, the General Counsel provides legal counsel to the University, and in this capacity is required to develop and maintain solicitor/client relationships with middle and senior management officers. Further, this position coordinates the work of external legal counsel, provides professional advice to

the Board of Governors, and coordinates the development and monitoring of all institutional policy.

In addition to identifying, analyzing and advising on legal issues that affect the University’s operation, the General Counsel will negotiate and draft agreements, coordinate development and monitoring of all institutional policy and will need

to continue his/her legal education and professional development to maintain current knowledge of legal developments that influence the University. The General Counsel will also support other areas of the institution that will include risk

management, Intellectual Property, Privacy and Freedom of Information. The ideal candidate must have thorough knowledge of the fundamental principles and practices of corporate and commercial law and demonstrated

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Be a part of something dynamic as the University celebrates 40 years as a valued institution in the Canadian post-secondary landscape. Send your covering letter and résumé, in confidence, to Esther McGregor or George

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profession, don’t do it for money. They still maintain heavyworkloads, but they have high levels of altruism and commu-nity involvement, are healthy with good family lives.”

Remember that connection, he tells students, punctuating itwith a sobering statistic: that one in three of them will suffersome kind of major mood disorder or addiction problem,either during school or in their career.

Dr. Larry Richard, a Philadelphia-based organizationalpsychologist and former lawyer, adds another piece to the per-sonality puzzle. He says the legal profession attracts anextremely high percentage of thin-skinned people (see relatedstory.) His data consistently shows that nine in 10 lawyers fallin the bottom half of the population when tested for resilience,

18 NATIONAL



Tough-minded,tenacious — and sensitiveStress alone doesn’t lead to personal problems,says a U.S. lawyer turned psychologist.Lawyers’ personalities are also to blame.

Why do lawyers, judges and law studentsexperience alcoholism, drug addiction,depression and other problems at ratesexperts say are two to four times that of thegeneral population?

There is no single reason why lawyers are so vulnerable, butthere are common threads — stress, intense personalities andbasic human physiology — that can be tied together to helpprovide an explanation.

Dr. Larry Richard, a U.S. psychologist and former triallawyer who specializes in helping law firms improve perfor-mance, compiled data from 42,000 tests on lawyers. One star-tling finding: when tested for resilience, 90 per cent of lawyersconsistently score in the bottom half of the general population,mean ing the vast majority of lawyers are more sensitive to crit-icism, setbacks and rejection, more readily hurt and quicker tobecome defensive.

“That’s a stunning, stunning statistic,” he says. “When youhave a profession that’s filled with that many low-resilientpeople, then among other things, they’re going to be muchmore vulnerable to the impact of stress than people of averageresilience would be.”

Now put those low-resilient people in a high-stress environ-ment where uncertainty is the norm and see what happens.

As Richard points out, human beings crave predictability, thereassurance that we can go to bed at night knowing we’ll wakeup the next morning and things will be the same. But that’s nottoday’s world. The economy fluctuates wildly, lawyers jump tonew firms, clients are less loyal, and technology has created newcompetition, turning work into an unrelenting 24-7 slog.

“Change is happening more quickly than the comfort levelfor most human beings,” Richard says, “which means we areunder stress just because of the increasing uncertainty.”

Personality is another factor: lawyers have more intensemanifestation of some traits than the general population. For

example, lawyers tend to be tough-minded and tenacious,attributes that serve them well in the practice of law.

They’re at the bottom of the charts, however, when mea-sured for interpersonal sensitivity, or tact. That’s problematic,Richard says, as more lawyers are expected to get involved inmanagement, leadership, mentoring, supervision, coachingand rainmaking positions.

“Each of these roles requires many skills and personalitystrengths that are almost the opposite of what they’re trained todo,” Richard says. “So lawyers are not particularly comfortablein these people-based roles . . . that’s where the problem starts.”

Now, add some unexpected work that pushes stress frommanageable to overwhelming in a matter of days, or evenhours. Most people will “derail,” Richard says. It’s natural.

Many people have strategies to deal with these moments.Lawyers? They tend to “check out” — become emotionallyagitated to the point where they are unable to even converse.They may grow skeptical, adopt a cautious, overly defensivestance that makes it difficult to get anything done or evenmake eye contact.

This kind of derailment occurs in short bursts, Richard says.If it happens enough times, it becomes a serious problem.

Humans also have pathologies that are sensitive to stress.They include depression, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compul-sive disorders, post-traumatic stress and bipolar disorders.

“When certain types of stress are pressuring an individual, itcan trigger certain types of depressions,” Richard says. “It’s notlike just saying, ‘I feel stressed.’ “It’s like, ‘I have so many clientspressing me from all quarters... I don’t have enough resources...I’ll never get all this done.’”

Next thing you know, the lawyer hasn’t answered mailfor three weeks, is prone to tearful outbursts and hasbecome depressed.

