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Law Times • December 7, 2009 'It seemed to me that my life as a lawyer was similar to my life as an athlete' NEWS Stressed lawyers turn to sport psychologists BY JULIUS MELNITZER For Law Times be happy? Ever thought of see- ing a sport psychologist? If so, you won't be the fi rst. W Indeed, there's a growing trend among professionals, includ- ing lawyers, to seek their assis- tance. "Th e fundamentals of sport psychology or performance psychology are applicable to anyone whose job includes a high degree of stress or per- formance anxiety, or both," says Shaunna Taylor, a sport psychologist with the Ottawa High Performance Centre. Taylor counsels professional and amateur athletes, as well as people in a variety of fi elds, including lawyers, engineers, doctors, actors, musicians, po- lice offi cers, and fi refi ghters. "Utilizing sport psychology techniques to control stress can build confi dence and have a last- ing impact on everyday quality of life for lawyers in particular because they operate in a very stressful environment not unlike the one experienced by profes- sional athletes," Taylor says. But lawyers, like many ambi- tious and successful people, may be loath to resort to the services of a mental health professional. "Almost everyone has an in- ner jock, so the fact that I'm labelled as a sport psychologist breaks down some of the bar- riers created by the stigma of seeking help," Taylor says. "I didn't seek out this market. It sought me out." Taylor cites the case of a jurist who "gave himself permission" to seek her help in order to improve his performance in an individual sport that was his passion. "Th e man was very adver- sarial by nature, had very high ant to make partner? Better still, want to make partner and standards, and dem- onstrated a high level of anxiety," she says. "He came to talk to me about sports performance, and it ended up be- ing a session in life skills, managing in the courtroom, and how the pressure of his daily life impact- ed on his family." Taylor compares lawyers in Shaunna Taylor about lawyers' per- sonalities," Taylor says. "For example, the profession at- tracts a lot of think- ers who can morph into over-thinkers who rationalize to the point where it becomes an end- less challenge for them." It can be so challenging that certain situations to skiers who get panic attacks at the starting gate. "When lawyers [are] meeting with an important client, trying an important case or conduct- ing a sensitive negotiation, they can [be] fraught with anxiety about proper preparation and the expectations of others." Like athletes, lawyers need to think about the persona they project. "Just like an athlete who's out of shape and isn't sure about what she's doing likely projects that she's going to lose, a lawyer who looks introverted and doesn't have her fi ll-in- the-blanks mentality in gear doesn't breed confi dence in a client," Taylor says. "But the need to project something that you may not feel inside can be very stressful." Cognitive behavioural thera- pies, what Taylor calls "in-the- moment-stuff ," can change how they act over time. "But if you constantly have to do breathing exercises, there's likely a more pervasive problem," Taylor says. "Maybe, for example, you're not meant to do what you're doing or how you're doing it or where you're doing it, and that takes us to broader issues, like life bal- ance." Law, like professional sports, tends to attract high achievers. 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Prices subject to change without notice, to applicable taxes and shipping & handling. Ridout_LT_Feb9-16_09.indd 1 LPB_2010_LT_Nov30_09.indd 1 11/26/09 1:41:32 PM www.lawtimesnews.com 2/5/09 10:52:55 AM a 1991 study of 12,000 work- ers by Johns Hopkins Uni- versity ranked lawyers fi rst on the list of professionals most likely to experience depression. Similarly, a survey conducted at about the same time by the North Carolina Bar Associa- tion reported that more than 25 per cent of the attorneys re- sponding exhibited symptoms of clinical depression and that almost 12 per cent said they contemplated suicide at least once a month. One lawyer who consulted Taylor but spoke on condition of anonymity, agrees that sport psychologists can assist the pro- fession in various ways. Th e law- yer, who is in mid-career at a Ca- nadian top-20 fi rm, was a high school and university athlete. "It seemed to me that my life as a lawyer was similar to my life as an athlete," the law- yer says. "Th ere were a lot of stresses, a lot of pressures, and always so much in my head." Taylor taught the lawyer techniques to reduce stress. "You need a mechanism to get the noise out of your head To advertise in an upcoming issue, contact our sales team: Karen Lorimer 905-713-4339 klorimer@clbmedia.ca Kimberlee Pascoe 905-713-4342 kpascoe@clbmedia.ca Kathy Liotta 905-713-4340 kliotta@clbmedia.ca and allow your mind to move in the right direction," the lawyer says. "Th at's diff erent from de- constructing life in an attempt to resolve life problems." But even for lawyers with deeper issues, sport psychology can be a promising avenue for relief, especially where stress is the trigger. "If you're talking about alco- hol or drugs or general unhap- piness, sport psychologists can help because they understand our environment," the lawyer says. 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