Erasing the Stigma: Recent Episodes
Major, Lindsey & Africa
Erasing the Stigma: Conversations about Mental Health in the Legal Profession is hosted by Mark Yacano who engages in thought-provoking dialogue with a diverse group legal, mental health and wellness experts discussing the state of mental health and well-being in the profession and exploring the opportunities that exist to destigmatize the challenges and build awareness.
For the fourth time, I have had the honor of speaking with Gina Passarella about ALM’s Mental Health Survey of the Legal Profession. This year, I had the opportunity to include Dan Roe, one of the industry's best business of law journalists, and Paul Hodkinson, The Editor and Chief of ALM Publications in Europe. We engaged in a broad-ranging discussion about the survey, the challenges of an intergenerational workforce, and the power of storytelling to normalize mental health issues.
Join me for an in-depth conversation with Patrick Krill and Paula Davis about the state of mental wellness in the legal profession, the recent and unfortunate death of a big law partner, and a groundbreaking program they developed to help firms build effective wellness programs.
Deep conversations with Andy Hilger, the former president of Allegis Group, on the meaning of leadership in this turbulent new age.
A former attorney, Megan O’Neill turned a casual interest in health and wellness into a lifelong passion and mission. In this episode of Erasing the Stigma, Megan talks to Mark Yacano about living a healthy lifestyle from maintaining proper nutrition to the importance of self-care. They dive into the emotions tied to nutrition, exercise and sleep and discuss how small changes can make a big difference.
Despite the belief that lonely people are introverts, the reality is that even when surrounded by people all the time, someone can still be lonely. Dr. Gabriella Rosen Kellerman explores loneliness with Mark Yacano in this episode of Erasing the Stigma. They look at what creates a sense of loneliness, why the legal profession ranks high on the loneliness scale and how the billable hour weighs factors into the conversation. They also discuss strategies for both law firms and individuals to combat the loneliness crisis.
Each year, ALM releases a survey that looks at the mental health of lawyers around the globe. This year, the results revealed some unexpected—but not shocking—truths about the stress and burnout levels of today’s law firm attorneys. In this episode of Erasing the Stigma, Gina Passarella, Michael Kasdan, Diane Costigan and Paula Davis sit down with Mark Yacano to review the findings and explore how law firms can help their people.
Optimal performance doesn’t just apply to athletes on a sports field. Intellectual athletes need to operate at their own peak levels of performance, too. Dr. Brian Yu shares with Mark Yacano the ACT therapy approach for accepting, acknowledging and working through problematic behaviors. In this episode of Erasing the Stigma, they discuss how these techniques can be applied to build resilience at work.
What role does sleep play in your performance at work? How about in your mental health? Dr. Jessica Payne, sleep and stress neuroscience expert, talks to Mark Yacano about the power of sleep, why we need it, how it impacts our mental health and the importance of the power nap.
Paula Davis, like so many, experienced burnout while practicing law, which led her to leave the practice and explore new avenues for helping people. She found her passion and turned it into a practice of helping law firms and organizations cope with stress and build resilient teams. Paula shares her ABC framework with Mark Yacano and digs into how to cultivate office relationships in a hybrid world.
When Libby Coreno was a young lawyer, she realized she was suffering mentally and emotionally in her career. She also noticed that her colleagues were, too. In this episode of Erasing the Stigma, Libby shares with Mark Yacano her personal journey and how she found her voice to speak up about mental health and well-being. She also discusses how she began the Humanized Lawyer Project.
When Dan Lukasik was introduced to St. Luke’s Mission, he hoped this would be a special place where he could find deeper meaning in his life. A simple ask to become a mentor was the answer. The relationship that he has development with a boy named George has changed Dan’s life. In this episode of Erasing the Stigma, Dan tells Mark Yacano the story of his relationship with George and explores how seemingly innocent acts can help combat mental health.
We’re only at the start of our mental health awareness journey—which is evident if you look at the results of the ALM 2022 Mental Health Survey. In this episode of Erasing the Stigma, Michael Kasdan and Gina Passarella join Mark Yacano to review the survey’s findings and discuss the current state of mental health in the legal industry and workplace.
