Erasing the Stigma

After a year of remote work and isolation, law firm lawyers are feeling the effects of COVID. In this episode of Erasing the Stigma, Mark Yacano sits down with Dr. Rachel Fry to discuss the impact of COVID on lawyers looking at how junior associates have struggled to transition into practice and older associates have experienced extreme burn out. She shares her observations and encourages lawyers...

In order for your lawyers and professionals to thrive, they need to be in an environment where they are comfortable and receptive to constructive feedback. In this episode of Erasing the Stigma, Sheila Murphy, CEO of Focus Forward Consulting, explains to Mark Yacano the importance of cultivating your culture and then identifying the skills within each of your employees that will allow them to cont...

Brad Baum, venture capitalist with Lightbank, knows a good idea when he hears it, which is why he believes in the development and distribution of technology that supports mental health and access to its services. In this episode of Erasing the Stigma, Brad and Mark Yacano talk about various technological tools available to clinicians and their clients and how the digitization of therapy has lowere...

Mark Goldstein accepted his depression and set out to feel like himself again, taking a leave of absence from the law. When he returned, he shared his story in The American Lawyer and now he shares his story with Mark Yacano in this episode of Erasing the Stigma. Listen in as Mark G. discusses the reactions he received and why he advocates for mental health awareness and normalization in the law a...

Everyone comes to a place in their life and career where they may feel stuck and unsure of how to get out of their rut. In this episode of Erasing the Stigma with Mark Yacano, Madelaine Weiss, clinical social worker and executive, career and life coach, shares real-life examples of how people, particularly lawyers, have made positive transformations in their lives and found sustainable happiness u...

Creating a healthy work environment starts with the tone set by leadership. In this episode of Erasing the Stigma, Misti Burmeister, author and executive coach, discusses with Mark Yacano the importance of leaning in, listening and asking questions to connect commonalities. Using her personal experiences, Misti explains how we all need to get in touch with the emotional and accept that vulnerabili...

Managing—and maintaining—your physical and mental health is an ongoing challenge for many people. Kelsey Heenan, co-founder of HIIT Burn and The Daily Kelsey, explores the mind-body connection needed to find happiness and embrace your body image in this episode of Erasing the Stigma. As she chats with host Mark Yacano, she talks about finding confidence in the clothes you wear, not measuring succe...

Issues of mental health in the legal profession have been a hot topic for ALM Media. Gina Passarella, editor-in-chief, speaks with Mark Yacano about the results of the yearlong Minds Over Matters project and the impact of COVID-19 on the lawyers with whom she’s recently spoken.

In this episode of Erasing the Stigma, Mark Yacano chats with Robin Belleau, director of well-being at Kirkland & Ellis, about Kirkland’s commitment to well-being, its unique program and Robin’s role in supporting the attorneys and staff within the firm.

In this episode of Erasing the Stigma, Mark Yacano chats with Michael Kahn, co-founder of ReelTime CLE and former lawyer, about the grieving process as it relates to the unprecedented times we’re living in.

In this episode of Erasing the Stigma, Mark Yacano chats with Mark Schubert, managing director of Guide+Thrive—powered by BHS. They discuss how organizations and law firms can support their lawyers through the right mix of wellness programming and individualized support.

In this episode of Erasing the Stigma, Lora Cheadle, former attorney, life choreographer, and author, shares the story of her internal struggle between embracing her authentic self and conforming to society’s restrictions and how that led her on a journey to self-discovery and acceptance. As she speaks with Mark Yacano, Lora encourages women, in particular, to discover what they love and embrace m...

In this episode of Erasing the Stigma, Taylor Welsh, CEO of Walker Tracker, chats with Mark Yacano about structuring fitness into your day at home. She explores creative tools you can use when you lack equipment and resources available on the Internet to keep you physically and mentally healthy.

In this episode of Erasing the Stigma, Chris Parsons, Chairman of Herbert Smith Freehills’ India practice, tells Mark Yacano his story of depression, addiction, and alcoholism. He talks about how his upbringing impacted his mental health and how telling his story has helped his colleagues in the legal profession face their mental health demons.

Denise Gaskin, president of RavenWork Inc., shares with Mark Yacano advice for lawyers to help them create a new routine, build stronger relationships with their teams and clients, and manage the emotional roller coaster associated with uncertainty.

While the conversations are being had, is action being taken? Brian Cuban gets real with Mark Yacano as they discuss where the mental health conversation is getting lost in mid-market law firms and what needs to be done to truly turn around the investment in the mental well-being and recovery efforts of their lawyers.

Winston & Strawn has taken an extremely proactive approach to employee well-being and is deeply committed to providing its team members with the resources they need to be healthy and to thrive. In this episode, Diane Costigan, director of coaching and well-being at Winston & Strawn, shares how the firm has helped raise awareness, increased support and introduced resources within the firm to improv...

Depression in men manifests differently than it does in women. Dr. John Ogrodniczuk, professor at the University of British Columbia, explains as he chats with Mark Yacano about men’s mental health, depression, and treatment, focusing on the resources available at HeadsUpGuys.org.

The conversation around inclusion often stops at how to and what are we doing to include people, but we don’t often talk about the emotional, physical and psychological cost to people of not being included. Dr. Arin Reeves, president of Nextions and former lawyer, chats with Mark Yacano about the impact of generational differences on mental health and happiness in the workplace.

Lisa Smith, lawyer and author of Girl Walks Out of a Bar, shares her personal journey of addiction and substance abuse—and recovery—with Mark Yacano. She discusses what it has taken to become sober and how she is now bringing attention to—and trying to normalize—mental health issues within the legal profession.

Jeena Cho, lawyer, author, mindfulness instructor and wellness consultant, shares with Mark Yacano the realities of anxiety and how meditation and mindfulness can help attorneys—and everyone—combat the stress associated with the negative physiology cycle brought on by worry and fear. Hear her story and walk through a quick meditation worth using daily.

Having a safe space for your attorneys to share their mental health challenges should be a priority for law firms. Tom Regan, partner with Lewis Brisbois, explains to Mark Yacano why this is important by sharing his experiences as a practice leader and lawyer.

In this episode, Dan Lukasik, director of workplace well-being for the Mental Health Association, shares with Mark Yacano his personal experiences with clinical depression and his journey to bringing awareness and help to others in the legal profession through the creation of one of the first support groups in the country for lawyers.

Dr. Rachel Fry started her practice to help others find more joy and meaning in their lives. She chats with Mark Yacano about her experience working with lawyers and law firms as well as the therapy cycle and the barriers to getting care.

Mark Yacano chats with Patrick Krill about the American Bar Association and the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation’s study on attorney mental health and how to raise awareness of mental health issues facing the legal profession.