Lawyer Well-being with Yan Besner and Bree Buchanan

In this episode of the Mindspace podcast, Dr. Joe focuses on well-being in the legal profession. Working in law is one of the most demanding and stressful jobs in the world: tight deadlines, long hours, a hyper-competitive culture, and the weight of supporting demanding clients. In 2016 a study showed that lawyers and law students suffer from substance abuse, depression, anxiety, and stress in far greater numbers than the general population.

In the first half the podcast, Joe speaks with Yan Besner, a partner at Osler, a national law firm. Yan is recognized as one of the best real estate lawyers in Canada.

Joe and Yan discuss:

- Yan’s struggle with depression, anxiety, and stress as a young lawyer
- The therapies that helped him recover
- How he maintains his mental health these days
- How the culture in law firms is slowly changing to support mental health

In the second half of the podcast, Joe speaks with Bree Buchanan, co-chair of the National Task Force on Lawyer Wellbeing. Bree is leading a cultural transformation that will help promote mental health in the legal profession.

Joe and Bree discuss:

- The 2016 study showing that lawyers and law students disproportionately suffer from substance abuse, anxiety, depression, and stress
- How lawyers can cope with these problems
- Her personal struggles with substance abuse, anxiety, and depression
- How her work in this space aligns with her life purpose.