By taking several small, simple steps, you can become happier in your legal career—just follow the lessons Nora Riva Bergman and Chelsy Castro share in their new book, 50 Lessons for Happy Lawyers. Mark Yacano explores some of the steps he found particularly impactful—including getting clear on your why—with Nora and Chelsy in this episode of Erasing the Stigma.
Burnout is a very real thing whether you are an associate or a partner. Career coach and former lawyer Annie Little knows firsthand and now helps lawyers navigate through the symptoms. In this episode of Erasing the Stigma, she discusses the systematic causes of burnout and gets to the root of the problem with Mark Yacano.
Men’s mental health is often a taboo topic in society. Michael Kasdan has experienced firsthand how nerve wrecking and embarrassing it can be to feel not right. Since taking his first steps in his mental health journey, Michael has learned he isn’t alone and that the stigma around males owning their mental health is long from erased. In this episode of Erasing the Stigma, he shares his story, experiences and advocacy with Mark Yacano.
Kristen Uhl Hulse, Senior Director of Attorney Development & Recruiting for Snell & Wilmer, believes there are new ways of developing young lawyers in this day and age of remote work. In this episode of Erasing the Stigma with Mark Yacano, she discusses reimagining mentoring, using strengths to build self-awareness and finding joy in your work by improving your mental health practices.
For Jay Williams, a mindful sales leader, thriving means figuring out what you value most and making sure the company you work for is giving you everything you need to get there. In this episode of Erasing the Stigma, he explains what thriving in the workplace looks like as he chats with Mark Yacano.
Lawyers often approach the practice of law as a solitary task, internalizing their challenges, stressing over their workload and giving in to self-inflicted beliefs. In this episode of Erasing the Stigma, Angela Han shares with Mark Yacano why burnout is so prevalent in the legal profession and how perception skews reality—and increases our stress levels.
We work hard to appear strong by putting on armor, but in reality, we are much stronger once we drop the armor and own our narrative. That’s what Niti Nadarajah has learned since her “aha” moment of realization that she was holding on to a lot and needed to let go. In this episode of Erasing the Stigma, she shares with Mark Yacano details of her personal journey and why she started writing about her life on LinkedIn.
“Thoughts are not facts.” Chelsy Castro’s interest in neuroscience and psychology led her for the legal profession to helping legal professionals develop healthy coping mechanisms to overcome the thinking errors we all project. In this episode of Erasing the Stigma, Mark Yacano chats with Chelsy who provides examples of our flawed logic and explores how to overcome these hurdles.
When her son suffered a traumatic brain injury, Francine Tone began studying brain science and discovered (through her research) how stress truly impacts lawyers. Francine shares with Mark Yacano her findings and tools for understanding what stress does to the brain and how to manage it.
There are myriad diets and nutrition program as well as fitness programs in the market today—but which ones to try? In this episode of Erasing the Stigma, Mark Yacano sits down with Roxie Jones, founder of BodyROX, to discuss nutrition and strength training. Roxie explores the elements of a balanced diet, supplements you should consider taking and equipment you should have to work out from home.
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 to get passed the stigma and seek help.
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 contribute the best to your firm or team.
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 lowered the barrier to access—and hopefully the stigma.
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 and society.
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 using her G.R.E.A.T. strategy.
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 vulnerability in order to truly understand your people and create a safe space.
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 success by a number on the scale, and taking the first step to a sustainable lifestyle.
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 movement.
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.
Cloud Schnoebelen and Casey Feldman discuss hiring interim talent to support your legal team’s needs, handle short-term projects and address headcount in times of uncertainty.
In her conversation with Andrea Bricca, Barrett Avigdor offers advice on how to show leadership when the GC is occupied with managing the crisis at hand.
Eliza Stoker shares with Andrea Bricca the challenges of managing a remote team and provides advice for building relationships and finding a balance.
Kristina Hill, HR manager with McCourt Global, speaks with Casey Feldman about onboarding remote employees and provides advice on how to set up a new hire to do their best work from wherever they are.
In this conversation with Casey Feldman, Edina Beasley shares how many of her clients have handled the hiring process including performing video interviews and making offers sight unseen.
Jack McDouall shares with Andrea Bricca the impact COVID-19 has had on the Asian legal market since the lunar new year.
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 improve the overall well-being of its lawyers and staff.
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.