By Sharon Ramraj-Thompson, Assist Peer Support Volunteer

1. ASSISTance for Family Lawyers:
Ways We Can Cope with the
Struggles of our Practice
SHARON RAMRAJ-THOMPSON
APRIL 19, 2016

2. Alberta Lawyers’ Assistance Society
(Assist)
• Assist’s mission is to help the legal profession and their
immediate families with personal problems.
• Assist is independent of the Law Society and Canadian Bar
Association with which provides confidential and free
services provided at no cost.
• The vision of Assist: “To prevent stress in life and law from
becoming distress; prevent distress from turning into crisis;
and prevent crisis from becoming terminal or long-term
debilitation.”

3. Services that Assist provides
• Assist provides 4 hours of professional counselling are available per member,
per family member, per issue per year.
• Assist also offers a peer support program where an individual seeking help can
be matched with a trained peer support volunteer, who has experienced
something similar or has a particular understanding of the person or problem at
hand, and is able to offer resources and support
• Assist also offers events to educate and raise awareness about mental fitness in
the legal profession, such as the Annual Walk for Wellness.
• Assist has launched their new fitness program called “AssistFit”, designed to
bring the legal community together around fun, physical and creative activities.

4. Some Alberta Stats
• 68% of the legal professionals have experienced stress / burnout:
of those ½ reported experiencing anxiety, 1/2 reported emotional
distress, poor physical health, and depression.
• Family lawyers comprise 5% of the bar in Alberta
• 20% of lawyers who turn to Assist are family lawyers
• Assist accessors: 33% are Associates, 17% are partners, 12% are
articling students, 12% are in–house counsel, and 11% are
government lawyers
Assist accessors: a third are Associates, 17% partners, 12% are 12% are articling students, 12% in –house counsel, 11% are government lawyers
In other words, big firm or little firm, we all get stressed and need help one time or another

5. Why do we need ASSISTance?

6. Why do we need ASSISTance?
• “The practice of law has become an increasingly difficult
occupation. . . “
• “lawyers have unusually high rates of depression,
alcoholism, and a variety of mental and physical
ailments. Researchers agrees that these are not
statistical anomalies but a reflection on how tough it is
today to be a lawyer”
Amriam Elwork - Stress Management for Lawyers - How to Increase
Personal and Professional Satisfaction in the Law

7. Elwork: Why the profession of law is so
difficult . . .
(1) Environmental stressors:
• Generic: Time pressures, Work Overload, Competition, difficult people
• Specific to law: Adversarial system, strict filing and submission deadlines,
mistakes can be costly—literally and figuratively, nature of work is
characterized by aggression and suspicion, family law clients are often
emotional
(2) Individual characteristics of lawyers
• Personality: Perfectionism, desire for success, emotionally unaware, value
• Demographics: Age, race, values

8. Symptoms of Depression / Stress /
Anxiety
symptoms of depression, stress, and anxiety include
• Low mood or energy or fatigue
• Lower interest in previously enjoyable activities
• changes in body weight
• sleep disturbance (or sometime increased sleep—avoidance)
• feelings of worthlessness or guilt and recurrent thoughts of death.
• Changes in personality and heightened sensitivity to rejection.

9. Symptoms of Depression / Stress /
Anxiety
Other signposts that you might be experiencing depression,
stress, or anxiety include
• Disruption in the family life
• Martial problems
• Expression of concern from family members or friends.
• Use or overuse of alcohol / drugs

10. Secondary Traumatic Stress /
Compassion Fatigue / Vicarious
Traumatization
• Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS):
• the indirect exposure to trauma through an account of a
traumatic event.
• It is also compounded by viewing images or physical
evidence

11. Secondary Traumatic Stress /
Compassion Fatigue / Vicarious
Traumatization
Effects of STS
• lack of sleep, poor eating habits, hypervigilance, alcohol
/ drugs abuse, relationship and detachment issues.
• STS victims become increasingly argumentative with
family or need time alone after coming home from work
“Secondary Traumatic Stress and Family
Lawyers” by Cindi Barela Graham and Dr. Lynn Jennings

12. So what can we do?
We can remember we need NESTS
Nutrition,
Exercise,
Sleep,
Time for ourselves,
Support
NESTS” taken from “Early treatment yields good results” Jules Smith,
MA and Jasmin Abizadeh, BA

13. NESTS: Nutrition, Exercise, Sleep, Time
for Yourself, Support
Here are some of the foods that reduce anxiety
• Avocados, Berries, Cachews (zinc)
• Dark chocolate (antioxidants) Garlic
• Green tea, Oysters, Oat (fibre) Oranges
Avoid refined sugars
Prevention Magazine

14. NESTS: Nutrition, Exercise, Sleep, Time
for Yourself, Support
Stay Hydrated
• Studies show that not drinking enough water can raise your
stress levels and increase your heart rate.
• Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day.

