Will a Job at Sullivan & Cromwell Send You to the Therapist's Office?
Being worked to death can lead to mental health issues, but here's how one lawyer avoided them.
For some people, a career in Biglaw can lead to some serious mental health issues. The odds are high that in some point in your life, you’ll wind up inside a therapist’s office to lament whatever ails you.
But for other people, a career in Biglaw can inspire a will to offer counsel — of the therapeutic variety — to people who’ve been worked to death. And who better to do so than someone who used to work for one of the most prestigious law firms in the world?
You, too, can land a job on the other side of the couch. It’s time to slip off those white shoes, and find out how you can make the transition…
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Will Meyerhofer — whom you all know and love, thanks to his writing for Above the Law — recently sat down and had a chat with Spencer Mazyck of Bloomberg Law, to discuss what it’s like to be a lawyer turned psychotherapist. We bet you didn’t know that Will comes from a family full of therapists:
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Will discusses his love of books, and in his latest novel, he took a departure from his other works (Way Worse Than Being A Dentist and Life is a Brief Opportunity for Joy) and wrote something out of the ordinary called Bad Therapist (affiliate links). It’s about a little blue alien from outer space who wants to be a therapist. It’s a fun read, and you should definitely pick it up.
It’s also worth noting that Will’s first therapy gig was at NYU Law. Maybe more law schools will catch on to the fact that offering options like group therapy is a good thing. Many law students would be well served by an outlet to express their feelings, thoughts, and emotions amongst people who are going through many of the same problems.
In the end, a job at SullCrom can put you in therapy, but not in the way that you expected. If you’re anything like Will Meyerhofer, you could wind up making the world a better, happier place for working professionals. We wish Will continued success in his booming psychotherapy practice, and we look forward to reading his next column on Above the Law.
The People’s Therapist [Will Meyerhofer, JD LCSW]
Stealth Lawyer: Will Meyerhofer, Psychotherapist [Bloomberg Law via YouTube]
Earlier: Prior ATL coverage of career alternatives for attorneys
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