We’ve published helpful guided practices to access at your convenience, and invite legal professionals in Massachusetts to join peers along with LCL MA Staff Clinician Dr. Tracey Meyers for her signature series designed to help legal professionals build self-compassion practices in weekly sessions throughout May.
Research has found that mindfulness and self-compassion practices can improve quality of life and decrease feelings of burnout, isolation, disconnection, depression, and secondary traumatization. The research on self-compassion suggests that when we practice it on a regular basis, we actually can feel more resilient, better able to manage life stressors, less depression and feeling less alone. Our programs and guided practices below (and introductory material) were created by Dr. Tracey Meyers, Psy.D., staff clinician at LCL MA and licensed clinical psychologist in the state of Massachusetts. She joined LCL MA in August of 2020 following her work for the State of Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services where she spent over 15 years working in inpatient and outpatient mental health settings. Tracey has a strong commitment to integrative medicine for mental health and wellness and leads mindfulness and yoga programs for groups, individuals, and professionals in the workplace. Read more about Tracey here.
Self-compassion really refers to three main aspects or components. One is mindfulness, being able to actually be present with what is here rather than pushing it away, suppressing it, minimizing it. The second is kindness. How do we talk to ourselves? Can we bring a sense of gentleness and kindness to ourselves? Almost like imagining you would talk to your best friend. And the third part of self compassion is shared humanity, recognizing we’re not alone, we’re not the only one that feels this way.
It can be very is difficult for many of us, especially legal professionals to give ourselves the care and compassion we need to thrive. Further, many of us have doubts and misgivings about self-compassion, including that it’s self-indulgent, weak, selfish, a form of self-pity or making excuses, or that it will undermine motivation, all of which Dr. Tracey Meyers addresses in her post on Self-Compassion for Lawyers: Dispelling Doubts & Getting Started, in which she also addresses common fears around whether the practice will open us too much to pain or we even feel we deserve it.
GUIDED PRACTICES
SELF-COMPASSION: 4 GUIDED PRACTICES – Designed for any time of the day, so you could do it during a break, during lunch, first thing in the morning, in the evening. The most important thing is just setting aside the time for yourself to bring compassion into your life. Find a playlist of all four practice here and more here, including individual audio and transcript files for each practice.
- Affectionate Body Scan – Bringing attention to the body with gentle kindness.
- Compassionate Breathing Practice – Focusing on breathing in and breathing out with kindness, and we use some phrases that can help support that inner dialogue.
- Self-Compassion Break – A gentle practice if you only have a couple of moments where you need to give yourself a little bit of kindness, which also includes self-compassion touch, including different touches that might be nourishing when you’re feeling under stress.
- RAIN Practice – RAIN stands for Recognize, Allow, Investigate and Nurturance, and this particular practice can be very helpful when you’re struggling with a painful emotion.
MINDFUL BREATHING: 2 GUIDED PRACTICES – Designed for different moods and needs at any time of day. The Coherent Breathing is an activating practice that can help us feel more energized; the Mindfulness of the Breath is more relaxing and calming. Find videos for both practices with intro here.
- Coherent Breathing Practice – Energizing & Activating – Helps us feel focused, attentive, stable in our mind and body, a balancing breath, including some arm movements that go with the breath practice to help us feel invigorated, awake, alert and ready for our day.
- Mindfulness of the Breath Practice – Helps us feel soothed when we’re feeling anxious and emphasizes a sense of ease; using mindful awareness of the sensations of breathing, it can reduce anxiety and create calmness in the mind and body.
Free & Confidential Consultations:
Lawyers, law students, and judges in Massachusetts can discuss concerns with a licensed therapist, law practice advisor, or both. Find more on scheduling here.