15. NESTS: Nutrition, Exercise, Sleep, Time
for Yourself, Support
There is a positive association between exercise and easement of anxiety / depression symptoms
Walking for 20 to 30 minutes has the same effect as a mild tranquilizer
Go for a walk because . . .
• (1) Walking releases endorphins: sitting all day is bad for you; at minimum you should take 250 steps
per hour you are awake
• (2) Walking clears the head: helps you think clearly as it changes the environment. On the other
hand, you can use a mantra while you walk to avoid thinking about difficult cases or clients
• (3) Walking can be social: make a walking group at your firm

16. NESTS: Nutrition, Exercise, Sleep, Time
for Yourself, Support
• Stretch: Slouching and hunching forward can constrict blood
flow to the nervous system, digestive system, and brain. Try
to keep your head up and your legs perpendicular to the floor
with feet flat on the ground.
• Use good posture
• Change your office environment – get ergonomically friendly
desks and chairs

17. NESTS: Nutrition, Exercise, Sleep, Time
for Yourself, Support
Get the Sleep You Need
Sleep deprivation has many negative effects that hinder our ability to deal
with stressful events
• Chronic Lack of sleep is the same as being intoxicated
• Sleep restores
• Be consistent in your sleep and wake times
• Turn off your devices before bed – it disrupts circadian rhythms
• New studies have shown you cannot make-up sleep

18. NESTS: Nutrition, Exercise, Sleep, Time
for Yourself, Support
Trouble falling asleep? Try Dr. Weil’s “4-7-8” exercise
• Exhale completely through your mouth.
• Close your mouth and inhale through your nose for 4
seconds.
• Hold your breath for a count of 7.
• Exhale completely through your mouth, to a count of 8.
• repeat the cycle 3 more times for a total of 4 breaths.

19. NESTS: Nutrition, Exercise, Sleep, Time
for Yourself, Support
Time for Yourself - Self-care
• Meditate
• Breathe / use your senses (what are three things I hear?
See? Focus on the present)
• Do yoga
• Have a bath

20. NESTS: Nutrition, Exercise, Sleep, Time
for Yourself, Support
• Self-compassion: are you kinder to others than you are to
yourself? http://self-compassion.org/test-how-self-
compassionate-you-are/
• Watch your thoughts: check out Dr. Burns’ Checklist of 10
Cognitive distortions
http://www.apsu.edu/sites/apsu.edu/files/counseling/COGNIT
IVE_0.pdf

21. NESTS: Nutrition, Exercise, Sleep, Time
for Yourself, Support
Support of any kind helps us gain control.
We can also take little steps to gain control and manage what we can do
reduce steps
• Delegate / say “no” if you can (know your limits)
• Develop a plan of action
• Make check-lists
• E-mail management: don’t check your email each time you receive or
notice an in-coming message. Set a dedicated time to check messages.

22. NESTS: Nutrition, Exercise, Sleep, Time
for Yourself, Support
Create a community of support - it takes a village
• Social support has even been demonstrated to reduce the
body’s physiological response to stressful events.
• Friends, family, colleagues, associations, therapists, practice
advisor, Assist . . .

23. Concluding thoughts
The Dalai Lama says:
“Happiness and suffering can be divided into two main
categories: mental and physical. Of the two it’s the mind that
exerts the greatest influence over us . . . Therefore we should
focus our efforts on bringing about mental peace.”

24. Resources: Compassion Fatigue / Secondary
Traumatic Stress
ARTICLES
• Signs and Symptoms of Compassion fatigue – checklist
http://45.55.244.73/app/uploads/2013/08/Signs-and-Symptoms-Hand-Out.pdf
• Compassion Fatigue self test (Through Assist site)
http://45.55.244.73/app/uploads/2013/09/Compassion_Fatigue_Self_Test.pdf
• “Secondary Traumatic Stress and Family Lawyers” by Cindi Barela Graham Dr. Lynn Jennings
Family Lawyer Magazine http://familylawyermagazine.com/articles/secondary-traumatic-stress-
and-family-lawyers

25. Resources: Nutrition, Exercise
Nutrition
• “13 Foods That Fight Stress: Rethink Your Comfort Foods”
http://www.prevention.com/mind-body/emotional-health/13-healthy-foods-that-reduce-stress-
and-depression
Exercise
• “The Slow Death of Purposeless Walking” by Finlo RobrerBBC News Magazine
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-27186709
• “Study: Sitting too much can lead to anxiety - The Boston Globe”
https://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/2015/08/07/deepbreath/jQZKiZgg3syi0wm1TcKIhK/st
ory.html

26. Resources: Sleep, Time for Yourself
Sleep
• Dr. Weil’s “4-7-8 breathing to get to sleep”
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART00521/three-breathing-exercises.html
Time for Yourself
• Self Compassion quiz http://self-compassion.org/test-how-self-compassionate-you-are/
• Dr. Burns’ 10 Cognitive Distortions (and How to Address Them)
http://www.apsu.edu/sites/apsu.edu/files/counseling/COGNITIVE_0.pdf

27. Recourses: Support / Mental Health
• Assist http://albertalawyersassist.ca/
• “What Keeps Family Lawyers Up at Night: Ontario Lawyers Answer our Questions”
http://practicepro.ca/LawPROmag/What_Keeps_Family_Lawyers_Up.pdf
• “Effectively Managing Your Stress in the Workplace” Family Lawyer Magazine by Elodie Mertz
http://familylawyermagazine.com/articles/effectively-managing-your-stress-in-the-workplace
• “The Depressed Lawyer” Psychology Today https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/therapy-matters/201105/the-
depressed-lawyer
• “Coping with Stress and Avoiding Burnout: Techniques for Lawyers” Owen Kelly http://www.cba.org/Publications-
Resources/CBA-Practice-Link/Work-Life-Balance/Health-Wellness/Coping-with-Stress-and-Avoiding-Burnout-Techniques

28. Resources: Books
• Cho, Jenna and Karen Gifford The Anxious Lawyer: An 8 Week Guide to a Happier, Saner Law Practice
Using Meditation (2015)
• Elwork, Amriam Stress Management for Lawyers - How to Increase Personal and Professional
Satisfaction in the Law (2007)
• “Workplace Stress: An Epidemic” (Slide 6)image taken from https://bulletinbee.com/2014/11/16/stress-in-
the-workplace-no-thanks/