A law firm is a business employing lawyers, paralegals, and legal researchers. These businesses offer legal services to their clients and typically focus on a specific field of law. For example, some law firms specialize in criminal cases while others handle labour law cases.
Lawyers must complete several years of postsecondary studies and earn a law degree. Passing the bar exam enables lawyers to qualify to practice law in a specific state. Some lawyers go on to qualify in multiple states or handle international law cases. Let’s look at some of the reasons law firms should have on-site therapists.
Many lawyers work overtime.
It’s common for lawyers to work long hours, particularly when they’re preparing for a trial. Due to the long working hours, it’s hard for law firm staff to get away from the office and address their health care needs. Long work hours can also compound stress, which manifests through physical symptoms such as exhaustion, headaches, high blood pressure, and digestive problems. High-stress levels make it harder for people to cope with personal matters because stress can cause depression and other mental health issues.
Providing mental health support through on-site individual therapy is an effective way for law firm partners to ensure their legal team has access to the professionals they need to manage their mental health care. Offering easy access to a psychologist or counselor for psychotherapy ensures your legal team receives the professional support they need. You can offer individual therapy sessions, group therapy, and family therapy.
Legal cases can compound stress and create trauma.
Handling complex litigation can be a source of stress. Lawyers such as Malliha Wilson cope with challenging cases daily, making it beneficial to access professional therapists. Wilson built her career by working for the Ontario government for several years, serving as senior appellate litigation counsel. Since then, she’s become a senior partner with Nava Wilson LLP and has multiple legal specialties. Wilson handles various cases, including corporate, human rights, and labour law matters for various clients.
Lawyers handling criminal and family law cases may also suffer from high levels of stress. Criminal cases can be emotionally exhausting, particularly if lawyers represent someone accused of heinous crimes. These legal professionals may interview witnesses and victims, which can also be traumatic. Offering on-site counseling services ensures your staff’s mental health and well-being during the case.
Positive thinking improves performance.
Using cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) enables patients to generate positive thought patterns and eliminate negative thoughts. Offering CBT is an excellent way to help individuals struggling with mental illness and provide support to help them combat depression and issues with their self-image. When people struggle with self-esteem issues, they’re more likely to sabotage projects and undermine their success in the workplace. Helping legal staff overcome these challenges promotes a positive work environment where employees can accomplish their goals and provide excellent legal services to clients.
A firm therapist can provide valuable insight.
Mental health professionals can play a critical role in multiple types of legal cases. Suppose you’re handling a divorce case and need to establish for the court that your client can provide the emotional support and stability the children need while casting doubt on the other parent’s ability to provide emotional support for the children. In some cases, family lawyers refer clients to mental health professionals who assess their fitness as a parent and testify in court.
Mental health professionals may also play a critical role in criminal trial proceedings. Lawyers may call psychiatrists, psychologists, and counselors to testify about a defendant’s fitness to stand trial. They may also testify about clients with mental illness and how their illness mitigates their responsibility for committing crimes.
Law firms benefit from providing staff with on-site access to professional mental health services. Seeing a counselor can help law firm staff cope with mental health issues. On-site therapists may also evaluate clients and testify in trials.