Last, but important to understand, is the human body’sbasic response to stress. Short-term stress — like being cutoff in traffic — can usually be handled quite efficiently. Ourbodies manufacture chemicals such as cortisol and epineph-rine (often called adrenaline) and these “fight-or-flight”chemicals, mostly hormones, help us respond to a threat.

“It’s a fine defence mechanism over the short term,”Richard says. “When the fabled sabre-tooth tiger is at theentrance to your cave, you want to be able to respond in a waythat saves your life.”

What if your job is the tiger that’s stalking you day andnight? Long-term, never-ending stress keeps those chemicalsactive, causing a kind of inner corrosion that affects sleep,concentration, diet and physical health.

The human body wasn’t designed to deal with non-stop stress,he says, which can have a major effect on psychological wellness.

It’s all tied together, Richard says. They’re all factors thatcan contribute to a downward spiral.

For confidential help, guidanceand professional referrals, con-

tact LPAC’s 24-hour Helpline at 1-800-667-5722. The service is available to lawyers,judges, and law students and their families,staff and friends.

LPAC is funded by the Canadian Bar Insur -ance Association with additional help fromthe Canadian Lawyers Insurance Association,

the Canadian Bar Association, ProvincialLaw yer Assistance Programs and lawyers,judges and law students across Canada.

Le Programme d’aide aux juristes (CAJ) del’Association du Barreau canadien aide

les avocats, les avocates, les juges, les

notaires, les étudiants, étudiantesen droit ainsi que leur famille à

surmonter les problèmes qu’ils et elles ren-contrent dans leur vie privée à l’aide d’unréseau de programmes d’aide aux juristes,d’une ligne téléphonique nationale (1-800-667-5722) qui fonctionne 24 heures parjour et par l’entremise des programmespro vinciaux décrits sur ce site Web.

About LPAC · Le réseau PAJ



Reaching outLawyers’ assistance programs are tailor-madefor their challenging clients.

eota Embleton understands the lawyers who comethrough her door even better than they knowthemselves.

As the clinical director of the Ontario Lawyers’Assistance Program (OLAP), it’s her job to know the legal pro-fession’s culture inside and out. Before someone sits down fora meeting or assessment, Embleton has a handle on their per-sonality and the unique challenges it poses, and has a plan tomove the treatment process forward.

“If you don’t understand the culture, the lawyer personali-ty, you will lose them; that’s what sets lawyer assistance pro-grams apart from other counselling programs,” she says. “Ifthey don’t think you know what you’re doing ... they’ll walkout and never come back.”

It’s a health challenge for therapists, she says. They meetwith predominantly Type A personalities who are impatient,insecure, competitive, aggressive and antsy. Their clients arealso perfectionists who need to be in control, put workahead of everything else and really don’t think they need tobe in treatment.

“[Lawyers] don’t want to hear feedback or gobbledygook,”Embleton says. “They want you to come to the point. Just likein their jobs, they want the right answer, a solution in a pack-age ... ‘Tell me what to do.’”

That’s the tricky part, she says, because treatment is aprocess, not an easy remedy. And while the lawyer says they’rejust “stressed”, they’re usually in a state of crisis. It’s up to

skilled clinicians and therapists to engage the client, and “peelback the onion,” until they get to the core of the problem.

If the lawyer agrees to treatment, Embleton outlines thenext step. The process could involve professional counselling,integration into community groups such as AlcoholicsAnonymous or a local lawyers’ group, and getting connectedwith a peer volunteer.

George Hendy, chair of the CBA’s Legal ProfessionAssistance Conference (LPAC) believes peer volunteering is aparticularly powerful tool.

“Lawyers in distress will trust other lawyers who are thereto help them on the promise of anonymity,” he says.“Volunteers can empathize . . . often [they’ll] have gonethrough hell and recovered, and now want to help others.”

LPAC’s prime role is to develop programs and liaise withlaw assistance programs across the country and the federalterritories. The goal is to help lawyers, judges, law studentsand their families with personal, emotional, health andlifestyle issues.

In Ontario, OLAP works individually with about 1,200individuals. Mental health issues — depression, anxiety andextreme debilitating stress — account for 42 per cent of thecases according to its 2010 annual report.

Addictions (14 per cent), relationships (13 per cent) andwork-related issues (18 per cent) make up the other big cate-gories. Embleton believes the numbers are representative ofmost lawyer assistance programs.

She adds that about half of individuals seeking help inOntario are sole practitioners without access to employee assis-tance programs offered by larger firms or government agencies.

“We are their EAP,” she says. “They really are on their ownand do use our service. That’s what we’re here for.”N

Michael Dempster is a freelance writer based in Calgary. PIER

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“LAWYERS IN DISTRESSWILL TRUST OTHERLAWYERS WHO ARETHERE TO HELP THEM ON THE PROMISE OFANONYMITY.”

George Hendy


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