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Would text message-based therapy options work for young lawyers?

The prospect of picking up the phone and calling LawCare or EAP can be terrifying for many young lawyers, just as walking into the university counsellor’s offices can be confronting for students. Would assistance via texting assuage those fears?

user iconJerome Doraisamy 15 October 2018 Big Law
Would text message-based therapy options work for young lawyers?
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In the midst of my 18-month bout of severe clinical anxiety and depression, I found it incredibly difficult to articulate what I was thinking and feeling in the context of a verbal conversation. It was too overwhelming.

But I’ve always felt very confident in my ability to write. As such, those close to me would receive emails or text messages outlining what was going on with my health, because that medium allowed me the scope to effectively and comfortable communicate.

And, for current students and graduates coming through the ranks, isn’t this the generation that is supposed to be more in tune with such tech applications?

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I asked two final year law students, one grad lawyer and one junior solicitor their thoughts on the prospect of a therapy service tailored specifically to the idiosyncratic concerns of legal professionals, much like the hotlines made available by state and territory law societies.

Ruby, a Melbourne-based grad, said young lawyers are quick to throw counselling in the ‘too hard’ basket because of lack of time and fear of judgment, and thus a texting service could provide a “discreet access point” for support when it is needed most.

Belinda, a student in Melbourne, agreed, saying people would be encouraged to seek help with the benefit of anonymity.

“I relate to this from personal experience. I am someone who identifies as queer, and when I was coming to terms; with this I contacted an anonymous LGBTQI+ online service which provided a great deal of benefit, where I may not have otherwise sought help,” she recounted.

Harry, a Sydney-based junior solicitor, said that while texting might be useful in emergency situations or as a triage service, he has trouble seeing it addressing the root causes of the stresses of life in law.

“For me, feelings of social isolation, disconnection from family and friends and relationship breakdowns precipitated by a schedule so unpredictable [means that] texting somebody I’ve never met in person would probably do more to confirm than address the problems of a bare life,” she argued.

Eliza, a student from Perth, supported this, saying there is a risk of diminishing the varied issues that young people might be facing.

“Further, I would be concerned with the possibility of inadequate service. There is no alternative for face-to-face sessions with a counsellor and the next best option is over the phone,” she said.

I posited that text-based counselling for lawyers could work because it is standoffish (and thus not intimidating), allows one to engage at any hour of the day, gives a person freedom to properly map out their thoughts and feelings, and can be done subtly at one’s desk if need be.

Ruby backed up this theory, saying the greatest benefit to such a service is that it would be an “easy first step” in seeking more substantive support.

“While it’s often challenging to articulate our feelings out loud, we tend to be experts at hitting the nail on the head via text (speedily too!),” she reflected.

Belinda, Eliza and Harry all agreed, but Eliza noted that such benefits can also be achieved over the phone.

“I still feel that the human aspect is a really important part of therapy. Chat rooms and online forums [can help] people gain a sense of community, and it’s hard to make those connections via text],” added Harry.

On the question of potential dangers, both Eliza and Harry expressed concerns about how in-depth a text-based conversation could go, as well as whether such services could address a sense of social isolation.

“I’d also be concerned about putting anything in writing, particularly if you were using a phone given to you by your employer. I see [this idea] as a supplement to existing services,” Eliza said.

Ruby added that it would be paramount for any counsellors available by text to be well-trained and able to provide positive experiences for a lawyer at the other end of the conversation.

Belinda – being the only one who acknowledged having utilised similar services in the past – said “any benefits outweigh potential dangers”.

When asked who should be responsible for implementing such a service, all said it should fall to a independent bodies such as law societies.

“I think it is important to have it detached from employers or universities, as this may inhibit what individuals feel comfortable disclosing,” Belinda said.

But a texting service should exist only as a supplement to already-established services, Eliza said.

“I am concerned that a service catered to law students and young lawyers would lack nuance and perhaps oversimplify some issues,” she said.

Ultimately, text message-based therapy for lawyers is not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. While some will appreciate the anonymity, standoffishness and relative ease with which such a service can be utilised, others will feel it lacks the intimacy and professionalism of a face-to-face meeting or even a phone call.

What is important is for each individual to understand what communication medium is most beneficial for them, in accordance with their own needs. From there, options of any description can be utilised – so long as we take that all-important step of proactivity.

No telephonic service provided for the legal profession can ever be a supplement for psychological or medical treatment, as well as effective support from one’s family and friends. But a texting-based therapy avenue for lawyers is worth discussing, even if only as a stepping stone via which an individual can develop the confidence to subsequently seek help.

All names listed in this story are pseudonyms, utilised to protect the identity of the interviewees.

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