Abstract
The particular set of stressors faced by barristers (as reported during counselling) often results in a private fear that they will unravel in some way. Typically the fear is experienced within the professional sphere and is accompanied, and exacerbated, by a hyper-vigilant stance towards their environment in a way not dissimilar to sufferers of post-traumatic stress. Barrister clients tend to be extremely self-critical. The threat of judgment is also of course a very real part of their professional life as is intense conflict. The combination of this professional reality with an over-utilized (at least in the personal domain) critical facility is detrimental to their wellbeing and psychological health. Unchecked, the continual interaction of these two factors can lead to levels of extreme stress. One of the contributors to this stress seems to be the experience of an impoverished ability to connect both to the self and to others. It is suggested that this impact on the relational domain may be connected to the over-use of a number of strategies originally adopted as protective in the face of inherently conflicting personal and professional demands. It has become increasingly clear that the relational domain is an area of particular need in the work with barristers who attend counselling and one of potential importance in the area of preventative health and wellbeing generally. The consideration of balance, both internal and external, is a critical factor in both the creation and management of these difficult issues.
Highlights
The particular set of stressors faced by barristers often results in a private fear that they will unravel in some way
It has become increasingly clear that the relational domain is an area of particular need in the work with barristers who attend counselling and one of potential importance in the area of preventative health and wellbeing generally
When a barrister client is suffering the sort of internal imbalance represented by diagram 1, a number of troubling features are typically reported as occurring within the relational domain
Summary
The particular set of stressors faced by barristers (as reported during counselling) often results in a private fear that they will unravel in some way. It is quite a unique and stress-inducing professional pressure ( in the first few years) to regularly find oneself in a position where your work can be publicly criticized as you are in the process of doing the job In terms of their internal environment, barrister clients routinely report experiences that are indicative of characteristics such as: independence, perfectionism, self-criticism, pessimism, achievement-orientation and highly developed rational thinking skills. In addition they are practiced or drawn to practice in the role of the expert. The highly developed rational thinking skills while essential to successfully carrying out the tasks of the barrister role may impact conversational communication negatively, even leading as has often been reported, to a feeling of distance and disconnectedness on the part of the barrister from their partner
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